You did it! You made the commitment to participate in CONVERGE ‘24 and you showed up.
As Elizabeth Peacock Miller (didn’t she do a splendid job as coordinator?) mentioned last Sunday, ‘more than 75 church members had a hand in creating CONVERGE.’ Then hundreds of you contributed to twelve conversations around tables last Sunday in Broach Hall. The breakfast was scrumptious and the spirit of the day was splendid! As one deeply committed member of the diaconate said to me later, “Now the work begins.” He is right. This important information will be compiled and processed by the Church Council, Deacon Panels, and Resource Teams. Directional alternatives will be considered and identified. At some future date (yet to be determined), a report will be presented with some recommendations for adoption by the congregation.
Important decisions will be made in the next few months. Please pray for clarity and courage.
As senior minister, please know that I am excited about the future of St. John’s. We have more young members now and more children involved in our ministries than we have known for the past twenty years. We also have wise, experienced leaders who are creative and open to new approaches.
Let us be proud of our heritage that offers us an identity founded upon missional service, progressive theology, ecumenical partnerships, and Baptist principles. And let us embrace the opportunities of the future with active faith, deep trust, and commitment to a shared vision that will emerge from CONVERGE!
