As he was ascending to Heaven, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Notice that Jesus told his followers to “go and make” disciples. He didn’t say: Stay and be disciples, but go and make them. It’s vital that we recognize there’s an outward movement to Christ’s Great Commission; there’s an outward movement to discipleship.

While abuse isn’t a topic many people want to think about, I believe it’s vital that the Church and her leaders grow in our understanding of this issue.

And why? Because this is a Gospel issue.

As he was ascending to Heaven, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Notice that Jesus told his followers to “go and make” disciples. He didn’t say: Stay and be disciples, but go and make them. It’s vital that we recognize there’s an outward movement to Christ’s Great Commission; there’s an outward movement to discipleship.

You are invited to a series of public forums led by Rev. Dr. John Frederick as we consider our most pressing crowd-sourced questions about the Christian faith! 

We’ve gotten so caught up with being faithful, that we’ve forgotten that the point of our persistence and courage is the Love of Jesus.

The Deaf Community is one of the least reached people groups in the world. In the USA, a recognized estimate is only 2-5% of deaf claim any religious faith at all. There are many factors giving rise to this alarming statistic but one of them is not being able to envision the concept of God, or the incarnate Jesus, as relatable or accessible to deaf people.

Enjoy the audio recordings and visual presentations from the 2024 nClergy & Clergy Spouse retreat.

Jesus came into the world to reveal God to ALL people. Jesus manifests himself to Jew and to Gentile alike, so that everyone may know him and experience his kingship their lives. 

Experience a double dose of impactful engagement with the Matthew 25 Initiative (M25i) every month! Whether you opt to participate in both segments or select just one, each month brings a chance to make a meaningful difference.

Dimensions of Belonging
October 26 @ 8:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Those who live with autism experience the world in unique ways. Their voices and gifts are needed in the church to help us experience the full beauty and scope of the Imago Dei – the Image of God.

A better, fuller understanding of the Christian life would mean recognizing that every man, woman, and child in the Church has a missionary calling and is to live with a missional “lens” through which they see every aspect of their lives. 

This has been the heart and vision of our church, Christ Church Vienna, as we have taken prayerful, consistent and intentional steps toward knowing and inviting our Spanish-speaking neighbors here in Vienna into our lives and into the life of our church.  Ultimately our prayer is that Jesus would take the different groups that exist in our community that are all too easily divided, isolated and unknown one to another, and reconcile us to himself to create something new as we are all welcomed into one extended family, with Christ as our head.

On a fall afternoon I remember chatting with a senior student who was interested in hearing more about my ministry. As I spoke with him, I began to illustrate a vision for college ministry through the local church, which I explained as “building a bridge”.

My time at Corpus Christi was a phenomenal time of learning, growing, and experiencing all the great things God had in store for me this summer.

The Children and Family Ministries at Church of the Apostles, Fairfax, VA, will be hosting The Legacy Grandparenting Summit from Oct 20-21.

One student remarked, "We spent time getting closer to God." We could not ask for a better response. 

Have you desired to visit the Holy Land but were waiting for the right opportunity? I invite you to join me and our Faith Pilgrimage partners based in Israel for an 11 Day Pilgrimage to the Holy Land to "Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus" (not to mention the Old and New Testament saints) January 22 – February 1, 2024. 

In this issue of the Apostle, we dig into the ministry of relationship, sharing the stories of a Rector who was adopted and reunited with his birth mother later in life, a campus minister leading a thriving ministry with college students, a unique cross-cultural experience in Uganda, and Knoxville’s “scruffy” kind of hospitality.

What a joy to experience our Electing Synod on Saturday, as we voted, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, to elect the Rev. Chris Warner to be our next bishop.

As I’ve shared with our clergy, I urge each of our churches to establish an intentional partnership with a church or diocese overseas. This could involve support of a long-term missionary, but it should also include developing a meaningful connection with indigenous church leadership.