Rector’s Update: being a member

Hi Restoration,

Last Sunday we had a parish meeting. We do this around three times a year as a discipline to keep our lines of communication open. We are fortunate to be part of a thriving church where things are happening from morning to night almost every day of the week. We do our best to tell you the most important things each week in our E-news, our Sunday verbal announcements during worship, and are various newsletters (mine, Apex, and Kids’). If you follow those publications closely, you will be in touch with our ‘top of mind’ thoughts and activities. But we are also thinking about big picture opportunities and we use our parish meetings to keep you informed about leadership changes, strategic projects, our financial situation, and Good Things Grow Here- our plan for how Restoration will look by 2025. 

If you missed the parish meeting, here is what we shared:

1. We are hiring a Kids’ Small Group Coordinator and a Worship Coordinator. Both of these positions will require someone with strong administrative gifts. We imagine the compensation and skill set to correspond with someone who has been an Executive Assistant. Restoration has a fantastic staff culture and work environment. We are making a hard push for you to think about your networks and who might be a good fit for these jobs. Please pass on the position descriptions and please join us in fervent prayer that they would be filled soon! 
    
2. We intend to launch a new campus of Restoration in early 2024 under the leadership of campus pastor, Nathan Dickerson. We are looking at locations that are north of I-66, inside the beltway, and west of Glebe Road. Right now, we are calling it RestoWest because our strategic intent is that Restoration’s third Sunday service, The Evening Service, is moving to a new location. Restoration will still have three Sunday services: 2 of them will be at 9 and 11 on Quincy Street and 1 of them will be at a different location. The service at the new location will still feel like Restoration; still be a part of Restoration and under Restoration’s vestry; and still use Restoration Small Groups, retreats, and Apex. It will be a Restoration Service, hopefully on Sunday morning, with Kids’ Small Groups, that meets 15-20 minutes west of North Quincy Street.
   
   This summer, on Sunday evenings, Nathan is building the community that will be launching this new campus. He would love to chat with you about it. If your zip code is 22205, 22213, 22043, or 22046, I invite you to ask the Lord if He might be calling you and your household to be a part of this new campus that we pray will someday become a new church!
    
3. Our Co-Treasurers, Meaghan Maguire and Joel Harris gave an update on our financial situation and our fiscal year 2024 budget process. We are grateful that our expenses are at budget and our income is about 15% over what we projected at this point in fiscal year 2023. Thank you!
   
   Your generosity is allowing us to make needed changes to our sanctuary lights and projection systems, to hire new staff, to be generous to our outreach partners, to offer Alpha a couple times a year, to send our youth to Nogales, and to train people who are seeking ordination through the Restoration Clergy Development Program. And… we are thinking about a second campus/church plant! They also shared that your generosity during Holy Week and Easter allowed us to send $20,664.75 to First Hope Association in Turkey for earthquake relief. Thank you!
    
4. Finally, our wardens, Dennis Wong and Jen Paterno shared about the second part of my sabbatical, which begins July 1 and runs through September 3rd. I am very grateful for this time to step away, to finish my first year of coursework in the Doctor of Ministry program, to connect with my family, and to rejuvenate my vision and calling for my next season of leadership at Restoration. Thank you.

Such a great parish meeting. Our next one will be the first Sunday in October–  another chance to talk about the big projects and the Good Things that Grow Here.

This Sunday… we will receive new members. Like the parish meetings, we also do this about three times a year. Over the last 6 weeks, these folks came to a Living God’s Story at Restoration dinner, they filled out membership forms, and they met with one of our clergy for a new member conversation. It has been a joy to get to know them and I am excited that you get to receive them into our community on Sunday.

A few quick reminders about membership at Restoration:

1. Restoration Members make 3 public commitments:
   First, they are baptized and following Jesus in faith.
   Second, they will give a proportional portion of their time (meaning they worship consistently at Restoration), their talent (meaning they look for regular opportunities to serve at Restoration- as one of our small group leaders for all ages, as a Sunday liturgical volunteer, with one of our outreach partners), and their treasure (meaning their household makes a deliberate decision with the Lord of what percentage of their income they will give each year to the work God is doing at Restoration). 
   Third, they will be consistently involved in a Restoration small group.
   
   These commitments are so important to our discipleship. As we hold to them faithfully, God uses that intentionality to help us become more like Christ.
    
2. The New Testament describes two commitments that we make. One is personal: to follow Jesus as the One who forgives us and leads our life. The second is corporate: that we would follow Jesus in the community of the church. All of us should be a member of a church if we are following Jesus in faith. I say repeatedly to people who are checking out Restoration, you don’t have to be a member at Restoration, but you should be a church member somewhere. I and the other clergy are delighted to help you find a church where you can be a member, if Restoration is not the right fit. Just ask us for help! We make referrals all the time.
    
3. Only Restoration members can vote in our vestry elections, serve as small group leaders of all ages, have their kids baptized, and get married by Restoration clergy.
    
4. That said, if you are not a member of Restoration, you can still fully participate in Restoration life- you can serve as a liturgical volunteer on a Sunday, you can be in a small group (although we ask Small Group leaders to be members), you can serve with our outreach partners and go with us on our mission trips. We want you to be fully a part of what God is doing at our church… and we invite you to make commitments of membership that we believe will help you be more integrated in our corporate life and grow closer to Jesus. 

Hope you enjoy receiving these folks on Sunday!
It’s always a moment of deep joy when they sign our parish register, The Green Book!

Gratefully,
David