Leap of Faith
St. Columba's Episcopal Church
Can you remember a time when you experienced God’s welcome? Do you recall your first visit to St Columba’s or another place where you were a stranger? Has that place remained an important one in your life? What was it about that welcome that made you feel seen or that you belonged?
Matthew 25: 31 40
For me, I was welcomed here at St C’s by a group of moms from our Mothers' Group We had left our former church because our rector had retired I was feeling a little adrift and quite nervous and wanted to find a spiritual home for our family. I gathered myself together and came as I was, with a baby in my arms, to the Wednesday morning gathering in room 220 About twelve other moms sat around in a circle We prayed together and began an hour of conversation and fellowship Not many minutes had passed before someone asked me if they could hold Caroline “I love babies, and mine are older now, so it is wonderful to have the chance to hold one ” This was radical hospitality In the words of Matthew, this is what we can offer to one another, to welcome the stranger in our midst These women welcomed me that morning, they wanted to hear my story and were open to receiving Caroline and me in those moments asking for nothing in return. This ministry has remained a mainstay since arriving here at St. C’s. I have shared laughter, tears, joy, suffering, anxiety and stories with moms of all ages and stages across the last seventeen years This group has been one of the great blessings of my life
By:CourtneyHundley,MinisterforMemberEngagement
Engage: Hope
We are a big church It can feel a bit intimidating walking into the Common for the first time after a service Thank goodness for the donuts! We have many ways to get involved in the mission of this place to ‘Live God’s Love ’ Perhaps you would like to support our Refugee Response Ministry and take one of the families on a trip somewhere in the city, prepare lunch with Water Ministry volunteers to serve our neighbors who are visiting for a meal and a shower, lead children's formation during Columba Crew on Sunday mornings, join our Columba Circles or sing in one of our choirs? It is our hope to meet you where you are on your journey of faith We are interested in learning more about your gifts, answering questions about our various ministries and supporting you in getting involved Do not hesitate to reach out to a member of the clergy or staff should you have questions about our communal life at St Columba’s Feel free to mail me directly at chundley@columba org
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Each Wednesday evening this fall in the Great Hall we will have community supper This is an open invitation to come and break bread Bring yourself, your family, a friend, invite a stranger Stay and connect with some folks that you may not know or reconnect with those that you have not seen in a while All are welcome
We believe in strengthening connection.
Columba Circles will take place in conjunction with Community Suppers on Wednesday evenings To join a Circle, register by selecting a meeting time (5 6 pm or 7 8 pm) and room Each group needs a minimum of six people to form, and no group will have more than eight people Newcomers are welcome!
Contact Courtney Hundley (chundley@columba org) or Michele Prince (mprince@columba org)
Have Questions?
Scan to Register!
Join with fellow St Columbans in a Columba Circle small group that will meet for an hour on Wednesday evenings for six weeks from October 5 to November 9. We’ll use this time to reconnect, welcome newcomers, and share our stories by exploring questions around experiencing God’s welcome, what hinders and helps our relationship with God, what God is asking of us, and where the Spirit is moving within us and the larger community Groups will utilize tools from the Center for Courage & Renewal to guide these conversations
Repentance is a tricky word with its own baggage It is a theological word that can be triggering for some due to past worship experiences and engagements Repentance is more than the person who is bedside, hungover in a Motel 6, begging and crying out to God saying, (Continued)
At 19 years old, I was fired from my job as a football coach, and fired from a ministry I so dearly loved I dropped out of college and began living at my parents' home Over the next couple of years I started working all kinds of jobs, from rolling burritos, customer service in retail, and even selling printers and fax machines
Engage: Leap of Faith
I found myself in an identity crisis So, I began to pray and repent
What do you do when you have been fired? How do you heal from shame and embarrassment? Can you truly proclaim resurrection when all you can see is the grave?
Truth be told, I did not even know how to work a fax machine. Greater truth be told, I still don’t know
By: Mitchell Felton, Seminarian and interim Youth Minister
Repentance is a game of baseball It is the game between saints and sinners, and we find ourselves playing on both teams Repentance is to run like hell through the wilderness while a rock is being thrown at you, turning at every corner trying to find your way home Simply put: repentance means to come home
Home is that space God has created for us to fall into a love that is stronger than death In prayer and repentance, I knew that I was no longer the shame and embarrassment I felt I could hear afresh the name God called me from the very beginning of creation, that I was “very good ” My prayer and repentance took me from the cross to the tomb, and I could believe in resurrection because of our Lord who went before us
"Know that you are loved. Know that you are always forgiven."
“Lord, I promise this is the last time ” On a good day, one could think of repentance to mean “a change of mind,” or “a turning from the old to grasp something new ” I have often used the latter when explaining and preaching on repentance in the past Today I want to offer a new framework through which to view repentance
Friends, this year at St Columba’s, I invite you to join me Know that you are loved Know that you are always forgiven Repent And come home
It couldn’t come at a better time, as we slowly emerge from the pandemic and transition from summer to the school year The labyrinth can be a resource for us all to slow down, take a break, and refresh “It can be a place to tune out the noises of the world and inside our own heads, practice mindfulness, or pray. If you’ve never explored a labyrinth before, you’re in for a treat!” said Peter Clamp, a parishioner of St Columba’s
A place to practice mindefulness
Engage: Leap of Faith
Labyrinths are based on ancient designs found in all cultures around the world People of all faiths or no faith use labyrinths today as a form of prayer or walking meditation. Following the path is simple and anyone can do it, even those needing the assistance of canes or walkers Children, in particular, take to the labyrinth and like the rest of us, appreciate that there are no “rules” about how quickly or slowly to walk You don’t even have to finish the path if you don’t want to
By: Joy Bates Boyle, Parishioner and Labyrinth Guide
What’s the best thing to come to Tenleytown since Target and Art All Night? A new outdoor labyrinth on the corner of 42nd and Albemarle, open to people of all faiths, ages, and abilities
When our majestic 130 year old oak tree fell in 2018, St Columba’s Episcopal Church decided to create a welcoming respite in its place In October (perhaps sooner!), the sloping lawn at 4201 Albemarle, NW will have been shaped into two beautiful, accessible terraces leading to a stone labyrinth surrounded by trees and other plantings
Contact:labyrinthleader@columbaorg
Since 2015, St Columba’s has hosted monthly indoor labyrinth walks attended by many Tenleytown neighbors, especially during Art All Night and Winterfest Meditative music plays and candles light the path for walkers on the 36 foot canvas labyrinth that is a replica of the famous one in Chartres Cathedral, France Guides are always present to show the way Individuals and families are welcome; groups may schedule special walks For additional information, contact labyrinthleader@columba org
Though there are no rules as such or right/wrongwaytowalk,peoplegenerally want to have some structure, at least to begin
But of course, there’s no appointment necessary to experience our new, outdoor labyrinth You can walk with your Janney student before or after school, on your way home from work or errands, or even when you’re out walking the dog
SuziKindervatter
Walking the labyrinth is a form of prayer ormeditation Itcanbeanopportunityto slowdown,relax,reflect,talktoGod,and restoreyourspirit
“I remember what a young mother told me after a walk,” said Suzi Kindervatter, Tenleytown resident and a founder of St Columba’s Labyrinth Ministry “She'd been going through a rough time with her children, and the twists and turns of the path felt like a metaphor for her life Eventually, she came to the straight part of the path and realized that easier times would come again In life, just as on the labyrinth, there are both tight and open spaces ”
The labyrinth is not a maze; there are no dead ends A single path goes to the centerandbackoutagain
Walking the Path In: As you walk, allow your thoughtstofallaway
"In life, just as on the labyrinth, there are both tight and open spaces.”
Allarewelcome.
IntheCenter:Reflectorpray.Receivewhatever isthereforyou.
More than one person can walk at a time. Moveatyourownpace.
Walking the Path Out: Carry whatever you received (consciously or unconsciously) back to yourdailylife.
All are welcome to experience the labyrinth in their own way We hope you’ll make the labyrinth part of your routine or just stop by when the spirit moves you
At the Entrance: Pause and bring your focus inward.
Walking the Labyrinth
St. Columba's Youth Pilgrimage
Each year, some of our 8th & 9th graders take a pilgrimage to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan This is a long held tradition and after a gap in the program due to COVID, in 2022 our youth were finally able to take the trip! Here is what they had to say (in their own words!)
Strengthening Relationships
"Dear Mitchell, Thank you for putting upwith our amazing selves this trip and always making us laugh endlessly. We are so grateful for the devotionals you prepared for us, because it not only strengthened our relationships with each other, but also to God. Your suggestion to learn each others stories really helped us build relationships that we will always remember."
By: Katie McGervey, Director of Children’s Ministries
Live out your faith through love and service
SCAP, the St. Columba’s Appalchia Project, has been a part of our family life for most of the time we have been at St Columba's! Each year for 35 or so years, youth and adult parishioners have gone to Philippi WV to live God’s love together and in community with the residents there Small work site teams do significant home improvement projects for families who can’t afford to get the repairs done We partner with Heart and Hand, a local social service agency that supports the community And we have a reputation St C’s workers can take on big projects!
My husband, Joe and I, served as leaders in 2000 and 200, after coming home from our mission in southern Africa one summer just to go on SCAP Our kids, Max and Oscar, grew up hearing stories and seeing photos of their parents pre kids loving God, working hard and acting silly We were thrilled in 2018 that Max decided he wanted to go on SCAP He diligently went to all the pre meetings to begin forming the community of volunteers who would go together in June His week was even better than he could have imagined learning building skills, playing 4 square and bonding with adult and teen volunteers He eagerly went again the next summer too and then, COVID A 30+ year tradition was broken because it just wasn't possible to safely take a group of kids on a mission trip. Max was really sad not to have the experience again with his group of youth group friends.
Max and Oscar both really enjoy their time in community on SCAP with kids, leaders, families and local parishes and feel that being there helps them live out their faith of love and service
As we entered 2022, the youth ministry decided SCAP would go in June! Max asked then youth director, Elliott May, if he would consider having a couple of "aged out" teens along as leaders and Elliott said yes Max and Nina Howe Goldstein both joined the group. Oscar, now a rising Sophomore, was also on board. We were happy our kids would get to do the trip together at least once Max and Nina and a couple of returning leaders shared with the newbies some of the silly and serious traditions and the group returned dirty and tired but feeling like they had a fun and meaningful week
They attended church where the group has attended church all these years Nesterville Methodist was not able to host their regular potluck for our group and asked a neighbor parish to do so In the process, our group will now have TWO potlucks going forward as Nesterville wants them back and so does the new church! The kids were amazed at how open and welcoming everyone was They worked hard together at their sites and enjoyed connecting with the families and animals (pigs!) they were working with
Oscar was surprised that giving up some sacred summer break was so fun and meaningful He was hesitant because there is some uncertainty that isn’t revealed until you get there, but he loved both the old traditions, as well as some new ones they started this summer, like tie dying and a new place for the potluck
“Whoever you are, wherever you are in your journey of faith, you are welcome at St Columba’s.” These are the words that drew me in the first time I attended a service at St Columba’s and have guided me as I’ve become a part of this community. They were an invitation to be curious about the work and ministries of St Columba’s and serve as a reminder that this is a great place to find community with an abundance of opportunities to serve one another From the baptism of our two sons, to supporting newly resettled families from Afghanistan alongside the Refugee Response Ministry to becoming new members of the Nursery School, St Columba’s has become a central part of our family and community
As Jean and I were preparing to baptize our oldest child, we asked the then Director of Children’s Ministries about expectations associated with the service, given the very spirited nature of our then 3 year old Her response: “This is St Columba’s where we welcome you to come as you are.” And how true this statement is “Come as you are” and “Live God’s Love” are the two phrases that have resonated with me over my years of reconnection with the St. C’s community (having grown up in the church), and they have been grounding and guiding From Sunday morning services when we joined other families in Wee Worship fellowship via Zoom kids, pajamas, pancakes, and the chaos of the pandemic shutdown to serving on the Refugee Response Ministry in support of our new neighbors from Afghanistan, St Columba’s creates the space for us to support one another as we stand together in the shared humanity that binds us
Emma Hersh:
Jean Doyle:
Engage: Our Faith
Stand together in the shared humanity that binds us
4201 Albemarle St. NW Washington DC 20016 Columba.org Engage StColumba'sEpiscopalChurch
St. Columba’s Episcopal Church is an inclusive Christian community of all ages that welcomes one and all, encourages spiritual curiosity, celebrates children and youth, and embraces the world in the spirit of God’s justice and love.
