Renewal Works is Coming to St. John’s

You may recall that your vestry adopted a new vision statement earlier this summer, and since then, we have been reciting it as a prayer each Sunday:

“As diverse followers of Jesus Christ, grounded in prayer and guided by faith—We are becoming a thriving, visible, and trusted community leader—a beacon of hope for all.”

But what does it mean to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ? How can we become more prayerful? Where are we, as individuals and as a congregation, on our faith journey?

The writer Maya Angelou famously said, “You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” That is incredibly true. But to plan a journey, we also need to know exactly where we are starting from right now.

To help us chart this path forward, the vestry has partnered with Renewal Works, a ministry of Forward Movement. Renewal Works has spent decades helping over 2,000 congregations just like ours.

This is where you come in.

In the coming weeks, you will be asked to participate in a Spiritual Life Inventory. This assessment is completely anonymous—no identifying information is collected. You can easily take it on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. We'll also have computer stations available for your use, and assistance will be available if you need it.

Your honest participation will provide the critical information we need to map out our future. Exciting times are ahead for St. John’s. Together, we can deepen our relationship with Christ, grow our love of God and neighbor, and truly become a beacon of hope for all.