It seems silly and obvious to say that this has been an interesting year for me. Father Chris Schutte’s last Sunday at Christ Church Anglican was August 5, and, at the invitation of the vestry, I agreed to be the interim rector until we call a new rector. I felt prepared for this because of my years as rector in my life before Phoenix, but it is daunting to follow a much-loved rector who led this congregation well for ten years. For most of my ministry I have followed rascals, and that is easier!

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with our church staff. They really love this congregation and we have been busy retooling and preparing for a new rector who will, almost certainly, have different ideas and different ways of leading. George Miley has become a close friend and partner in the gospel. Matt Rucker, thinking he would have a year of rest and refreshment after seminary in his curacy here, instead stepped up beautifully to the demands of the assistant rector role. He and all the members of our church staff are really outstanding.

It has been pure joy working very closely with our wardens, Shawn Carson and Jack Smelser. These guys have a deep love for God and this congregation, and they have been completely supportive of me. With their help, we have worked with our vestry on Mission Statements and Core Values, as the search protocol directed us to do. What a great exercise it has been to hone in on our purpose and on Christ Church’s unique offering to Phoenix and the world. Now that we have agreed-on clarity about the parameters of our ministry, we can put the values to work for all future planning. Out of necessity, I believe, we have become a praying vestry with a real conviction that God can lead us if we will listen.

Several last thoughts:
*Our Search Committee, so well led by Shawn Carson and Laura Mitchell, have been prayerful and deeply devoted to the task, but it is a pretty thankless one. Please hug a Search Committee member and tell them how grateful you are.
*Christ Church Anglican began with a conviction that we-need-God’s-help! I hope and pray that we will never give in to the temptation of complacency, and that we will continue to learn to live in the awareness of our need for him.
*We began more than ten years ago with a firm conviction that the Bible is God’s uniquely inspired word; and I pray that we will learn to see this Book, not primarily as a rulebook or instructions for holy living, but as the story of God rescuing people who don’t deserve his love.
*We are a congregation that initially responded to God’s call to mission and outreach; I pray that, in the years to come, we will walk even farther into what a mission-minded church looks like.
*We have always valued our children and youth; I hope we will maximize the time with our kids before they leave for college to help them know the God who loves them.
*And I hope and pray that these things will all be reflected in our budget this year and in the coming years.

Our future at Christ Church Anglican is extremely bright – because of God! I remain convinced that, “We have scarcely begun to see all of God that the Scriptures give us to see, and what we have not yet seen is exceedingly glorious!” (John Piper).

Respectfully,

Chuck Collins
Interim Rector