A mission church with emphasis on compelling sermons relevant to an action-oriented agenda in the community. Homilies and messages delivered by supply clergy, lay pastoral leader, and congregants. Both Eucharist and Morning Prayer are celebrated twice a month.

This is a dynamic small church with a lay pastoral leader and a vestry dedicated to church growth, outreach to the community and serving all congregants on their spiritual journeys.  The goal of hiring a part time clergy is to build a shared leadership model for increasing pastoral care, serving the community as well as planning and executing the church calendar.  While small, the congregation has lots of self-starters to address community needs, relationships with local groups, local politics and businesses.  The vestry is able and proactive and there is a solid music program with a gifted leader, organist/pianist and choir.  Compelling language that starts each service follows:

“It doesn’t matter who you love – as long as you love.  It doesn’t matter who you voted for – as long as you love.  It doesn’t matter where you are in your spiritual journey – as long as you love.  If you want to love one another, serve one another, and follow Jesus, welcome home."

Other strengths include:

Tech savvy congregation makes service available online and communications over social media (ChristChurchLucketts.org)

Sunday school during the school year, Wednesday morning prayer and bible study/prayer shawl, book club semi monthly

Solid financial footing

Well maintained church, church house and rental dwelling in a rural setting

Long standing support to local food pantry, blessing boxes with food and toiletries on property to help neighbors, annual gift giveaway at Christmas to locals, support to homeless and donations to Episcopal Relief fund in the aftermath of disasters

Special events include a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper, blessing of the animals and a recent Saturday night bonfire.

How to attract a more diverse community than we have today?

How to attract more local and Leesburg residents to a supportive family sized church?

How can we ensure that expansion of RT 15 in front of the property not undermine our mission and service continuity?

Is there more that we could be doing to support the local community besides the food pantry and the elementary school?

Can/Should we expand the use of the church to serve as a community and cultural hub?

Can we use our extra acreage to help the community /environment?

Is there an opportunity to align or celebrate more closely with local congregations – St James and St Gabriel’s in Leesburg?

This thriving congregation would welcome a ¼ time clergy who would appreciate this special mission church, have new ideas to share and is a creative, compelling, inclusive spiritual leader.  This role is well suited to a clergy member who is bi-vocational, semi-retired or part of a family that is supplementing income.

The Rev. Shirley Smith Graham

Interim Transition Minister, Diocese of Virginia

ssmithgraham@thediocese.net, 804-622-3180