Active Waiting

This Sunday we are approaching Advent 3 where we will continue to recognize God's Old Testament promises that point to the one who will come and bring the kingdom of God. Isaiah 35 reminds us that He will strengthen and restore His people. This draws me to think about the vessels, the people, in my life who have been an integral part of uplifting me in times of weakness. Who are the people in your life who have intentionally poured into you?

It would be greatly appreciated if those who are joining us for the Lessons of Festivals and Carols could sign up to bring a dessert or to help set up beforehand. Sign up to help and register on the webstie.

To give, visit the website or TEXT any amount to 84321.

Begin At The End

In the season of Advent, we are invited to “begin at the end” and to stay awake as our hope and expectation grows for the coming of Christ, just as the light on our Advent wreathes grows week by week. Being able to be still and meditate on the coming of Christ which goes against the grain of the culture of the Christmas season around us. What is your posture right now in this season of preparation, in this season of advent?

Christ The King Sunday

This Sunday is Christ The King which ends the church calendar or church year. Where the church calendar begins and ends is significant for how we think about Christian worship and our faith in following Christ. Christ The King is a gathering point of the meaning of the Christian life. All of our life hope and all of our expectation is set on the kingship of Jesus. But, what does it mean to say that Christ is the king? It's the idea, hope, and expectation that God would raise up the line of David and that the king would rule forever, but not just king of the Jews, but king over all the world.

Season of Anticipation

The anticipation of advent and Christmas season is all around us from the Christmas carols to the seasons changing! Tuesday was our last Alpha session which, as we have explained before, served as the foundation to building connect groups within our community. Stay tuned on how you can let us know if you are interested in plugging in to a connect group which will launch mid-January. Our last Alpha talked about the church and the vision for what church is which went really well along with the evening celebration service where so many people shared their understanding of the value of community.

This Sunday we will be looking at Luke 21 where Jesus predicts the destruction of the temples. Why does He do this? What is He wanting to show us?

Baptisms This Sunday!

Moving from confirmations to baptisms to an evening celebration service, it has been meaningful to continue marking these pivotal and memorable moments in our pilgrimage. This Sunday we have baptisms which is the sacrament of initiation, a threshold moment when those who are being baptized are immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can always look back to this moment to remind ourselves that we have been given a new name through the triune God. Along with that is to connect All Saints Day to these baptisms and the meaning of its' significance.

The Lord has sustained St. Barts for seven years! If you haven't already, please sign up to join us for the evening celebration service. This is a time when our church family can come together around a table and share with one another a sign of His presence, His goodness, and His faithfulness to us. All details on our website!

Confirmations This Sunday!

For the last few months we have had a big focus on the Holy Spirit. Sunday's service is to represent the unity of the church, the unity of Christs body, and the recognition of the unification that the Holy Spirit brings. Along with saying the creed together we will also, as a body, reaffirm our baptismal vows to recognize that we are all part of the body. The example in Acts 4 shows the value of what happens when the community acts.

Unity of the Body

Confirmation is a time when our Bishop comes to lay hands on those who have gone through the membership class and signed the covenant. This service is to represent the unity of the church, the unity of Christs body, and the recognition of the unification that the Holy Spirit brings. The statement of "one Holy and apostolic church" comes from the Apostles creed and the Nicene creed. Along with saying the creed together we will also, as a body, reaffirm our baptismal vows to recognize that we are all part of the body. All sign ups for the upcoming services and events are on our wesbite!

Guided By The Spirit In Prayer

As Paul encouraged us, we should intentionally pray for our leaders and that they would be guided by the Spirit in all of the difficult decisions they have to make. This week specifically we are practicing and diving deeper into this. Today is the leader retreat where the theme is resilience in leadership; learning how to pray and be lead by the Spirit amongst roles of leadership is pertinent. We also have the Holy Spirit Retreat at All Saints this Saturday that has been pivotal for so many people so we'd like to invite you if you haven't signed up already.

This Sunday Rev. Emmy Wilson will be speaking on the value and power of prayer. What is your prayer for today and the rest of the week?