Building Strong Relationships
This marks one year since I returned to St. John’s full-time, and what a year it has been! Despite the pandemic, turbulent political times, departure of wonderful staff members, and loss of beloved parishioners, it has been a deeply rewarding year. And it has taken me about a year to figure out what I am truly called to do here at St. John’s. The list has become long, but wonderful and life-giving.
Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR): Brian and I continue to serve one Sunday every month at the Reservation. The trust and care that the parishioners offer us is humbling. I am working with our Bishop and Diocese on a Truth and Healing process between the Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone Nations and the Episcopal Church of Wyoming, part of a larger investment that the Diocese is making on the WRIR. There will be ways to engage our parishioners in the months and years ahead as we continue to build these strong relationships. Thank you for supporting this important ministry.
Pastoral Care: Day in and day out, without fanfare or even visibility, the clergy and staff provide pastoral care to members of our church and our community. In 2021, Christie Laughery, Lynne Matthews, and I began to rebuild our lay pastoral care team, adding another layer of care to tend to the needs of our extended church family. From one-on-one support in difficult times to meals to help with odd jobs, we have many loving members ready to be there for one another. Our goal in 2022 is to be a constant, visible, loving presence within our community.
Women’s Ministry: A small but dedicated group of women enjoy Thursday Women’s Lunch every week at noon. Most weeks these are brown bag, but in December we began providing a light, homecooked lunch on the first Thursday of every month. At our first First Thursday Lunch in December, we had about 30 women, and it was wonderful to share good food and fellowship! Our next First Thursday Lunch is planned for March 3rd – God and COVID willing. We also began planning a Women’s Retreat - chartering a bus to take 30 women to Thomas the Apostle Center in Cody over Memorial Day weekend. Keep an eye out for more information as we get closer. I look forward to growing this ministry in 2022.
Children Youth and Family: When Catherine Morahan told us she was leaving St. John’s and Jackson, there was an audible gasp of disappointment heard from our families. Catherine is and will always be a beloved part of our family, and we miss her dearly. But each staff departure provides an opportunity to redefine the scope and direction of our ministry, and it takes time to make sure our next steps are the best ones for our youth, families, and our church. In the interim, I have stepped in to help lead us forward, which has been a daunting yet exciting opportunity. We began with a Family Dinner in early December to hear what is important to our families. We had about 35 parents and an equal number of kids – running wild in the nursery, I might add. It was music to our ears. We heard lots of great ideas and lots of passion and commitment. We reopened the nursery during our 10:00 a.m. service for the 5 and under crowd, and we held our annual Christmas Pageant on Christmas Eve with kids of all ages. In 2022, we look forward to restarting our monthly Family Service on the 2nd Sunday of every month, with Children’s Chapel on all other Sundays, and exploring the many great ideas from our families.
This year has been one of stops and starts. Just when it feels like we are ready to get back to life as usual, we hit another spike. I have learned this past year that we are pretty resilient. I have also learned that these constant calls on our resilience take a toll on all of us. It almost feels like making plans is tempting fate, but we keep moving forward because what else can we do? I am comforted knowing that this big, beautiful church family is here for me and for one another amidst all the ups and downs. Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary community.
Wishing love and peace – and togetherness – in the year ahead.
