Stories from St. C’s – Dan Tevelde and the First Sunday of Advent

Dear people of St. Christophers,

On the first Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of hope. We acknowledge that hope is what moves us forward as a community and in our personal lives. Jesus came to be in solidarity with us by living with us, experiencing our joys and sorrows, and even sacrificing his life out of love for us. Jesus conquered death and showed us that we too can conquer sin and death by following his example in our lives. I would like

to reflect on Chris and my experiences as a member of the church.

We visited the church for the first time on Pentecost in 2013. We were welcomed by the church and found our first service inspiring. We enjoyed the vibrant worship service and were moved by the choir and congregational singing. We were involved with another church which was dying and felt we needed to make a change. We immediately felt that St. Christophers was the right place for us. We left our other church at the end of 2013 and began attending services regularly. We attended the formation class and were received into the Episcopal Church in May of 2014. We will never forget the beautiful service at St. James Cathedral. We became involved in the life of the church by participating in Christian formation classes and a book club. I began reading Scripture for services on Sunday and on special occasions and participating in pastoral care by making phone calls to church members. Both of us served on the vestry and made friends. We enjoyed many events including game night, the foyer’s dinners, and the church picnic. Even my guide dog became popular despite his mischievous behavior.

Our church has experienced many challenges including personnel changes and the grief and loss resulting from the pandemic and the departure of our previous rector. I am confident that the church will thrive. We have a new rector who demonstrates a passion for our potential. He inspires us as individuals to be the people God has called us to become. Our church performs vital ministries like assisting migrants, feeding the hungry, and assisting people experiencing homelessness. I am excited by the hiring of a new administrative assistant who can help us develop a structure to move the church

forward. I look forward to a bright future in 2024.

Dan Tevelde