Mickey Connolly and Tana Cochran | Rob Andrew | Andrew Morley | Dot Jackson | Phil Ecklund | Michelle and David Webb | Charlie and Lauren Hager
For me, St. John’s is all about family — this St. John’s family, learning, worshiping and living in Christ together, as well as, my own family, learning to worship and live together in Christ. At St. John’s, nothing personifies family more than the smiling faces of all of the young people of St. John’s. There are so many of them, and they seem to be multiplying every day! Our St. John’s family is blessed with the enthusiasm, vitality and spirit these young people bring everyday.
When I look at our broader St. John’s family, I see that same enthusiasm, vitality and spirit. I am constantly amazed at the number of ministries that we have at St. John’s and the many members of our St. John’s family who are involved in those ministries. This vitality is what I think makes St. John’s special and continues to fuel St. John’s growth. It surprised me to learn, some time ago, that St. John’s operates on a little over half of the budget of the other churches in the Diocese that are of similar size to St. John’s. While I hope that we can change this fact, I think that is a great testament to the commitment and creativity of our clergy and staff and of all of you in our St. John’s family.
One of the things that my wife, Becky, and I try to teach our children is to give generously of both time and money to deserving charitable causes. Our children receive a weekly allowance, from which they automatically set aside a portion to donate to a charity or institution of their choice. Our kids don’t view this money that they set aside as money that they are “giving up”. Instead, they view it as a responsibility they have to support charities, and in doing so, they feel empowered and inspired to help where they can.
We all have this opportunity to make a difference at St. John’s. By getting involved in various ministries and by providing the necessary financial support, we can ensure that St. John’s remains the vibrant community of worship and spiritual renewal that we all love so much.
