My first impression of St. Dunstan’s church was one of amazement. In late 2008, I visited because I heard that the congregation was getting ready to call a new rector, and I thought I would check it out. I sat in the back row intending to just observe, but the music swept me away. I was impressed by the congregational singing and the choir was beautiful, singing 4 parts over and around the voices of the congregation, giving an impression of the transcendence and beauty of God’s presence all around us.
We are a relatively small church, about 100 people on a Sunday, with a small worship space that seats no more than 160 people. We have gravel parking lots and mostly natural spaces around our campus. Our buildings have not been updated much in the past 30 years, but they are clean, uncluttered and mostly functional.
So, how is it that this humble congregation makes music that alternately soars in beauty and then inspires clapping and dancing? So how is it that we have served 15,669 meals since January 1st of this year? How is it that we host 12-step groups 6 days a week? How is it that our feeding program welcomes dozens of people to cook, set up, glean, and clean up who don’t even attend St. Dunstan’s, working alongside the many members who run this program? How is it that we have hosted six homeless camps over the past 7 years? How is it that our care teams pray, send cards, deliver meals, and give rides to people both in our congregation and outside the congregation? That’s amazing!
The only answer to all these questions is that it is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at work among us and through us and with us. Each of us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit in worship and in ministry. We see this in our Mission Statement:
Inspired by our worship together
we grow in Christ through
welcoming the stranger,
feeding hungry bodies and spirits,
giving of ourselves, and
inviting others to join us in this journey of faith.
Your participation is what makes this possible. When you worship or join a ministry team, when you read a lesson or sing in the choir, when you give money to support our congregation, you make all these amazing things possible. Thank you for being a part of St. Dunstan’s Church.
Yours in Christ,
David