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In 2022, we engaged intentionally around Spiritual Formation, leadership development, and Sanctuary Groups. Our Spiritual Formation Director, Dr. Janet Hinds, began facilitating retreats and workshops focused on exploring contemplative practices.

Additionally, we launched a spiritual direction ministry to serve members as they practice prayerful reflection and spiritual discernment with a trained spiritual director.  

Our Sunday service has included a Contemplative Moment since 2021 and it remains a fixture in our order of worship. The contemplative moment has been a space to engage intently with God through bite-sized practices and a place where we can linger and drink deeply of the contemplative life. If there’s any message about discipleship that we’ve tried to send our church Framily, it’s that God invites us to deepen our faith through many pathways.

The SCC preaching team also engaged in some intentional leadership development this year. We are slowly developing a rhythm to collaboratively prepare for sermon series such as the Ruth series over summer and Advent to close out the year. This collaborative process has encouraged the team to lean on one another’s gifts and knowledge as they jointly minister to the church through preaching and teaching. 

Finally, 2022 was a year of intentionality for Sanctuary groups. In June, 119 visitors and members responded to a survey through which we learned vital information about what our church family desires to experience through groups and which barriers might make it difficult to fully engage in group discipleship (e.g., access to childcare, group meeting rhythms, and experiences of adversity). We will continue to use intentionality like these surveys to pay close attention to the needs and lived reality of our Framily as we seek God’s wisdom for groups.

We thank God for a year of collaboration and growth, and look forward to the coming year!