Sometimes, August has the same feeling to me as the last day of a vacation. As much as I intend to focus on the glorious present and enjoy everything that the day has to offer, part of me is also thinking about packing up, or how early I need to get moving the next morning. It is helpful to have something to look forward to after the vacation ends.

As a child, I used to look forward to returning to school. In particular, I was excited about seeing all my classmates again and starting new activities. Later, I was usually ready to leave an unglamorous summer job behind and get back to college. Reflecting on it, the element of anticipation is key.

What are you looking forward to at St. Luke’s this fall?

Of course, it’s not like everything stopped at St. Luke’s during the summer: we still worshiped together and shared the peace; Lunch Bunch, Supper Group, and Coffee Hour maintained a pleasant blend of socializing and noshing; and our ministries and guilds continued working. The events and opportunities offered at St. Luke’s this fall will be the result of thought and planning that happened over the summer.

As has become the custom, Jessica organized the vestry into smaller working groups with assigned tasks for the summer. The fruits of these efforts will be realized over time. First, The Nominating Committee will soon publish the names of the parishioners who are putting themselves forward to serve as vestry members and lay delegates to convention. We are grateful for those who are stepping up to serve in this capacity.

Next is the annual Pledge Campaign. FinMin members start this process by forecasting St. Luke’s financial position and making recommendations. Setting fiscal goals is part of vestry’s mandate, and the campaign will be organized by one of the vestry working groups. You will soon hear more specific information regarding financial giving and how it connects to our spiritual lives.

In addition to these expected annual events, vestry is working on plans for new experiences. These happenings were discerned through vestry’s ongoing strategic planning using the Diocesan Next Vital Steps initiative. The general duty of the vestry is to provide organizational and spiritual leadership for the parish, in collaboration with Jessica. My prayer for St. Luke’s is that we will continue to listen for God’s will and collaboratively seek ways to fulfill that mission in both traditional and new ways.