A New Collaborative Ministry
God’s Spirit is on the move at St. Philip, but also with Lutherans and community folk throughout the Roanoke Valley.
On Saturday, September 5, Grace.Period will launch a new ministry initiative answering Jesus’ call to care for and feed the hungry. From 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. free food will be distributed at the former site of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Vinton to anyone and everyone who could use something to eat.
This Spirit filled ministry has been shaped and nurtured by an intentional effort of collaboration between some of the Lutheran congregations of the Roanoke Valley and the Virginia Synod (statewide Lutheran body). What started with a request from the St. Philip Endowment to provide seed money for some sort of collaborative ministry, then moved to a conversation of four pastors (Pastor David included) dreaming about “what might we do together.” That and subsequent conversations gravitated to an understanding that whatever might happen together had to be centered around grace—and Grace.Period was born—God’s Spirit is on the move. And the collaboration was just getting started.
With the bold and faithful decision of St. Timothy Lutheran in Vinton to conclude its ministry as a worshipping community, the Virginia Synod engaged Pastor Chuck Miller, recently retired from Wheatland Lutheran in Buchanan to help organize, and wonder, and dream about what new ministry opportunity might happen at the St. Timothy property in Vinton. His expertise in feeding ministry led to what has to be called a “match made in heaven” Grace.Period an idea centered in sharing grace just seemed destined to connect with a feeding ministry in Vinton.
As people are fed, as grace is shared, please pray for God’s Spirit to move as St. Philip loves, feeds, and serves and as we collaborate with and live God’s mission with our siblings through Grace.Period.