January, 2024
Beloved,
“Andrew, I am not Sandi,” said Sue Benner hesitantly as she was getting ready to become our Senior Warden a year ago. I agreed and responded that I wanted Sue to be her authentic self. Sandi was undoubtedly an incredibly organized senior warden with many gifts. I enjoyed learning so much from her under her leadership. I don’t know if I can have two Sandi at a time! Now, Sandi, I say this with all my love, so hold your horses, please. I needed Sue to exercise her authentic leadership with me as a team. She successfully achieved it by expressing her opinions like an open book and listening to others with a big, genuine heart at the same time. While caring for Larry, she is always busy taking care of others. On the topic of preschool, no one like Sue advocates for the well-being of teachers, children, and their families!
I am incredibly grateful when we can sit together and have some good belly laughs to brush off the stresses in life. When Todd was having the first surgery of his life, she was the first to volunteer to organize a soup team. Her will to care for others and do the right things far exceeds her strong opinions. But her best quality is her openness to recalibrate and correct the path when we learn to do better without holding a grudge or being defensive. It agrees with my blessing, “Life is short. We don’t have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” She was precisely the kind of Senior Warden we needed in 2023 to help develop a community of faith that is honest, caring, humble, humorous, and rejoicing in all walks of life.
I am privileged to work with a different senior warden with unique gifts every year. Better yet, what a blessing to have nine fearless vestry leaders with authentic traits to share in leading ministries! Your vote of confidence and trust in electing new vestry members at the annual meeting helps assemble this incredible team of faithful leaders annually.
So mark your calendar for January 21, 2024. On the third Sunday of every January, we have one service at 10:30 am, followed by our Annual Meeting. We will reflect on our ministries and shared life from the past year, discuss approving the 2024 budget, elect the new officers, and launch a new year. We need your faithful presence. With God’s help, walking the spiritual journey of faith, we will be and lead others to be committed disciples of Christ. How can you make St. Paul’s become your faith family to belong? May the new year be filled with new faith-ful adventures, hope, and love as we follow Jesus.
Lovingly in Christ,
Fr. Andrew
