Dear sisters & brothers in Christ,
We are going to be in ministry together starting Advent 1! My first Sunday will be December 3. This would be a great time to invite friends to worship who haven’t been in a while!
I’m very excited about this new call and all that is in store for us as a congregation. I have enjoyed meeting Calvary folks on the Search Committee, the Vestry, and the Staff. I greatly appreciate meeting each person and thank them all for their honesty, hospitality, and positivity.
I felt at home at Calvary and in Ashland from the start. Thank you all for being an important part of that!
Everything in my experience of this transition, Praise God, has happened smoothly. It was merely two Thursdays ago, October 12, that all 3 parties involved finalized and signed the Letter of Agreement. That evening I drove from Lexington to Ashland to have dinner with the Sr. Warden and to ask a few basic questions. Then I had Friday morning appointments lined up with a realtor to see houses. I put an offer in on the second house we saw, which had only been listed the night before. When you know you know!
It turns out there were a total of 7 offers. Then Saturday afternoon, driving back to Lexington, I received a phone call from my realtor saying that our offer had been accepted! As I write this letter to you we are working out the details, but it looks like the closing will be sometime mid-November. Truly there is a great deal to be thankful for! And by the way – it’s a little 1959 (newly remodeled) ranch house in the Old South Ashland area. I’m looking forward to putting down roots here and calling Calvary Episcopal Church and the Ashland area – home.
I share the order of house hunting events mentioned above for two reasons: First, is to relay what Sean Farrington and others have been saying all along, that this search and discernment process has clearly been revealed as God’s timing. I know that you have been in this search process for a while and have managed to self-sustain in a healthy manner. The parish leadership and Fr. Bryant Kibler are certainly to be commended for this! Secondly, I think there is a special kind of commitment to one another being made as we begin Advent together. We, (God, you with the congregation, and myself), are like the 3 cords mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:12. Wrapped together with God, we are stronger than any one of us on our own! I’m looking forward to being present at the church office on a regular basis. So please drop by and say “Hi”! I’ll also be available to visit away from the church if that works better for anyone. I want to get to know each of you. I want to listen to your ideas for our life in ministry together. Remember – Please invite someone to “Come to Calvary!” on Sunday Dec. 3! Advent is our time as Christians for new beginnings! I’m excited to be here and I hope to see you soon!
Blessings to each and all,
Fr. Jon
