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Writer's pictureAmy Rowe

Letter from Amy: July 31, 2024


Volunteers pray for each other before the service

Dear Incarnation,


Every Sunday morning, the staff arrive at Drew at 8:15am to begin unloading the van and setting up the sanctuary. Volunteers begin to trickle in, ready to roll out rugs, staple liturgies, rearrange chairs (they're never in the same configuration twice), make coffee (thank you, Buz!!), rehearse songs, set up children's spaces, and troubleshoot problems. Sometimes this is peaceful work — we laugh, pray, and catch up with one another as we prepare the school. Sometimes it's stressful work — snow is falling, locks are frozen, equipment is broken, printouts are missing, and the HVAC is down. At 9:30am, the sanctuary quiets, children's programs begin, clergy don their vestments, and volunteers pray over the service. And at 10am, our worship officially kicks off. And then around 11:30am, we do it all in reverse . . . until next week!


Whether peaceful or stressful, this unseen weekly work is holy. It forms us in the quiet rhythms of ordinary faithfulness and it binds us together as a community. We often talk about our Sunday worship as a family meal: many hands work together in the kitchen beforehand to bring the meal to the table. And many hands pitch in afterward to wash the dishes and put the leftovers away. I'm incredibly grateful for each set of hands, and I love working with each of you to cook, serve, and cleanup our family meal each week. Thank you for your faithfulness that makes our worship possible.


We'll soon be making our fall volunteer schedule for September to November. This is a great time to consider how you'd like to serve for the upcoming season:


  • Please fill in your blockout dates for September, October and November in Planning Center Online (PCO). Never used PCO? Our Volunteer page has instructions to help you get started.

  • If you've never volunteered and want to begin, please fill out this Volunteer Interest Form. Our hope is that everyone will serve our community in some way! Everyone is welcome to volunteer regardless of age, ability, membership status, length of attendance, etc. If you have a desire, we can usually find a way to make things work.

  • If you already volunteer but want to change something (add or remove a role, decrease or increase your frequency, take a break, etc), you can fill out the same Volunteer Interest Form or simply email Emily (emily@incarnationanglican.org) to request a change. She's heading out on vacation but will respond to requests when she returns!

  • If you have questions about what each role does, how to prepare/train, or want to try something out on a given Sunday, email me (amy@incarnationanglican.org) or Katie (katie@incarnationanglican.org)

  • We are always looking for volunteers to help with our children! We use a faith formation program called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which will resume after the fall retreat. Volunteer training for this program is spiritually rich, and there are two upcoming opportunities to be trained:

  • Atrium Assistant orientation: three online sessions on Thursday evenings in September or October with the Center for Children and Theology.

  • Catechist training: all-day sessions one Saturday per month in Alexandria, VA, September through June; or half-day sessions two Saturdays per month in Springfield, VA, end of August through May. Email Josie for details!

  • Parents, if your child receives communion and would like to help serve communion, please let Emily know! This opportunity is open to any child who is baptized, receives communion, and can stand still and hold the paten (bread plate) with care.

  • Finally, if you'd like to lead or host a small group this fall, please reach out to me or Katie!

I really believe in the power of serving together to form us as a community. And I really love your companionship in this work on Sundays; it lightens the load and increases the fun.


But I also know what it's like to burn out on church volunteering and need a break. At one particularly difficult season, long before I was a priest, I sensed God nudging me to "say no to everything"; to simply show up at church and receive for a while. This was hard. I love saying yes, and I love serving the church — it's how I ended up in this priest gig, after all — so this season was an uncomfortable challenge. But it allowed me the rest I needed so that when I began to say "yes" again, I could do so with joy.


As much as I want everyone to pitch in on Sunday, and I believe everyone has a meaningful gift to bring this church — I also want us to be healthy, well-rested, joyful people who live within the good limits God has set for us. So please hear me, as your pastor: it's okay to say no. It's okay to decline a volunteer notification. It's okay to take a break for a season, even from a role you love. God will take care of this church, and he will take care of you.


We have a whole eternity to joyfully serve together at our heavenly family meal. But if you're ready to help prep the salad or wash the dishes now, drop us a line and let us know!


Your co-laborer in the kitchen,

Amy

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