This edition of the Communiqué is on the topic of Intergenerational Discipleship. How are our churches helping people deepen their relationship with God, discern His will for their lives, and develop deep spiritual roots to grow in spiritual maturity? Do we offer teaching centered in the Bible that sets forth a crucial foundation for spiritual growth, sound doctrine, and faithful living, teaching that will guide believers to live in accordance with God’s will? Are we offering appropriate ministry to people at all stages of life, without siloing age groups away—and is each generation being taught and empowered to step into that discipling role? How will we teach the Catechism? These are questions we must wrestle with if we are going to be flourishing churches.
I want to call particular attention to our upcoming Diocesan Synod. Our theme verse is Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Dr. Sam Allberry will be with us to help us engage with tough questions about sexuality and identity facing us in the current moment. We want to bridge the gap from theological ideas on this topic into practical discipleship applications, namely: How do we form a disciple with the understanding that her or his body is a gift from God, and how is the Good News of Jesus relevant to that?
Registration for Synod is now open. The clergy will be with me a day prior for our annual Clergy Conference, and we'll look at these things from a clergy perspective. Synod itself is meant for the whole Diocese and I hope to see you there, starting with a glorious Communion service in our beautiful Cathedral.
Discipleship is about walking side-by-side with someone.
In my early twenties, I lived with a family that had a two and a four year old. Once a week I’d babysit them for the afternoon, and one of our favorite activities was to go for walks around our neighborhood. Exclamations like “Oh look at that pretty bird!” and “Why do you think that car is driving so fast?” and “Do you think God really knows what I’m doing right now?!” peppered our strolls.
As we experienced the world side-by-side, I had the opportunity to answer their questions, point out new and interesting things they hadn’t seen before, and help them learn that God was walking with us—yes right now!
Discipleship is as simple as that. I think we can often slip into thinking discipleship means running a class at church on Wednesday nights or hosting a small group Bible study in a living room—and those things are discipleship, too!
But discipleship, in its simplest form, is living life side-by-side with someone and learning to utilize Teachable Moments along the way.
Across the country, university campuses are some of the most strategic, yet overlooked, mission fields. Every year, thousands of students step into a season of change and growth. They are asking themselves, and the world, to answer big questions about identity, purpose, and truth. Contrary to how it might seem, many are receptive to what Christianity has to say, and as the Church, this is a moment that we cannot afford to ignore.
Our diocesan missional camp, Soul in the City (SITC), was held at Grace Anglican Church (Fleming Island, FL) June 22nd–27th. We had 76 students and 13 overnight leaders participate from 19 different churches in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Baltimore. It was an ecumenical event, as we had nine Anglican churches represented and various denominations. The central premise of SITC is devoted to serving our community (see below). However, we also focus on living as the Body of Christ in fellowship and musical worship.
Father Herb Bailey, our camp speaker, taught about the “third way” based off Jesus’ teaching in Luke 13:22-30. While the world frequently presents the polar extremes (i.e. cynicism vs. gullibility), Jesus teaches us the correct path (i.e. godly discernment). Seeking to follow the path of Christ, the Church is called to a higher standard of loving community, which is a powerful witness to non-believers. It was beautiful to observe students working through personal conflicts with grace and patience, and older students modeling for the younger students. SITC cultivates disciples who love the LORD and love their neighbors!
As a returning cabin counselor, I've seen the Lord move powerfully every summer at camp. Each year, my cabin of anxiously excited high schoolers gradually settle into the rhythm of camp life. By the third day of camp, new friendships and inside jokes develop. They start to laugh freely and sing louder during worship. Slowly, they begin to open up about their lives back home. If you watch closely, you can see how the Lord uses every piece of the camp experience to turn hearts towards Him. Nothing is wasted. Even the derailed cabin time conversations that devolve into joking and the sudden thunderstorms that shift the schedule. Each and every summer, God's plan for Camp Araminta is better than ours.
By Kurt Spitzer, Captain of St. Peter's International Missions Core
St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in Tallahassee, Florida and the Diocese of South Rwenzori in Uganda have had a long-standing relationship which is characterized by mutual respect, support and shared mission efforts, for the past 20 years.
It was a full summer for The Table Church. In June, they began meeting weekly for worship, which presented a great opportunity to practice before an official launch. Over the summer, they went through the book of Acts, asking: How can we carry on the legacy of the early Church today? Then, they hosted their biggest VBS yet, with 60 children from our community participating—this time in the same school where The Table worships on Sundays. Every Saturday in July, they engaged in outreach: prayer walks, preparing care packages for first responders, and serving those in need. One of the most encouraging parts was seeing so many children actively involved. Finally, on August 17th, The Table celebrated their public launch with nearly 130 people in attendance!
Dear People of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese,
