This Sunday marks the anniversary of my first year as Senior Minister of St. Mark’s. I want to acknowledge the great welcome and support that my family and I have had from our church in this time. It’s been a period of great learning for me, of dealing with various big and small issues and getting to know the members of our church and the wider Emerald community. I’m looking forward to another year and hopefully many more to come.

This year has been a time of listening and waiting with God to discern where he might be calling us to go in the next period of the life of St. Mark’s. Many of our members have been involved in times of prayer, discussion and reflection on this question, and I am encouraged by the sense of unity and purpose that we have had. In the next couple of months we will be finalising the plan of our new Vision that describes what we hope to do together at St. Mark’s in the next ten years. The plan is that we will launch this Vision to our congregations in a special service of celebration on Sunday August 26th, just before the start of Spring. This will be a time to reflect on what God is calling each of us at St. Mark’s to be and to do, as members of our church and in our own lives with Christ. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you then, and please pray for clarity and wisdom as we approach that time. Thanks. -Andrew-