Dear friends in Christ,
As regular readers will know, I have been away on sabbatical since the beginning of the year. I’m grateful to those who filled in while I was away, offering weekly doses of information and inspiration. Mostly I ignored my email while I was away, but I did look forward to reading someone else’s Forward Today each Wednesday.
Yesterday when I returned to work, I did so with a grateful heart. It’s a profound gift to have so much time away from work. But that’s not the only reason for my gratitude. Our amazing staff at Forward Movement had done fantastic work during my time away. Our deputy directors, Richelle Thompson and Jason Merritt, ably led the team. Our board’s chair and co-chair, Anne Schmidt and James Harlan, stayed in touch with staff to offer support. And of course, our whole staff worked together to connect with customers, create new content, plan events, and share our work. We have so many new products—and more to come in the next few months—I can’t wait to tell you what’s coming and see how our work will change lives as people are more fully formed as disciples of Jesus Christ.
People have asked what I did while I was away. I traveled around the world in January with Sherilyn Pearce, my partner, and we had a grand adventure. (You can see photos on my flickr if you’re interested.) I visited lots of churches and met with clergy from around our church. I read a huge pile of books. I had plenty of time to pray and ponder. And I went for lots of walks with our dog, George.
Now I’m ready for the next chapter of my work here at Forward Movement. We have lots under way and more to do. Our work is focused primarily in discipleship and evangelism. But for our work to be successful, we must also ensure that we stay focused on our mission and that we practice trust. When we trust one another we can accomplish more and do better work. It’s efficient, because trust means there’s no second guessing. It’s a blessing, because trust means that someone believes in us and that we can do the work. It’s a joy, because we are able to flourish in doing that to which God has called us.
So today I am filled with gratitude—grateful for time away, for good people, for trust, and for the privilege of serving this part of God’s church.
Yours faithfully,
 |
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
Today’s Flash Sale: Walk in Love
Take a journey through The Book of Common Prayer, the Christian life, and basic beliefs of our faith, guided by two Episcopal priests—Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe. Walk through the liturgical year, the sacraments of the church, habits of daily prayer, and the teachings of Anglican Christianity. See how our prayer shapes our belief and our lives and how our beliefs lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Regular: $22
Today: $16.50
*Discount is valid until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time