Padre’s Ponderings for August 2026
Today, when Stevie, the rescue puggle, and I took our morning walk, I immediately noticed something different. The air was cooler, and there was no humidity. I nearly turned back to grab a soft hoody—though Stevie doesn’t don any outerwear until it gets much chillier!
Now, it is only the end of July, and I realize the humid mornings shall likely return, but the cooler weather reminded me of the coming changes August brings. Parents, children, teachers, and administrators are all preparing for the new school year. Some families are enjoying one last little trip before yellow school buses rumble back to their well-worn routes. And naturally, the life of the congregation begins shifting and transitioning, too.
Here at St. John’s, we are blessed with a year-round choir. While many choirs go on hiatus during the summer months, we shift into "summer choir" mode with simpler anthems and no Thursday night rehearsals. However, our St. Ambrose choir kicks off Thursday rehearsals on September 3.
St. John’s will witness some unique transitions this fall. For starters, Senior Warden Ken Perraut and Vestry member-at-large Christy Morris have agreed to facilitate the Renewal Works process. Renewal Works is focused on discipleship—helping God’s people become closer followers of Christ. Currently, the Vestry is reading and discussing preparatory material to get this process moving forward. We won't be able to undergo this transformation without your participation. In fact, everyone will be invited to take a spiritual inventory, and your engagement will be critical. Ken and Christy will share more details with you soon.
Another transitional piece is our newest ministry, Invite Welcome Connect, co-led by Maggie McCabe, Diane Hendricks, and Rosemary Miller. As you might imagine, this ministry is all about how St. John’s can become more invitational, more welcoming, and better at connecting others with the risen Christ. Our leaders will share more about this budding ministry and what to expect in the coming weeks.
Lastly, our beautiful worship space is scheduled to get a facelift starting September 8. Our beloved nave and chapel have suffered peeling plaster for too long. Greg Isaacs, co-chair of Buildings & Grounds, researched and hired a local contractor to fix the plaster and renew our walls, showing that we care for our worship setting. You might be thinking, “Eric, September is easily one of the busiest months of the church year! Why schedule a major renovation project then?!” We simply scheduled the work for the earliest date the contractor had available. Along with the nave restoration, our Skinner Organ is getting releathered—a necessary project to ensure its smooth operation well into the future. Organist extraordinaire Danny Faber can share more about that!
Aside from transitions and transformations, what do all these ministries and projects have in common? You.
St. John’s needs your active engagement. Renewal Works, Invite Welcome Connect, and setting up/clearing worship spaces in Hunter Hall and our lovely garden all require your participation. Is this a lot? You betcha. But I know St. John’s is up to the challenge.
God loves you unconditionally, and that is mighty good news.
Your faith walk with God will only go as deep as you allow it to grow. That means saying your prayers, participating in our ministries, and reaching out to help as needs arise. I know we are capable because of the faithful ministries we already have in place. To work closer to our vision—"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"—we need to embrace ministries that stretch and strengthen us.
It would be easy to bury our heads in the sand and continue exactly as we have for decades. Instead, St. John’s chooses to become a thriving, visible, and trusted leader. Your Vestry believes that Renewal Works and Invite Welcome Connect will put us further down the road toward that vision. Join us!
In God’s Grace,
The Very Rev. Eric L. Miller+
Rector of St. John’s and Dean of the Kanawha Deanery
