Rector's Note: Ministry means looking both outward and inward-4.3.25

Last Saturday was a big day for ministry at St. Peter’s. The Women’s Rally, organized by parishioner Mary Rivera, drew 65 participants from 16 parishes to St. Peter’s. Meanwhile, the Vestry met at All Hallow’s Episcopal Church for its annual retreat.

Both events were examples of church life at its most vibrant, with the rally facing outward to welcome and build the wider church, and the Vestry retreat looking inward to build skills, set goals, and strengthen relationships. These two postures—reaching out and looking in—are essential practices of a healthy church.

The latter practice of looking in can often get overlooked in church life, as the calendar fills with events, ministry programs, and acts of service. But it’s important, especially for those in leadership.

At their retreat, vestry members took time to get to know one another through personal conversations and to pray and study Scripture together. We focused on the Gospel assigned for the day, Luke 15:1-10, where the Kingdom of God is likened to a shepherd seeking a lost sheep or a woman seeking a lost coin. Finding and welcoming the lost became a gentle theme throughout the day, as God’s Word informed our work from the start.

We also took time to reflect on the vestry’s experience so far, celebrating what works well in our interactions and what can be improved. Ernie Dixon, our new Accounting Warden, led the group in a conversation on narrative budgeting, where spending plans are informed by the mission and activities of ministries—a process that, in turn, promotes planning and evaluation. We’ll give this new method of budgeting a closer look as the year unfolds.

Finally, the vestry listened for goals emerging from St. Peter’s mission statement, “Rooted in Love, Growing in God’s Grace, Reaching out to All,” as well as its accompanying vision statement, which were included in the parish’s profile work and continue to resonate to this day. From this, we will continue to reflect on the directions that began to emerge as we move forward as a leadership team.

In all, our day together was prayerful, thoughtful, creative, and energizing. I’m excited for the work ahead and for the people of faith that St. Peter’s has elected to lead them. Continue to keep us all in prayer as we look both outward and inward in the months ahead.