August 28, AD 2025 Augustine, Bishop of Hippo and Teacher of the Faith, AD 430
We are growing together as a place of:
Holiness, Stability, Nurture, and Commitment
"Blessed is the one whose strength is in you;
in whose heart are your ways."
Dear St. Anselm Parishioners:
To the dismay of many children and the delight of many parents, the end of summer has come. I always think that summer will be a slower season but, despite my stubborn yearly desire, that never happens. This summer has been full of activity for my family
My wife Leah has been leading a group of MomCo (Mothers of Preschoolers) in the Empowered study teaching mothers how to evangelize. I began the summer preparing for my yearly pilgrimage to Nashotah House Seminary but got sick on my way up to class and had to withdraw. Fortunately, not all was lost as some good research has shaped this Fall’s sermon and study series entitled “Living Together as the Household of God” focusing on I Peter.
In the time of the Patriarchs, household size could be hundreds. It was not so long ago that a household might include extended family and staff in addition to the nuclear family, all dependent on each other. The dynamics and interactions could be complicated - certainly complicated enough that shows like Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age of recent years have no shortage of material! In I Peter 1:1, the Apostle refers to members of the Church as “elect exiles” called by God and washed in the blood of Christ (I Pt. 1:19). Indeed, it can be instructive to think of a congregation as a household especially in light of the four aspirations of our Parish Church: Holiness, Stability, Nurture, and Commitment.
We all have our own stories about when and how God called us to be part of His worldwide household through Baptism. Praise the Lord, He has made us an adopted son or daughter! But He has also called us together to be part of a local Household - the Parish Church. Eleven years ago, God called a congregation together to establish what would become St. Anselm Anglican Church. At some point He called you here. We are a beloved, gifted, and eclectic bunch; like the diaspora to whom the Apostle Peter writes, we are united not primarily by class, politics, or ethnicity but by the “living and abiding Word of God” (I Pt. 1:24). And we also grow both in community and in number daily. All glory to God! Our recent attendance on normal summer Sundays has repeatedly broken 80. New individuals and families come through the door weekly and we have the privilege of greeting them to the Lord’s House - you may be one of them! We have welcomed both children and adults through Baptism on every major feast this year and we currently have seven in Confirmation Class. As we continue to grow some things will remain the same while others change.
Some things that are changing beginning in September:
During the Sunday School hour we will have an Infant - Pre-K room for children to attend with a parent or caregiver. This will allow families with older children attending classes to come to church together and give young children & parents an additional time for fellowship.
We are replacing the children’s activity bags with clipboards full of biblically relevant activities aligned with the lectionary to help them focus during the service.
You will see more student presentations such as recitations and songs periodically (including a simple Christmas Pageant this year).
We are looking to expand parish-wide activities & events, to create more opportunities for relationship building.
Beginning in October, our Evening Prayer & Supper service will move to the first Wednesday of the month, at 6pm, in response to our recent congregation-wide survey.
The Music Ministry is expanding to include more offerings of gifts and talents.
The Annual Stewardship Campaign and In-gathering Sunday will start earlier this year, kicking-off this Sunday.
The things that will remain the same are too numerous to list. We remain committed to the path that has brought us together and continues to take us along on our pilgrimage. This fall and next year we will shift our focus slightly from personal holiness and our common rule of life (The Daily Office, Holy Communion, and Acts of Devoted Service) to our personal commitment to one another as God’s Household.
What better time is there to talk about our commitment and involvement than the Fall? Before us lies the inspiring story of those early Christians addressed in I Peter - and we will enjoy an extended time to study it (the sermon series and study will continue until Advent).
We’ll have the opportunity to respond to that study with the 2026 Stewardship Campaign. God has called you and I at this time to be here. Let’s commit to build each other up as we are built up as the household of God (I Pt.2:5). Let’s rejoice together and support one another in whatever lies ahead for each of us. Let us show hospitality to one another without grumbling and serve one another with the gift God has given us as stewards of His grace (I Pt. 4:9-10). God is building His Household and each of us is a key part.
Faithfully Yours,
The Very Rev. Sean Templeton, Rector & Dean