RenewalWorks Brings New Life at St. Bartholomew’s
When the Rev. Lenny Anderson arrived at St. Bartholomew’s, Scottdale, the parish was in a place familiar to many, if not most, smaller Episcopal congregations. A dedicated core of parishioners was working hard to keep the church going, but this responsibility was falling on fewer and fewer shoulders. “It was difficult for them to be excited about their future,” Anderson shared. This is when he made an interesting discovery as he was cleaning and organizing the church sacristy and office space, a snapshot of the church’s past.
“In the 1980’s, a consultant had come to St. Bart’s to give advice on ‘nickels and noses'”, he stated. “Money and attendance were the primary metrics of the report.” Anderson said that, while these things are not unimportant, he was more concerned about the underlying spiritual vitality of the congregation, and moving toward a more active approach to engaging the community around them. After four years of ministry in the parish, he felt that his relationship with them was strong enough to begin this transformation.
After researching several programs, Anderson settled on RenewalWorks, a ministry of Forward Movement firmly rooted in the Episcopal tradition. Normally, this program is structured for teams, with groups of parishes engaging the work in tandem, but Forward Movement made an exception for St. Bart’s. “RenewalWorks brought the people of the parish together with a sense of new optimism, that there were tangible things they could do, and should do,” said Anderson.
He feels that in many ways, the process was even more important than the product. The shared commitment to meeting and working through the discussions and surveys generated excitement, new questions, and new ideas. As a direct result of this work, the church hosted its first ever community Easter egg hunt in April. Nearly a dozen children, mostly non-parishioners, visited the parish on a rainy, cool day. This excellent turnout for a rural area fostered even more outward-facing energy for the church, which is looking to engage its community in creative ways in the months to come. As an example, St. Bart’s is planning to serve as a “hospitality stop” during the annual community yard sale day, offering rest and free refreshment for their neighbors, with other projects slated for the autumn.
As positive as this is, Anderson is even more encouraged by the spiritual renewal he is witnessing in the people of the parish, which he credits as the actual driving force behind its new life. He shared that one long-time parishioner came to him during the RenewalWorks process stating that he “had never really read much of the Bible on his own,” but was inspired by their gatherings to make the Scriptures a part of his daily life.
Anderson recommended RenewalWorks and its related programs, especially for smaller parishes like his own. “It was very helpful getting a Formation for Mission Grant from the diocese, which eased our financial anxiety about starting this,” he said. “We had a small budget, but we knew that we had to try something.” He remains very hopeful for the future life of St. Bartholomew’s, and is excited to see what God has in store for the parish and for Scottdale.
If you are interested in spiritual and missional renewal within your parish, and would like explore RenewalWorks and other options, contact the Rev. Natalie Hall, Canon for Evangelism and Faith Formation, or the Rev. Kimberly Karashin, Canon for Mission.
Editor note: The Rev. Lenny Anderson celebrated his final service at St. Bartholomew’s on June 1, and has since moved to Bradenton, FL, where he is serving as rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church.