My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The beginning of each new year is a natural time to take stock of various aspects of our lives: to look back over the most recent year to assess successes and failures, to consider the present state of one’s health–physical, mental, financial, and spiritual–and to think about the year to come.  In all of these areas, I find constants that anchor my reflections in gratitude.

I am grateful for the love of God, which engenders my love for God’s people (that would be all y’all) and enables my work in God’s holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I’m also grateful for the encouragement and support that I have received from you from the time that I arrived in June.  The parishioners of Holy Trinity are truly some of the most welcoming, helpful, loving, Christ-like people I’ve ever known!  

I am grateful for a hard-working and understanding staff, who have done their best to make the time of transition as smooth as possible–we’ve had some little bumps here and there, but always ending with smiles and laughter and loving spirits.  Thank you, Lynne, Cynthia, Suzanne, Becky, Mary Beth, and Jim!  I’m grateful for your servant hearts and joyful souls.

I expect that the year to come will be one of continued stability and growth as we carry forward the process of getting to know each other and deepening in our commitment to the mission and ministry of Holy Trinity.  One of the ways we can do this work is through creating and nurturing opportunities for parishioners to gather in groups of 6-12 persons for a common purpose.  This is an idea that has come up in different conversations around the parish, and I think it’s time to pursue it.

We’ll be talking about these Affinity Groups in more detail as the year unfolds. Some of these groups already exist, and others have been proposed. These small groups can form around a book study and last no longer than it takes to read that particular book, or they can form around a longer horizon of shared interest in prayer and support for one another. or Bible study, or prayer shawl ministry, or Pub Theology, or …. how would you fill in the blank? If you and your friends have ideas for such groups, I ask you to contact me to discuss the viability and fit for parish life.

May God continue to bless us all in the year ahead of us, and y’all keep the faith!

Grace & peace to all y’all,  Suz+