The ministry of hospitality

May 14, 2018 Uncategorized

Dear friends,

I am grateful for the many ways that the people of St. Andrew’s offer a ministry of hospitality, to one another and to those outside our doors. The scrumptious brunch on May 6, complete with the beautifully decorated parish hall, was a great example of parish hospitality. So, too, is our generosity with our building.

Did you know that we regularly host a number of community groups, including the Tidewater German American Society; the Boy Scouts; the Friends of the James River at Hilton Beach; and the Hilton Architectural Review Board? In addition, our music room provides space for bag pipe lessons every Saturday morning, the committees running the 100^thanniversary of Hilton Village often meet at St. Andrew’s, and we periodically host ecumenical clergy gatherings and diocesan meetings such as the Program Budget and Review Committee. Recently we received a request from a local Jewish group, Emet v’Or, to use a room in our building on Friday nights through the summer, and we are working on the details of that arrangement.

As you know, over the summer we will be entering a parish-wide discernment process to determine together what mission God is calling us to next. Certainly one aspect of that work will be discerning how best to make use of our physical space, especially the school classrooms and offices. As we look ahead to that task, I am thankful for the generosity of spirit that already characterizes our decisions about building use. I look forward to working alongside each of you as we determine how best to continue carrying out this aspect of our ministry of hospitality: sharing the blessing of our space, in God’s name, with those around us.

Blessings,

Anne+