Letter from Amy: July 22, 2026

Scenes from recent Wild Wonder weeks after church: felting with Mandy, rocks with Jamie!

Dear friends,

I hope you are finding ways to slow down, rest, and play this summer. Please make sure to take a blank postcard from the narthex to send the church from your travels (but be warned: postcard mail moves slowly!) — it’s so fun to receive these!

Earlier this summer, I invited our congregation to a summer of listening together in prayer. I hope you will all take a copy of the Incarnation Examen and find a time to pray through it over the summer. Our “tree” is sinking roots in Arlandria, so let’s wonder together what might grow in this soil.

When I initially invited your discernment, it was simply as an opportunity to continue practicing the Examen and listening to God together. There was no crisis, no pressing decision to be made, simply an invitation to pray, listen, even dream together. (You can read the whole recap here.)

That's all still true. But in the time since then, a specific item for discernment has unexpectedly crossed our path, and I want to let you know more and invite your prayers and feedback. We were approached with a request by Christ the Saviour, a church in our diocese that recently closed its doors. (For context, I highly recommend this thoughtful reflection on their closure from our diocesan newsletter!)

I attended Christ the Saviour’s final service just before my vacation last month, and was so moved by their faithfulness, fruitfulness, and strong bonds of community. Even as they were discerning their own closure, they ran an Alpha course that saw several people return to faith (who are now studying scripture and spiritual practices together) and launched a nursing home ministry that is thriving (more on that below). The atmosphere at their final service was so joyful, so inspiring.

Christ the Saviour asked Incarnation to take on temporary oversight of their nursing home ministry. Eventually, they hope a church will take on permanent, long-term oversight — but for now, they simply need a church to enable the ministry to continue as its volunteer leaders discern their next steps and settle into new churches.

After much deliberation by our outreach team and vestry, we decided to say yes to this request. I want to keep you informed and invite your prayers, so I’ve put together a little Q&A about this unexpected turn of events.

Where is this nursing home ministry, and what happens there?

The nursing home ministry takes place at Mount Vernon Healthcare Facility in Alexandria, about a 20 minute drive from Incarnation. Each Friday at 4pm, volunteers hold an Evening Prayer service followed by a snack and fellowship time. Once a month, they also offer the Eucharist. These services are well-attended and growing, and new people are even coming to faith!

Mount Vernon is a low-income facility with few amenities where visitors are rare. Many of the residents speak Spanish, so several elements of the service are bilingual (e.g., The Lord's Prayer). The volunteer leaders produce printed leaflets each week. These leaflets are saved, cherished, and shared by the residents as they pray throughout the week. Volunteers also bring a weekly snack for fellowship hour; this usually includes fresh fruit because the residents rarely get fresh produce.

Russell has been visiting regularly for the past few weeks and has loved it! On his first Friday, he experienced a packed room full of wheelchairs for the service, and he later followed Rick (one of Christ the Saviour’s priests) as he went room-to-room offering the Eucharist. He even witnessed someone asking to learn more about Jesus, and then praying to put their trust in him on the spot. This is a powerful ministry of presence to people who so often feel forgotten.

Who will run the nursing home ministry during this interim period?

The nursing home ministry is overseen by a faithful lay leadership team and a stable core of volunteers from Christ the Saviour. These volunteers intend to continue serving there regardless of where they settle into new churches, and they already have a well-established volunteer rotation that will keep things steady for the foreseeable future. (In other words, they don’t need Incarnation volunteers to keep the ministry afloat!)

However, they also welcome our participation! I know some of you have a history serving in nursing home ministry, a particular concern for end-of-life care, or a heart for the marginalized and forgotten. Many of you are looking for ways to serve and use your gifts. This is a great opportunity to try something new and serve our neighbors, so please reach out to me if you’re interested!

Will this spread our clergy or staff too thin?

No. Right now, nothing is being asked of our clergy. Most weeks, the services can be entirely run by lay volunteers.

However, priests do offer the Eucharist once a month. In the near-term, Christ the Saviour’s wonderful priests (Rick and Renée Beyea) intend to continue celebrating the Eucharist there. In the long-term, there are several possible ways to either reduce reliance on clergy or expand the clergy rotation or both.

These are decisions for the future, but we are very aware of the needs and constraints, and we are committed to not stretching our clergy beyond our capacity.

What will this cost?

In the interim, nothing. Christ the Saviour is in the process of transferring the assets associated with this ministry to Incarnation. If permanent oversight transfers to another church in the future, we will release the remaining assets to that church.

However, the financial cost of this ministry is extremely low anyway: just weekly bulletins and snacks, and monthly communion supplies. Even if we were to take on permanent oversight, the marginal cost to us would be minimal. The real “cost” is in volunteer time, which is already graciously provided.

What does our temporary oversight entail?

To be honest, not a lot! The nursing home will now identify Incarnation, rather than Christ the Saviour, as the affiliate church of the ministry. We will add the nursing home facility to our liability insurance (this does not increase our policy premium), and we will receive the assets associated with the ministry. Our church will work with the volunteer leaders to ensure the ministry continues over the coming months — but as I’ve said above, they’ve built a ministry that is already largely self-sustaining! And we will help navigate any future changes to the oversight arrangements.

But those are just the practical implications. Spiritually, it means that we will pray and care for this ministry and those it serves. We will pray with them for a long-term arrangement that enables everyone’s flourishing. We will learn more, rejoice, and participate in the good work God is doing there. This is a gift to us!

How long will the temporary oversight last, and what happens after that?

This is where there’s less certainty. We anticipate a temporary period of several months while Christ the Saviour’s members/volunteer leaders visit other churches and settle into the places they will eventually worship. Their hope is that one of those congregations will provide permanent oversight for the continuation of the ministry.

However, there are many possibilities of things playing out differently, to include the possibility that Incarnation is asked to continue over the longer-term. I won't belabor all the possible scenarios and their potential solutions, but I will say that I feel confident that we will be able to find a long-term arrangement that works well for everyone. Part of our temporary provision is simply to provide more time for the discernment and problem-solving of these matters that are still unfolding.

Could Christ the Saviour members settle at Incarnation!

Yes! We are one of the three closest Anglican churches to Christ the Saviour, along with Corpus Christi and Christ the King, so we are certainly part of their discernment. Two of their members visited last Sunday; perhaps you met them? And a group will be visiting this coming Sunday, whom I hope you will warmly welcome!

But we also understand the weariness and grief that accompanies changing churches. And we understand that there are lots of factors that impact what makes a church community a good fit in a given season. I hope you will join me in praying for the saints of this wonderfully faithful congregation as they go through the disorienting process of visiting churches. It will be a joy to welcome them, regardless of where they settle.

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It’s probably clear from my answers above that I see this ministry as a profound gift and privilege to us — not a burden. We have unexpectedly been invited to play a small part in continuing the work God is doing. I am delighted and honored to provide oversight to this ministry for whatever length of time God ordains in his wisdom and timing.

And I’d love for you to join me in praying about this! Do you have thoughts, questions, concerns, excitement? Would you like to come observe or volunteer? Please reach out to me; I’d love to hear from you.

Warmly,

Amy