Walking Together in God’s Will: The February 2025 Communiqué

“Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Colossians 1:28-29

In this edition of the Communique, we will unpack what is meant by Healthy Community as a Mark of Flourishing. You don't have to have been a Christian very long to have experienced some element of unhealthy community within the Church. In fact, for some in our culture, “church wounds” or the experience of an unhealthy community has caused them to pull away from the local church even if they haven’t abandoned faith in Jesus. I saw this all the time in Gainesville. 

But of course, Jesus calls us not only to himself but into the fellowship of His Church, his very Body. We are called to live out our faith in Jesus within the community of believers, and thus it's vital that we seek to be healthy communities.

There are two words that seem to consistently bring forth either an energized smile or a dejected, and often frustrated, grimace from church leaders: Small groups. Some of our churches in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese have nearly 80% of their parishioners taking part in life-giving small groups each and every week, while others have tried repeatedly to start such groups only to have them sputter and ultimately fail. Others have chosen not to pursue them at all, citing a belief that they will only serve to weaken the church as a whole. Are small groups truly essential to a flourishing church?

We need look only to Jesus Himself to answer such a question.

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. —Psalm 78.1-4 (ESV)

Often, we separate generations into distinct and disconnected groups, but the Church is called to be different. A healthy Christian community is one where relationships thrive across all ages – where the wisdom of the elders nurtures the faith of the young, and where the enthusiasm of the young generation breathes fresh energy into the lives of the seasoned saints. Scripture calls us to this kind of intentional connection—one that strengthens our faith and our witness to the world.

Healthy Community happens in real life, and it strengthens us to keep walking through the challenges that come with real life. 

I think this picture captures Healthy Community well–brothers and sisters carrying each other to the Lord in prayer, surrounded by playing cards and papers that lively toddlers had strewn about the floor just minutes before. It was taken at our January Church Planter retreat. During it, our Church Planters practiced Healthy Community–we prayed, we worshiped, we cried, we laughed, we shared our struggles and our joys. Through these friendships–linking arms with others walking similar paths–we felt strengthened for the road God has called each of us to walk. 

From a diocesan Church Planting Leadership perspective, Healthy Community is essential to …

Bishop Alex has hired the Rev. Bryan Biba of Christ Church Savannah as new Canon for Leadership, to oversee our ordination process. Canon Bryan comes with a wide range of experience and a deep passion for raising leaders. I am certain you will find him to be a wise and strategic addition to our team.

Oversight of the ordination process primarily involves shepherding those who are discerning a call to ordained ministry, but he will also do important work with rectors and seminaries to help place new leaders into fellowships, curacies, internships, and open positions within our churches. Regarding this work, he writes:

I am very excited and blessed to serve Bishop Alex as the new Canon for Leadership. Archdeacon Jessica and I have identified the following priorities for the GAD ordination process in 2025:

1. Simplifying and streamlining using new digital tools
2. Deepening integration and collaboration between the church planting assessment and ordination preparation processes
3. Growing new opportunities for internships and curacies across the Diocese

In all things, I aim to continue the good work of those who have come before me in this role. Your prayers are appreciated.

Bryan has already amazed me with his tenacity, knowledge, and vision for this work. I am positive you will find him to be a breath of fresh air, a pastoral servant leader, and a wise resource. 

Raising leaders who are well equipped for ministry will strengthens all of our churches. Please continue to lift up Canon Bryan, as well as all those discerning a call, in prayer.

You can view all upcoming diocesan events on our Events page.

Soul in the City registration is also live! SitC is empowering teenagers to live a life of service to God and neighbor through the love of Christ. It's a week-long overnight summer camp (this year: June 22–27) where rising 7th - 12th grade students physically and relationally invest in the local community with their time and talents by being the hands and feet of Jesus. During this action-packed week, students live on the Grace Anglican Church campus in a mission-styled setting. Students serve during the day at various mission sites, have fun with friends, and gather at the Barn in the evening for worship, teaching, and small group discussion.

To Be A Christian, the official Catechism app of the ACNA, is now available in both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store today. It stays true to the timeless theological truths found in the printed text of our Catechism, while simultaneously adding beauty in the form of images pairing with each of the 368 questions. One of the most useful features in the app is the ability to tap on the Scripture references associated with a given question and see all of those references lined up in one easy to read screen.