From the Rector

My dear family in Christ,
 
In cleaning out a stack of old papers, I recently came across a single question scrawled across a torn scrap of paper from a small notebook, in a handwriting that I didn’t recognize, but which is definitely not my own.  The question on this tiny paper is:
 
“How has the leadership of this parish cultivated a cohesive vision for the congregation?”
 
I’ve no idea how long ago I folded up this note and tucked it away amongst other bits and pieces of things to hold onto … but it’s impossible not to feel how timely and urgent the question is in our present moment.
 
Back in 2023, the Vestry and I hammered out what I’d hoped would be a new vision statement for All Saints.  It became instead, at the time, a “statement of direction.”  In retrospect, I now think it was more a statement of identity ~ at least a statement of an identity to which we as a church community would aspire.
 
That 2023 statement read:
 
“All Saints Episcopal Church will strive to be a Christian community that is 1) theologically orthodox, 2) unapologetically Anglican/Episcopal, and 3) welcoming, inclusive, and fully affirming of all persons, regardless of ~ for example, but not limited to ~ race/ethnicity, background, socio-economic status, level of education, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
 
Two years and change down the road, it’s probably time to revisit this statement.
 
Not in the sense of changing or replacing it ~ not remotely.  It captures, I believe, the highest ideals we truly aspire towards in our parish community.  But it’s time that we take a look at ourselves and ask what progress we’ve made towards becoming the community that we’ve said we would aspire to be.
 
To put it another way, we decided a while back what kind of community we want to be.  That in and of itself is a hard thing to do, but we did it, together.  The next hard question is: how exactly do we make those aspirations come to life?
 
The good news is that I think the first item is well in hand.  Our prayers and worship follow the Book of Common Prayer (always a good guideline!), and from what I’ve seen in Bible studies and Christian formation workshops and classes, we are very well grounded in the Scriptures and the core teachings of the Christian faith.  There is always room for more worship, more study, more practice, truly this is a faithful and knowledgeable community!
 
The second item from our “statement of direction” is also pretty well in hand, I would say, both in terms of our liturgies and in spiritual practice.  We are very much an Episcopal (and therefore Anglican) community.  It must be said, though, that our communal identity is deeply and widely enriched by the members of our congregation who have come to us from other Christian traditions.  One of the great gifts of our Anglican approach is that our famed “via media,” or “middle way,” is that it allows us sometimes to say, theologically, “both/and,” rather than always having to choose “either/or.”
 
That said, the whole of the Anglican tradition of which we are a part is vast, offering many time-honored ways of connecting with God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  Prayers and practices refined through centuries of use, some going all the way back to the Apostles themselves, are part of our heritage and present a myriad of ways to become ever more nearly conformed to Christ.  So, as Anglican and Episcopal as we already are, we still have much to explore within this rich tradition.
 
Perhaps the hardest item to consider is the one that seems the most timely in the present moment:  our aspiration to be a truly inclusive and affirming community, welcoming ~ and joining together with ~ everyone as we strive “to seek and serve Christ in all persons, respecting the dignity of every human being.”  It’s a challenge, because on one hand, we already do that.  To my knowledge, All Saints has never turned away anyone on the basis of race/ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, gender identity, or sexual orientation, at least not in living memory.  That’s pretty remarkable.
 
At the same time, is it not also appropriate to ask if we could do even better than we already are?  What specific steps can we take, what particular things can we do, actively to encourage folks who have, either historically or presently, often been left unwelcome in (or even outright excluded from) Christian and/or Episcopal spaces?  Jesus didn’t wait for marginalized people to come to him; when they did, he of course welcomed them, but he also actively sought them out, often causing scandal amongst the established and respectable religious folk of his day.
 
My friends, I don’t know, off the top of my head, how to do that here and now, in 2025 in Appleton and the Fox Valley.  But I do suspect that this third aspiration from our “statement of direction,” to become an actively inclusive and affirming community, especially for folks who are often marginalized in our present society, is our greatest opportunity for growth.  
 
The challenge, then, is to come up with some things to try, along those lines, and then actually try them, trust the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and bless our efforts.  Imagine what our church could be ~ a haven for folks who need Jesus the most.
 
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, questions, and ideas for new things we might try, as we aspire to become more fully the community God has called us to be.  Please call, text, and/or email ~ I can’t wait to see how the Spirit inspires us!
 
Fr. C

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