New Season, New Beginnings
Dear Friends,
Summer came, summer went, and a new season is upon us. Are you feeling rested and ready for what wonders may be in store this fall? I am. Most immediately, I am so looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible in worship when I return this Sunday.
As we prepare to embark on this new program year, I want to share a few updates. The first is a note of immense gratitude to Rev. Dr. Mark Mast for being with you this summer. By now, we’ve already celebrated his final Sunday at West End and sent him off with kind farewells. But, as it turns out, you may be seeing Mark again sooner than you think! As many of you know, Ft. Washington has—like all the Collegiate Churches—been working to secure their sustainability. They recently partnered with two neighborhood organizations, and have also been searching for a two-year, transitional spiritual leader to guide them from here to wherever it is they’re going. After a search and interview process, they have selected Mark for the role of Transitional Minister.
What’s a “transitional minister,” you may ask? It’s a bit like an “interim minister,” but whereas an interim implies a pause between two things that are likely to be similar (i.e., between two installed Senior Ministers), a “transitional minister” is one who sets off on a journey with her or his congregation from a place of knowing where they are to a place where God alone knows they will go. Ft. Washington is a congregation in transition, and Mark will be their minister to guide them during this transition through to June 2025.
Mark has this to say about his experience with us, “To my West End Church Family: 'Family' was often used this summer from conversations at the block party, memories of life at West End Church and hopes and dreams for its future, lunch with the staff, and my time in the pulpit. A word that I felt applied to me from the moment you welcomed me into your beautiful church home. I want to thank all of you for eight weeks of my favorite 'minister' activities. I preached, I experienced genuine relationships, I encouraged, and you blessed me with glimpses of my sister Sandy like the memories were from yesterday. All of these blessings are a core part of who you are as a church family, and I was blessed to be a part of it even for only a couple of summer months. I end with a special thank you to Pastor Will for inviting me to join you in his much-needed space for study and rest and to the church staff, who were a blessing every time we were together. 'Grace to you and peace, my beloved children!' And as Will stated here, I will not be far away: I am very excited to join the Fort Washington Collegiate Church community and become a part of its rich history and exciting future serving the Washington Heights neighborhood.”
So, although we missed our chance to congratulate him in person this Sunday, you’re welcome to send a note to mmast@westendchurch.org, which will forward to his new Ft. Washington address soon enough. After so much difficulty for our friends up north last year, I for one am very excited to welcome a new colleague and friend to the leadership of Ft. Washington.
Back to us, we’ve got so much in store! Come join us this Sunday and stay tuned for all sorts of programming announcements and updates to our real estate and strategic planning process in the coming weeks. Details for Church School for all ages (yes, adults too!) are coming soon, Tuesday Table will resume next week, new programming for children and youth, and the official launch of a new Brunch Church Worship Service for Communion Sundays this fall are all soon to come!
See you in church!
Will
