Welcome to Christ Episcopal Church

So what is our parish’s top priority?

It has to be discipleship.

What does discipleship look like? The Gospels provide a clear vision – it is apprenticeship to the Master. Jesus’ disciples sit at the Master’s feet as they watch him do ministry. Then they try ministry with Jesus. And finally, Jesus sends them out in groups of two or more to try it on their own.

So here’s my plea to you this year – find some way to deepen your discipleship by spending time with Jesus. We have a lot of options at Christ Church, between adult formation, Centering Prayer, our Wednesday morning worship, our Bible Study, our Chosen ministry, and so much more. Or maybe you’re looking for something else – come talk to me if you are! But living more deeply into our discipleship identity is crucial for our own spiritual health, and for the growth of our church.

Deeper discipleship also looks like living out our discipleship in concrete ways. If you wanted to boil this down to a sentence, it would be “focusing on the basic practices of following the Way of Jesus”. At last year’s annual meeting I set three discipleship goals for us based on some of these practices. 200 invitations to events at our church. 400 conversations outside the church building about faith. Serve 600 members of our community. I’m so happy that we blew by those goals! We issued 282 invitations, had 457 conversations about our faith, and served 760 community members. Great job!

Finally, it’s very difficult – almost impossible – to be a disciple if we don’t know why following Jesus is important. So as we go through this year, I want us to start thinking about how we’d answer the following question: “How has being a disciple of Jesus changed my life?” “How has being a disciple of Jesus changed my life?”

As St. Francis wrote “it is in giving of ourselves that we receive”.

So I am asking you to consider whether you might be called to be part of a team that learns how to have these conversations – and then goes out and had them. Because, to be perfectly honest, I’m not interested in having them by myself. The Gospels show us that ministry is always done in teams. And we need to build the capacity at Christ Church for connecting with youth and young families.

Finally, I just want to say that I couldn’t be happier to be here at Christ Church with all of you. Sometimes the work of ministry here is great. Other days are challenging and tiring. But my sense of call is confirmed daily, and I have grown to love each and every one of you. I’m humbled that you’ve given me such trust. Thank you so much.

In closing, I am absolutely convinced that God is not calling us to manage decline. God yearns to do something new here. Something exciting and wonderful. Something that will honor our traditions but prepare us for something completely new. Something that will foster the sort of deep, life-on-life discipleship that will enable to us to connect with younger generations, serve the needs of our community, and grow a church that follows God into the amazing future he has planned for us.

In Christ, Rev. Aaron Twait

Thank you for sharing your worship with us. 

May the peace of God fill your heart and mind, and the Blessing of God Almighty—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—be with you, and remain with you, always.