A Message from Father Rick...
In January we had our annual vestry retreat, but we kept it to a half-day retreat - because we had no idea what the rest of the year was going to look like! When would we be able to get back to "normal?" What would "normal" even look like?
So, a few weekends ago, we had the second half of our vestry retreat, on the little knoll in the middle of the big field at the Ross Farm. It was a beautiful day, and it provided us ample opportunity to change our focus to see the "big picture."
As terrible as the whole pandemic has been, it has provided an opportunity to think differently about things, and to not just "do what we did last year."
We have some ideas, some plans, and some action items - I'll be sharing those as the rest of the year unfolds. But, the big theme that we kept coming back to was RECONNECTING with each other and ENGAGING with new folks who don't know what St Mark's was like before COVID.
These are the two things that we, the leadership of the parish, can't just do on our own. We need your help with this.
So, please consider joining the GrubClub - the dinner groups that will be starting up soon. They will be an excellent way to reconnect with old friends, and make new friends.
We HAVE added new members to St Mark's in the past year! So, if you see someone who isn't familiar to you, please take a moment to greet them and let them know who you are.
And, if you're still watching online - as many of you still are - please take a moment to say "hi" in the chat box, and encourage others to do the same. We have anecdotal evidence that people are watching from far-flung places - and so take the time to greet them just like you'd do at a coffee hour in the parish hall.
Thank you!
Rick+