We are long over due in giving updates but it has been a busy year.

We had a small team participate in the Faithful Innovation Initiative in February, May, and August. It was a great experience to gather with other congregations in the diocese and hear about different experiments taking place. A few of us were even inspired to get to know our neighbors in a new way through this experience.

In April held our annual Easter Egg Hunt with surprise guest, the Easter Bunny! We had a ton of candy and not too many children so they all took home a lot of candy. And then we celebrated a moving Holy Week and a beautiful Easter Service.

At the end of September, Mother Joan retired and we bid her Bon Voyage (but perhaps we should have said “Buen viaje” as she departed on a month long trip to Spain). In addition to celebrating her ministry, we also celebrated her birthday.

Our first service after saying Farewell to Mother Joan was our annual Spring Mill Picnic where we celebrated with morning prayer.

The Annual Diocesan Convention took place in Bloomington on November 15 and 16 -- and as it happens, our two delegates were able to catch up with Mother Joan (and many others) during that time. It was a very powerful experience to connect with representatives from all over the diocese and especially in reconnecting with out neighborhood friends.

In November and December we participated in three Holy Conversations in preparation for our clergy search. We talked about values that we hold, moments of difficulty we have experienced (and prayed to let that hurt go), and then concluded with imagining the future. Many thanks to Canon Kristin White for facilitating two of those conversations and leading us to facilitate one on our own.

We look forward to the year ahead and invite all to join us in the exciting things to come!

Rebecca Holbrook, Senior Warden