What Are We Building?
Our Master Plan Committee (with Vestry approval) has selected Michelle Timperman and Ritz Architects to assist us as we explore the future of St. Paul's Church. So naturally, people are asking "What Are We Building?" And the answer is "Something Beyond Our Imaginations!"
The reality is that the future of St. Paul's is not wrapped up in our building, but in what God has in store for us. In our Mission Statement we say: "With God's help, walking the spiritual journey of faith, we will be, and lead others to be, committed followers of Jesus Christ." We are on a mission: God's mission.
Our Book of Common Prayer (p. 855) says that the mission of the Church "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other through Christ." Further, "the Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes, justice, peace and love." And finally, "the church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members."
Our Master Plan Committee, with God's help, will capture for us a glimpse of what it means to be God's people in this place as we pursue God's mission and ministry. We will be building toward a future filled with many unknowns. We will need the healthy and creative involvement of everyone, with a minimum of conflict. We will want to be good stewards of people, buildings, property and money. And in the process, we will want to build a strong, informed and committed community of God's people who are excited about spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, and reaching out with compassion in God's world.
The Master Plan Committee is beginning the process of gathering information about the mission and ministry of St. Paul’s, and the collective vision we have for the future. Some people think this means we are going to undertake some kind of capital campaign for building, who knows what, in the coming months.
Wrong! We hope that we can continue to be faithful to God’s plan for us in the coming years, without any new building! The last thing we want to do is build anything we cannot responsibly use as God intends, and we will only move forward as the resources to do so are available. But, we are trying to be prepared, when we grow to a size that some changes may need to be made, like additional meeting space for educational programs for children, youth and adults, more parking, a gathering space before and after worship, more office space, or whatever obstacles to growth confront us. We are trying to be prepared for the growth we believe God intends for us, so that we can continue to meet the spiritual need of God’s people.
So, what is God’s vision of our future, 5 years and 15 years off? Do we believe we have a message which needs to be shared? Do we believe God may be calling us to grow numerically and spiritually? What will that mean for the future of St. Paul’s? Be part of the future: help us as we capture the vision God intends.
God has many great things in store for us, and for those God is calling to join us. No, we do not know what physical changes or additions we will be making. But we are building. And it is something beyond our imaginations.
Our Parish Family
We Welcome by Baptism:
“We receive you into the household of God”
We Welcome by Transfer:
Bruce Thomas from St. Michael Orthodox Louisville
Rosalee Edington from Resurrection Episcopal Louisviile
Sarah Weaver from St. Ambrose Roman Catholic, Cheverly NY
“We receive you into the fellowship of this communion”
We Mourn the Death of:
Helen Schuster (died March 20th at age 105)
“Let light perpetual shine upon her”
