During the late summer, I had some time away for rest and rejuvenation from life’s strain and stress that have taken their toll on me. I learned yet another key lesson from my life and ministry, this time from my body, about what sustaining myself for the long haul really means. The irony is not lost on me that during my time with you working on the ministry of seeking sustainable mission for St. John’s that this is what I am re- learning in a new way for myself!
This is really what our ministry together is about – re-learning to care for ourselves and one another for the long haul, in a new way. A pathway is revealing itself over time through deep listening, letting go, and trusting that all will be well when we do not know where we are going or how we will get there. We will conclude our ministry of seeking sustainable mission in late March of 2025, when the Sustainable Mission team delivers its report to the vestry. At that time, we will recommend possible pathways forward for St. John’s that realign our mission with our resources, now and into the future. Recall our mission statement, thoughtfully and prayerfully crafted many years ago:
“We celebrate the gift of Christian community and welcome all, without distinction, to share the joy and pain of life’s passages. We commit ourselves to personal and spiritual maturity, both traditional and innovative worship, the healthy nurturing of children, and reaching out, beyond the Church, seeking Christ in all persons.”
These words still ring true for us, but how we live this out and sustain ourselves financially will change. This is a natural occurrence as we and the community around us change. I find this reassuring, challenging, and yet comforting. Life teaches us to keep being who we are in more authentic and deeper ways, to adapt, and to flourish, as God intends for us. May it be so for us as the community of St. John’s – Minneapolis!
Join us this Sunday 10/13 at 9:00am for the Community Forum for an update on the status of the work of the Sustainable Mission Team. We will be spending the bulk of our time talking about some of the alternative financial models that
congregations around us have discovered and adopted to carry themselves forward in faith into the future. While a decision has not yet been made to recommend a particular model(s) to the vestry, we will now take time to share a glimpse of the possibilities we are exploring. Lastly, I’d like to share an old photograph found in the library at St. John’s where we meet weekly as a staff:
Photo caption: In the Beginning: St. John’s was founded in 1903—its first building had been an old gymnasium converted into a sanctuary. Over the ensuing decades a new building was constructed, financed, and lovingly maintained despite the Great Depression—a clear indication that this congregation has been generous and hard-working from the beginning.
I look at this image and I wonder what life was like for these men and the families of the congregation. I wonder how they took this bold step in faith in building a future for a time and a people they would never know. So, it is with us. How life has changed since that time, and yet the core of who we are has not. But how we live it out together has changed and will continue to change. I draw comfort from knowing this and I hope you will too.
Rena Turnham
Minister for Sustainable Mission
