Dear Saints of St. Peter's,

What is a parish? It’s a community!

From the earliest centuries of the Church, Christians used the Greek word paroikiato describe themselves. It means to dwell beside. A parish, then, is not a place on a map or an institution—it’s a community of people dwelling together in faith.

At its heart, St. Peter’s is just that: a community. We are not a business, a foundation, or a political party. We are a spiritual family—with all the joy and, yes, the beautiful messiness of real human relationships. We care for one another, support each other, and walk through life together. We gather to hear God’s Word and share God’s Sacraments as the Body of Christ in this place.

Below are two stories that share that sense of community.

What a wonderful community we share, and what a wonderful season our community is in!

Over the past year, we have seen the Spirit’s fruit growing among us in abundance. Our pews have grown fuller by forty percent, and the joyful sound of children’s laughter fills our worship. We’ve welcomed new members, baptized six children, and celebrated the confirmation or reception of eleven adults.

Three new Sunday School classes nurture our youngest members, and a new youth group of more than 20 students gathers regularly for fun, service, and reflection. Adults have found new rhythms of prayer and study through Bible Study with the Rector and daily Morning Prayer in the church.

We’ve also grown in service to our neighbors through Laundry Love, Friends in the Park, and community drives for food and gifts. Over $13,000 was shared with hurricane victims, and new partnerships are forming with local groups who share our vision of a kinder, more compassionate community.

Even our look has been refreshed, with new logos and materials reflecting the warmth and welcome of St. Peter’s. Through our vestry’s discernment and honest conversations in cottage meetings, we’ve begun to imagine the next chapter of our shared life.

None of this is the work of one person—it is the Spirit’s work through all of us. It is what happens when prayer and participation come together, when generosity and faith meet, and when we dwell beside one another in love.

As we turn toward a new year, we do so with gratitude and anticipation. The coming year will be a season of planting and planning—a time to dream faithfully about what God might do through us in the decade ahead. Together, we’ll begin shaping a new strategic plan to guide our shared ministry forward.

In July 2026, we’ll also celebrate 50,000 days of ministry—a reminder that our ministry is not seasonal or occasional, but daily. Every prayer spoken, every act of service, every welcome offered continues that long story of God’s faithfulness among us.

Our 2026 stewardship theme, Our Shared Parish, invites us to live fully into that story. The work before us is too much for one person, but not too much for us together. Each of us holds a part of the whole; stewardship is the joyful act of caring for what we share—the life and ministry of St. Peter’s.

This year, our shared goals center on Prayer, Participation, and Provision:

• Prayer: Establish Morning and Evening Prayer every weekday, sustained by the prayers and presence of parishioners.

• Participation: Introduce a new leadership structure shaped by our shared vision, inviting parishioners to serve on Ministry Teams.

• Provision: Provide $1,000 each day for ministry—$365,000 for the year—so that the daily life of St. Peter’s continues to flourish.

Each of these goals is held in common—not burdens for a few, but blessings for all. Each of us has a sacred responsibility and joy to offer our part, trusting that in our shared offering, God will bring about more than we can imagine.

On Giving Sunday, November 9, 2025, we will bring our pledge cards to the altar to be blessed as offerings of gratitude and hope. As we place them before God, we offer not just gifts, but our faith in what God can do through us together.

I am deeply thankful for this community—for your prayers, presence, generosity, and love. Each of us has a part to play, and together we form something far greater than any one of us alone. That is the beauty and the calling of our shared parish.

With peace and thanksgiving,

Derek

The Rev. Derek Larson, TSSF

Rector