May 2008 Cover Letter

Dear Saints’,

For the past few months the Vestry has set aside a portion of our monthly meetings to discuss the topic of identity: Who are we at All Saints’ in Belmont? Who are our Co-Rectors? Are we doing a good job communicating who we are outside of our doors? What are we known for? Who is coming to All Saints? And who is staying? How does our identity as an Episcopal Church help us? How might it hinder us given the controversies swirling in the press?

We are still working on the answers but some things are coming into focus. Its hard to answer these questions because we are a diverse community; diverse in political opinion, diverse theologically, and diverse economically. But first and foremost we are a community of people who gather together to know Jesus Christ and to make him known. We gather together on Sundays and during the week to worship God, care for one another, learn, and grow together in faith, and to be equipped to share that faith wherever we might find ourselves during the week.

We have found some other common ground as well. We share a deep commitment to the highest standards of biblical preaching. We are a community that enjoys traditional worship as ordered by the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. We love to sing both the traditional music from the 1982 Hymnal and the old Gospel hymns from the Lift Every Voice and Sing Hymnal. And we are a community deeply committed to our children and youth as evidenced by the Godly Play program, our music ministry, and programs for our youth.

The combination of biblical preaching, traditional worship, spirit-filled music, and our commitment to children is drawing newcomers. What is of note is that many of those coming (and staying) are not life-long Episcopalians, but come from diverse and what some might describe as evangelical backgrounds. The Vestry has been pondering the question: Why is that? What attracts them? How did they find us?

This has led us to examine the entry points to our community – everything from the web-site to the signs on the front lawn. We are still very much in the examination and study process, but we urge you to watch as we work to make who we are (our community and our clergy) more clear to those who pass by, either by car or on the web. Our prayer is that when people pass by they will be able to see who we are and that they will be drawn to this extraordinary community and ultimately to God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Your loving priests,

Cheryl and Paul