Weekly Letter: Oct. 8, 2023 Bulletin (2023 Annual Pastoral Report)

Dear friends in Christ,

Our weekly bulletin takes on a slightly different look this week after the first couple of usual pages so that we might share a snapshot of facts and figures that help tell the story of our parish in our 2022-2023 Annual Pastoral Report. Formerly we produced this separately, but in effort to save on printing costs and to reach a wider number of readers, we are including it as part of the weekly bulletin.

As such my message this week comes from more of the 40,000-foot level as opposed to the usual “boots on the ground” update. That’ll return next week. For now, though, I invite you to peruse the pages that follow to get that overview of our parish. I caution you that it is just a snapshot, however. To get the full picture into the life of our parish community you have to look into the heart.

Whose heart? Well, to start, the heart of our namesake, Christ, the Redeemer. From him, all blessings flow, and from him we go out in mission. It’s spelled out quite clearly in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. … And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world.”

We are sent as missionary disciples, my brothers and sisters, and note that we are sent to the peripheries – to all nations. It’s a tall task to be sure, but we have the assurance that our Lord is with us. With that as our mandate, how can we do anything else but go?

We must also look into the hearts of those who make CtR their home. We’re blessed with more than 7,300 families, and each family has a heart (indeed, multiple hearts, but one familial heart). I pray that all of those hearts are centered in the love of God and neighbor, and nowhere is that more beautifully made visible than in the gift of stewardship. I am constantly in awe at how many of you give so much of yourself. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but it never fails to floor me how many good people we have that do so much. It fills me with pride – the good kind of pride!

There is no shortage of ways to live an active faith at CtR, and in these pages and on our website, you can discover more about how you can make a firm commitment of your many gifts to return just a portion of them to the Lord in your time, talent and treasure.

I am especially grateful for your generosity in your gifts to the parish this past year. With the pandemic mostly fully in our rearview mirror (though we continue to pray for those with ongoing health challenges), our ministries and outreach are once again fully operational in all areas. In fact, most continue to grow and welcome new members, thanks be to God! Your support, both personally and financially, has made that possible. Thank you!

Lastly, I would suggest we also need to look into the hearts of those who are not here. I know that might sound odd, seeing how this is a review of everything we’ve done the past year by the people who are here. But the reverse is also true – we still have so much more work to do. How can we welcome back those who are no longer active in the faith? How can we welcome inquirers who are seeking to find a spiritual home? And how can we more effectively bring the message of Christ’s abiding love to those who are hurting, who struggle in this day and age, and those who are on the margins? To their hearts we must also look and seek to love them and serve them just as Christ commands us.

As we look back in thanksgiving for the past year, we invite you to join us moving forward. The Church is never static, but like the people called from exile so long ago, we have our eyes fixed on the promise of a new Jerusalem that awaits. I pray that you will continue to journey with us on this mission. All are welcome!

The numbers and graphics herein are helpful in telling our story, but the story is still being written. We again invite you in the coming weeks, months, and years to find your place within that story as lived out here at Christ the Redeemer. As we look back in gratitude to God for his many blessings, we also look to the work that lies ahead. I hope you will join us in living that mission daily to love God and love neighbor, and to serve God and serve neighbor. 

Thank you again for your prayers and support of CtR. May the Lord bless our parish – and our hearts – abundantly for years to come. To God be all glory, honor, and praise!

In Christ the Redeemer,

Rev. Sean P. Horrigan
Pastor