From the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last Sunday, someone said that because it was a children’s service, and because the choir was small, and because the liturgy had the type of chaos that kids bring, they called the 9:00am liturgy a “humble” service—and said they loved it.

We do big services well at Saint Philip’s. We can do processions and big choral music with lots of pomp and circumstance. It is lovely too, though, when a sort of humble joy takes over just because we are together.

You will see in the report below the many changes that the year has brought in our Children, Youth, and Family Ministries. When Fr Mark left just as Saint Philip’s emerged from the pandemic, it was a good time for the parish to take stock of where things had been before the pandemic and where they were as we regathered. It was also an opportunity to consider what we hoped for as we transitioned back.

Mtr Taylor and Fr Peter have worked on a range of ways to involve children more. You will have seen them reading, acolyting, and more at the 9:00am Sunday service in particular. Mtr Taylor has convened a new Program Advisors committee focused on CYFM and the Parents Formation group has grown and thrived in the last year.

It has been a constant source of joy to see this new energy emerge. There are parents in almost every leadership body in the parish now. And Saint Philip’s choir continues to offer children a place to grow in faith, in relationship to one another, and in companionship with adults in a lovely, intergenerational place of creative engagement.

This is all work that is still underway. When I arrived at Saint Philip’s, the first two priorities given to me in my letter of agreement were:

1.     Enrich and support our Children and Youth Ministries
2.     Improve the financial health of Saint Philip’s

Significant steps have been taken in both of these areas in recent years. Despite the pandemic we find ourselves in a place of real positive momentum. There are still opportunities to be sure—and the recent fluctuations in the stock market show just how unpredictable a time it still is. Yet, I am beyond grateful that the average pledge amount has increased, as has the total donation amount people give. The parish has also been able to reduce its reliance on reserve and restricted funds for regular operations.

The next two priorities given to me in the letter of agreement were:

3.     Increase the visibility and effectiveness of our ministries within the larger community
4. Increase fellowship and build community with all age groups

I think these two areas are the next opportunities for further development. We have made progress in some ways (such as the development of Beloved in the Desert, Compline, Kitchen on a Mission, Medical Debt Relief, and more) but there are opportunities to deepen Saint Philip’s engagement with the wider community and develop new partnerships with organizations across the city that are already doing amazing work. I look forward to seeing how our partnerships with Habitat for Humanity, Cruzando Fronteras, JobPath, Pima County Interfaith, and others will develop in the years ahead.

The fourth charge is the one where I think there is even more possibility. As we have emerged from the pandemic, there has been a real desire for fellowship, prayer, and connection. We have seen the development of a new Stephen’s Ministry, MOSAIC has resumed, our parents group is thriving, along with other developments. But I am aware that more can be done to create opportunities for connection and to create more space for the simple, humble joy of being together.

As this program year comes to a close, I am deeply grateful to the staff and volunteer leadership that have navigated the tricky, sometimes stressful work of regathering. It has not been smooth sailing, as they say, but we’re coming into port safely with a great deal for which we can be thankful. We are coming back together perhaps more humbled by the reminder of our reliance on God’s providence and protection—and we are coming back together both with gratitude for the gifts we share and also with a deeper awareness of what there is yet to do.

What a gift all of that is.

I find myself always thankful to God for the gift of being in ministry with you and look forward to the joys, challenges, and opportunities ahead of us.

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Robert