Dear One's of St. C's, 

This community continues to blow me away. Community is hard work.  The Church as a whole is in a tough place historically.  I am a new Vicar with a lot of learning ahead of me.  And yet, my first full year as your Vicar was filled with so much life, energy, love, care, and hope.  The conversations you all are engaging in with one another around difference, inclusivity, boundaries, and emotions opens up so much space for the love and grace of God to enter and be present among us. I have long sense had this belief, that church is the place we figure out to live into the Kingdom of God so that we can take what we have learned here and grow the mustard seed out into the world.  After this last year with you all I know this to be true without a shadow of a doubt. 

All of my life I have had theories and wonderings about how we can figure out how to live together by how we fuse together community and Christianity.  This year you all came along with me and engaged and said yes to all of the ways that I challenge you and ask you to soften to one another and to the world.  Thank you truly, for loving one another and trusting me to be your leader.  I can truly say it has been joy. 

I must also mention that I get to work with the most talented, big hearted staff, who always seem to go the extra mile.  An enormous thank you to our staff - Jennifer (Bookkeeper), Val (Children and Youth Coordinator), Susan (Music and Liturgy), Yadira (Childcare), and Norma (Childcare).  You all lift so much weight off my shoulders because I know I can trust you to care for and love on this community and that means so much to me. 

Lastly, none of this is possible without each person who comes and contributes to this place. We truly need God and each other to make St. Columba’s the beautiful, welcoming, spiritually nurturing, healing, and connecting place that it is.  Thank you for showing up in whatever ways you can and giving of yourself to this community.  Each time you do this we are blessed tenfold.  Never underestimate your significance to making this community what it is today.  I can whole heartedly say - you matter, you belong, and we need you. 

with much love, 

Meghan