What better time than Thanksgiving to share with all of you that we have a signed contract with Newberry Christian Community School to purchase the twelve thousand square foot building we commonly refer to as the “big sanctuary and east wing.” After many years of prayerful consideration, this facility which meets our criteria allows us to put down roots as a permanent church home. It also signifies to the city of Gainesville that Servants of Christ Anglican Church is here to stay. I cannot yet give you a definitive date that we will close on the property but it will be sometime next spring! My heart is filled with gratitude for God’s faithfulness to us over these first eleven years and for your faithfulness to trust in God’s provision for the life of our parish.

 

At this season of Thanksgiving, especially in light of our new facility, I want to remind you of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth above. Paul is reflecting on the suffering in his life for the sake of the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul says, “it’s all for your sake,” referring to the new followers of Jesus at Corinth. Paul says as grace extends there will be more people to offer thanksgiving to God, resulting in God’s glory. My prayer is that as God brings us into our new space it might always be for the purpose of more effectively sharing the grace of God, the good news of hope in Jesus Christ. Former Archbishop William Temple once said, “the Church is the only institution that exists for those who are not yet its members.” We exist as a congregation in Gainesville so that we might see the grace of God extend more and more to the end that thanksgiving might increase to the glory of GOD. Amen.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you,