C. S. Lewis turned the words Surprised By Joy into a household phrase. It was the title of his 1955 book that serves as his partial autobiography describing his conversion to Jesus Christ. Lately I’ve been living that phrase as I’ve seen parishioner after parishioner shine in missional leadership, transforming hearts in the marketplace! Here are some examples:
Juliet Berry – As a Physical Therapist who recently moved back to her home state after working in San Francisco, Juliet is our Fall Director of Alpha. Now in our 16th year of Alpha, we opened our fall course last night with a full Kinloch Room, it was amazing! Read more about Alpha…
Matt Severance – As CEO of Roper Hospital, Matt is great at sending me leadership ideas, and opportunities to think outside the box. Matt leads a hospital with a mission of: ‘Healing all people with compassion, faith and excellence,’ this played out in real time in a recent letter to the editor in the Post and Courier. Article
Dale Finkbine – As a dentist, Dale worked with other dentists to serve 2,000-2,500 people in need in the Florence area. The Florence Civic Center was filled with dentists doing procedures ranging from fillings and root canals to extractions…all for free! Read all about this wonderful ministry in the next edition of the Messenger.
Charles Waring – As Editor of the Charleston Mercury Magazine, Charles wrote a beautiful editorial called: New Season for a Faith Based Perspective. Read more…
Charles also organized from the ground up a wonderful day of fishing at Botany Bay… I happened to be on vacation but monitoring the emails that were coming my way from Charles. Charles has a passion to reach not just the girls in the pink bus ministry of St. John’s on Hanover Street, but also the boys in the new and developing ministry of the Blue Bus! Charles took it upon himself to work with Vicar Brother Dallas of St. John’s to arrange 25 men from St. Michael’s to take the first generation ‘blue bus boys’ fishing to begin ministry and conversation. It was amazing! Read more…
I could go on and on with stories from this great congregation and I intend to in succeeding Messenger editions. If you have a ‘transforming heart story’ or are involved in ministries that we don’t know about, let me know so we can celebrate and be inspired with you as together we mobilize to see hearts transformed!