It’s hard to put into words what a phenomenal year it has been for us as a community of Jesus, but that won’t stop me from trying. While there’s much that can be said about what “practicing the way of Jesus for the renewal of all things” might look like, over the last year I’ve seen you lean into our identity as a community marked by grace, rest, engagement, contribution, and reconciliation.  The numbers and graphs below are only a means of telling part of the story—the better part is told through the transformation you have experienced and that our community has experienced through the work of the Spirit in you.

In the areas of contribution and reconciliation, we’ve journeyed from dialog about justice to being in proximity to the needs of our city. Through our ongoing conversations with Arrabon, we have identified three ministry partners we plan to move more closely with in the coming years: Peace Prep Academy, Focused Community Strategies, and Friends of Refugees. We’ve seen our members grow with these partners in some exciting ways, with many people and community groups taking steps toward involvement over the past year. We believe we’re just getting started. Many of us have been surprised and humbled by the impact and reach of All Souls beyond our local community. This past year we were able to host our friends at Be the Bridge, Intervarsity Fellowship, and Friends of Refugees and allow them to use our space to meet their ministry needs. During each of these special gatherings our staff and those serving received encouraging feedback from visitors who were touched by the warmth of our community during their visit. 

Another vital piece of your contribution has been your generosity. During 2022-2023, almost everyone experienced challenges with sharp inflation and many were impacted by volatile markets. Yet you continued to be generous, cheerful, and faith-filled givers. We thank God for his continued provision through you that enabled us to not only meet our budget but exceed it. We were able to bless our mission partners out of our abundance and envision some key changes to our physical space to better facilitate ministry in the years ahead.

In terms of engagement, we welcomed many new members and celebrated several baptisms in the last year. We continue to be a people who practice the way of Jesus together, with strong participation in community groups and deep engagement with our Future: Present and Shaped by the Story community guides. With the return of Mike St. Denis to helm our Youth Discipleship and Kutania’s strong leadership with Kids and Families, we’ve seen growth in the number of youth and children participating in formation, but a tremendous increase in the number of adults who are coming alongside them. We are dreaming of growing more holistic family spiritual formation in the days ahead.

A final cause for celebration is the growth of our leadership family. This past year we welcomed Mandy York to our staff team and Jen Miller, Thomas Anderson, and Julie Collins to our team of elders. I am grateful to serve alongside such a talented and dedicated band of disciples and humbled to be one among a community so alive and engaged in the work of God in our midst. We are grateful to be on the journey with you.

On behalf the elders and staff at All Souls,