October Rector’s Letter

Dear Parish Family,   

Yesterday was the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Famously God told St. Francis, “rebuild my Church.” In our own way, especially after the last two difficult years of COVID, all of us are now called to rebuild God’s Church: to give ourselves to the work of loving and serving others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Malawi Priests’ House
You’ll remember that nearly a year ago we had the vision to partner with our brothers and sisters in Malawi to build a priest’s house in our sister parish there. The priest is currently living about 50 miles away from the nearest of the 8 churches that he serves, which together form our sister parish. His ability to fully exercise his ministry is greatly impacted by the fact that there is not a house for him in the community he serves. Bishop Fanuel asked us to partner with them to get Fr. Jacob into the geographical footprint of the parish. Doing so will enhance his ministry to the people there and we gladly accepted.

The building of the priest’s house is now underway in Malawi. It took them some time to mobilize a crew to get all the way to Kanjuchi, which is very remote, but the construction crew is there now. They’ve already drilled a water well and laid the house’s foundation. We also sent them to a nearby town that had no water well at all and they have dug one there. Bringing access to water into these communities is no small thing and an incredible witness to the community of the love of Christ. The well is right next to the Church so there is no doubt that the Church is helping to meet the community's most basic needs. Be on the lookout in a future “And God saw it was Good” for pictures and videos of the work that is underway. 

September was an Amazing Month at St. Laurence
September was fast and furious with many amazing events at St. Laurence. Every time I turned around there was another blessing from God. From Fr. Province’s ordination and first mass, to the hosting of over 60 priests at the Society of Holy Cross synod, to the beginning of Sunday school for all ages, youth groups, adult and youth choirs, the long awaited return of Evensong on Sundays, Parents’ Day Out, and Inscribe These Words Bible Study on Genesis. There are a ton of amazing things going on at St. Laurence and I encourage you to jump in! God has really blessed this Parish family and I am so thankful.  

St. Laurence Men and St. Laurence Women
Both the St. Laurence Men and St. Laurence Women kicked off their new years in September with near record attendance. It was a very encouraging sign. There were tons of connections getting made at both events. If you haven’t been to one of these groups before, or it’s been a while, watch for them in the bulletin and jump in. 

Expansion Discernment Forum Followup
On Sunday, September 11 we had a forum about a possible physical plant expansion at St. Laurence, which was the first of many discussions we are hoping to have with the Parish family about it. We asked the people of St. Laurence to do three things: Think about it, pray about it, and talk to one another. We also sent out a survey that many of you have already completed. Thank you! If you haven’t yet completed the survey, click here to do so. We’re trying to collaborate with the entire Parish family on how to proceed so we’d like to hear from as many of our members as possible. Also, if you missed the forum but still would like to watch you can do that by clicking here.

Anglican Essentials Class 
Fr. Matt and Fr. Travis are kicking off an Anglican Essentials Class this Sunday, 10/9 at 5:30pm in the Parish Hall. This class is for those who want to know about the essentials of the Anglican tradition or want to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, or both. The Fathers are both very excited and are planning to make the class both fun and informative. If you’re wondering why things are the way they are around here, or what the Anglican position is on any given topic, I would encourage you to check it out.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
We had planned a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in June of 2020. Obviously it was canceled and we attempted to move it to 2021, which also got canceled. I am happy to report that it is now back on! We will be going in late October 2023. A trip to the Holy Land is an incredibly rewarding spiritual experience. Having been twice myself, I can confidently say that being there in the Holy Land makes the Scripture come alive in a way that basically nothing else can. Standing in the place where Jesus was born, where He died, where He rose from the dead—it is incredibly powerful. I’m still negotiating the exact dates, itinerary, and prices with our Tour company. Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you all for the privilege of continuing to serve.  

Fr. John