I want to use my column this month to let you know about something very exciting that is going on at St. Margaret's. In consultation with Bishop Reed and the Bishop's Committee it has been recommended that we petition the Diocese to once again become a Parish. To do this we will have a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, December 11^th at 10:00 am to have an official vote. Having said this, I assume that you might have a few questions: namely why are we doing this and what does this change?

First off, quite frankly nothing changes a whole lot. We will still have worship, Sunday School, Pumpkin Patch and all of the wonderful things that happen here at St. Margaret's. In many ways what is changing is a somewhat technical distinction. A Parish (in theory) is self sufficient. It calls its own priest (which of course means if we become a parish you can fire me). There are other things like the Bishop's Committee will change to being called a Vestry and the members will be elected and I will no longer be called a Vicar but will be called a Rector (I actually like the name vicar better, but oh well).

Of course, if there are no major changes this begs the question of why we are doing this. I think the answer comes down to is that it is a statement about who we are and how we feel about the future of St. Margaret's. It is a proclamation that we are alive and plan to be so for a very long time. When Bishop Reed visited us he said that while there is of course nothing wrong with being a mission the Diocese does not plant churches with the hope that they will always be a mission, they plant them with the idea that they will one day become a parish. What we are all saying by proclaiming that we want to be a Parish is that we are here to stay, that we are confident in our mission to be disciples and to bring others to Christ. In many ways it is a pronouncement of our belief and of our assuredness in God.

Going forward, what I would ask all of you to do is first pray for this place, pray that we may do God's will in everything we do. Second, I would ask that you begin thinking of ways that we can continue on this path. For it is important that we do not see becoming a parish as the finish line, but rather as a launching point to greater things in the service of our God.  

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for all of the ways that you serve St. Margaret's. Whenever we have visitors one of the first comments I hear is about how wonderful all the people are who make up our Church. I look forward to seeing where God will lead us in the upcoming years.  

+Fr. Philip