Honoring the Sanctity of Life Through Service

By Missions & Evangelism Life Core Captains, Elizabeth Carrouth & Ann Wong

Faithful parishioners,

We begin our year celebrating the birth of the most precious baby in history, our Lord Jesus. It is only fitting, indeed, that January be set aside as Sanctity of Life month. It is a time when we particularly honor the great gift of life–beginning with babies and ending with ceasing earthly life and entering into a heavenly one.

The following is a narrative fondly called The Red Cap, written by one of our very own Life Core Captains, Elizabeth Carrouth, that captures Jesus’ power and love through volunteering.

It was this young woman’s first visit to the Belly Boutique...a sweet place where women come for support and needed baby items. (after they’ve been to A Women’s Pregnancy Center’s Main Campus and learn they are pregnant). I will call her Rose. I was reading through her chart and there was a bolded note that read 'Undecided.' “Rose, I don’t understand. What does this mean?”

Rose told me she had gone to AWPC and when her pregnancy test came back positive, she was terrified. She was determined to have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption. Her counselor of course prayed for her, along with thousands of prayer warriors who were notified from prayforbabies.com/AWPC. Before Rose left, her counselor gave her an encouragement bag filled with small items that women love...hand cream, mints, tissues, and a handmade card with a prayer. It also included a hand-knitted baby cap.

Later, Rose told me she took the cap and placed it on top of her dresser. Every time she walked by and saw the cap, she thought of her baby. Her baby was real. It was her baby. And Rose said that she knew then that she would keep this baby and never look back. Her boyfriend had been out of town and when she told him, he was adamant that she have an abortion. She never for a moment wavered and there she was, with her best friend, telling me this story and blessing me like Christmas and Easter and Baptisms all in one day. Rose shared that she had been estranged from her family for years, but was now feeling a closeness with her mother as never before. Rose couldn’t contain her joy and kept going back to the knitted cap on her dresser. She was thrilled.

I met with Rose again last week and this time her boyfriend was by her side. He thanked us for loving and supporting Rose and told us he was "all in.” I just want to thank You, Heavenly Father, and St. Peter’s, for touching my heart and letting me be a part of this sweet and tender Kingdom work.

Oh, and the encouragement bag that was given to Rose that day was sewn and filled with loving hands by two precious parishioners! And the Red Cap? Knitted by a beautiful young girl in our Church!

As servants of Christ in this critical area, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you, St. Peters! The outpouring of your love and effort with the Missions & Evangelism Life Core this past year has been overwhelming…weekly transporting of items between the ministry sites and locations, knitting, sewing, writing cards of encouragement, providing gift bags (that have been blessed by the clergy) to new moms, prayer vigils, Walk for Life, and, most recently, the outpouring of Advent Tree donations to support for babies and moms alike. We’ve never seen the Belly Boutique so stocked! There’s a place for everyone at this table… so, please join us in celebrating Life and being part of the Lord’s Great Commission in sharing His Gospel and His love of life!

The Harvest is Plentiful

by The Rev'd Canon Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism

As many times as I have read Matthew 9, I am still left wondering “why?”

Why are the laborers so few? Knowing Christ’s compassion for the crowds, why has the Church so often failed to respond to this call by praying and acting? Why has the harvest grown so greatly in our very own city and the number of laborers decreased?

In short, self-absorption…we can become so preoccupied with our own interests, situation, and desires that we lose sight of our primary call as Christians – namely, loving God and then our neighbors with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

We find ourselves in a new season of ministry at St. Peter’s Cathedral. It is a time when the Holy Spirit is breaking hearts and opening eyes for those who have yet to call Jesus Christ both Lord and Savior. We have been working diligently to build a far greater capacity for ALL our parishioners to give of their time, talents, and treasures to work in many critical areas of ministry – upholding the sanctity of life, ending human-trafficking, international partnerships, school campus outreach, under-resourced outreach, and prison outreach. We have changed our approach from simply “doing good things” to expressly sharing the saving name of Jesus Christ as we go about Kingdom work. We are identifying and building up the laity and trusting them– trusting YOU to use your God-given talents to envision and lead this Gospel-centered work. In short, we are growing hungrier to be a Gospel proclaiming church that genuinely reflects the call of the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.

You see, a spirit of missions and evangelism is the very heart of Christianity, and it can only be effective as a result of each and every one of us partnering to help the advancement of the Gospel. Giving faithfully for such purposes is, quite simply stated, Biblical stewardship. As the “Pac Man” graph in this year’s stewardship booklet so vulnerably reveals, we have a long way to go in directing more of our resources to the advancement of the Gospel. However, we believe that, through both faithful prayer and faithful giving, St. Peter’s will continue becoming a church that is truly centered in the proclamation that Jesus Christ came to save all people from the bondage of sin, as it shares this Good News with the world outside the walls of the Cathedral.

The harvest is truly plentiful, friends…Won’t you join Christ, and St. Peter’s, in the fields?

Spiritual Entrepreneurship: Laity Using Gifts From God To Further The Kingdom

by The Rev'd Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism, and Susan Newhouse Burton, founder of Tarmac Basketball

One of the cornerstones of the work being done within Missions & Evangelism at St. Peters is the continual use of God’s great gifts within our laity.  Chief amongst them is our parishioners’ creative approach to reaching the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ – something I commonly refer to as “spiritual entrepreneurship.”  We have already seen an incredible impact in new ideas set forth by our youth within the SALT grant program.  Kathy Gomer started the Wings For Change ministry and it is now distributing hundreds of feminine products, along with God’s Word, throughout Africa. Pam Valentine has recently brought together local ministries and non-profits to begin the new Christians Against Trafficking group that will host a Summit at St. Peter’s in October to address the horrors of human trafficking in our community.   These are just a few examples of the growing spiritual entrepreneurship that we see springing up in and through our laity at the Cathedral.  Another came about when God led our very own Susan Newhouse Burton to birth the Tarmac ministry to reach under-resourced young people through basketball.  I hope you find it as inspiring as I have.  —Father Bill

God led me to begin the Tarmac ministry after I endured varying hardships throughout my life.  Tarmac is defined as a set of crushed up rocks that are sealed together by tar and cement to create a solid foundation for others to use.  And it was in this image that I found God spurring me on to begin teaching and mentoring girls between the ages of 7 and 14 through a game that I have long loved – basketball.  We have been able to offer summer camps, weekend clinics, one-on-one training sessions throughout the year, and offer a special summer camp session without cost.  This year we had 22 girls attend and while basketball was front and center, I was also able to share the transforming power of God as we focused on the Ten Commandments and the importance of honoring our mothers and fathers.  We were able to present each of them with a brand-new Bible provided by St. Peter’s and will continue working to mentor them in and through Christ throughout the coming year.  I welcome any St. Peter’s parishioners that might be willing to help share God’s love with these special young people.    —Susan Newhouse Burton

Ecclesiastes 3 states: “To everything there is a season. A time for every activity under heaven.”  Court sponsorships and meal donations are also kindly appreciated.  

Please contact Partnered Evangelism Core Captain, Michael Thompson, at michaelthompson43@gmail.com or Discipled Evangelism Core Captain, Susan Newhouse Burton, directly at thetarmactlh@gmail.com or 850-251-3418 for more information.

Our Brothers & Sisters In Uganda Need Our Prayers

by The Rev'd Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15

We at St. Peter’s have been so very blessed to be sojourners in God’s ministry with the wonderful people of the South Rwenzori Diocese for these many years.  The Diocese, which includes thirty eight parishes and more than 90 priests, is located in Southwest Uganda. In October 2005, our brothers and sisters welcomed us into the Church of Uganda as we separated from the Episcopal Church and provided solid orthodox leadership until we transferred to the Anglican Church in North America four years later.  Many of our parishioners have traveled to Uganda on mission to share in varying work with our friends there.  St. Peter’s Uganda Vulnerable Children Ministry has sponsored more than 200 children allowing each to receive invaluable education and support.  And, most recently, St. Peter’s has agreed to provide the financial support necessary for the purchase of the first motorcycle that will allow priests to bring the Gospel into some of the most rural communities in all of Uganda.  In sum, the Lord has drawn our people together for His mighty work and we rejoice in it.

While we in America now have unlimited access to COVID vaccinations and have witnessed the corresponding dramatic decline in resulting cases, our brothers and sisters in South Rwenzori are now being terrorized by the pandemic.  Bishop Nason and I correspond weekly.  During our conversations, he has repeatedly conveyed the harsh reality that they are now facing:  vaccines are unavailable, an insufficient amount of healthcare workers at clinics, no oxygen at the hospitals, and a growing number of people are becoming sick and dying.  As a result, the country of Uganda has implemented a 42-day lockdown that denies people the ability to gather for any purpose, including worship.

In response to the horrors of the pandemic, Bishop Nason called for a special prayer service that was held on July 4th.  He invited different clergy leaders within the diocese and throughout the world to lead different areas of focus throughout the time.  Hundreds of people were on the Zoom-based prayer meeting and the session was broadcast on the radio to encourage the faithful throughout the region.  It was my privilege to specifically lead the time of prayer focused upon the Bishop, his wife Jane, and their seven children.  Several members of his family have been infected by the terrible virus and have been slow to recover.  

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Throughout the service, my eyes filled with tears as I scrolled through the hundreds of Zoom boxes to see so many mothers and fathers with their children in their laps faithfully singing “All To Jesus I Surrender” from their small open-air huts.  Each of them now live in complete isolation and face the very same fears and worries that challenged each of us in America a year ago.  My heart broke thinking of our current surplus of vaccines and the complete inability to share them with our brothers and sisters across the globe.  But then I remembered the second part of Romans 12:15 - being called to “weep with those that weep”… joining in deep and continued prayer, knowing that our God loves all of us deeply and, trusting that He alone can bring comfort and healing to His Church in Uganda.  

I committed each of us at St. Peter’s to specifically pray and therefore would ask that you post these names on your fridge, your mirror, or any other place that will remind you to bring your petitions to God daily.  Please pray for Bishop Nason, Jane, Baluku, Ireen, Bwambale, Masereka, Kule, Bira, and Thembo.

Prison Re-Entry

by The Rev'd Wesley Owens, Curate

As the Canon for Missions & Evangelism, I have been so greatly encouraged by the number of great leaders that the Lord has raised up for work beyond the walls of our Cathedral.  Deacon Wesley has shown both great passion and unwavering dedication to bring Christ to men and women that are re-entering society after incarceration.  After appointing him to lead a new partnership with Good News Outreach, I could not be more excited to offer the following update on God’s work through him and his team below. –Father Bill

It is far too common for us as typical American churchgoers to remain nearsighted in our understanding of God’s grace, and this is particularly apparent in our attitudes toward the incarcerated.  We settle for retribution when Christ calls us to be agents of his restoration.  Hebrews 13:3 instructs us to “remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them…”  This command is the application of a principle at the very heart of our Lord’s incarnation.  Jesus Christ did not keep the fallen world at arm’s length; he entered into the brokenness of humanity to redeem us.  He did not ignore the demands of God’s justice; indeed, he gave his life to fulfill it.  But, his primary mission was one of mercy, forgiveness, and healing.

Much can be said about the harsh realities of an American prison, but too often we overlook the trauma experienced by former inmates in the weeks, months, and years after prison.  The road to stability after prison is arduous and uncertain.   Former inmates must ‘swim upstream’ before they can find a foothold in a society that is reluctant to receive them.  They struggle to regain access to basic privileges that you and I take for granted: good employment, a driver’s license, safe housing, a reliable social network.  In the absence of support, it is no wonder that roughly one of every four inmates released from a Florida prison will return to prison within three years.  The desperation brought about by PTSD, lingering addiction, unstable surroundings, and a lack of secure relationships can make prospects appear hopeless.

Since November 2020, St. Peter’s has been actively exploring new opportunities to share the Gospel with former inmates and work to reduce recidivism in Tallahassee.  Our Re-entry Leadership Team, which includes Dave Mica, Frances Prevatt, and Jason White, has been engaging actively in relationship building and strategic planning with the goal of engaging in mission through Christian mentoring, tutoring, trauma and addiction recovery, and vocational help.  In partnership with Good News Outreach, we are coming alongside the ministry of Mercy House, a local transitional house for men, while assisting with the development of a parallel re-entry program for women.

Please pray for us and consider joining us in this important work.  I am grateful to the team of Godly lay leaders for their diverse contributions: Frances Prevatt, who is serving as our liaison for women’s re-entry; Scott Marshall, who has agreed to offer math tutoring to a resident of Mercy House; Sara Clausen, who has consulted with us about volunteer training standards in the department of corrections; and others who are prayerfully discerning the call to serve as after-prison mentors.  There are many ways to serve and be the hands and feet of Jesus in the lives of men and women who desperately need hope.

TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS: YOUTH MISSIONS WEEK 2021 IS HERE!

By The Rev'd William Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism

As a contagious spirit of missions and evangelism continues to sweep through our Cathedral, many of our middle school and high school youth have been deeply energized to go and share the Gospel with the world outside the walls of our building.  In fact, a group of more than twenty St. Peter’s middle and high school kids took part in praying and sharing invitations for Avodah Day with friends throughout the neighborhood near Riley Elementary School last weekend.  Many of the youth then shared in the work at Good Samaritan Outreach the next day – gardening, operating a yard sale, and sharing in laughter and encouragement with those in the community.

And all of this excitement has led us to offer the first ever St. Peter’s Youth Missions Week that will be held June 14—18. It will be a week full of fun, fellowship, and evangelism-centered work.  Each of the first four days will begin at noon with a lunch that is being prepared by women from the Daughters of the Holy Cross and the Mary & Martha Guild.  We will then travel out to work at ministry partners such as Good Samaritan Chapel, A Women’s Pregnancy Center, and Chelsea House.  At each, our young men and women will engage in people-centered outreach including offering a Vacation Bible School, building chicken coops and flower planter boxes with community members, and sharing in prayer and fellowship with those in physical and spiritual need.  The team will then travel back to St. Peter’s each afternoon for special catered dinners and dynamic presentations from ministry leaders on topics such as human trafficking, life, and evangelism before departing at 6:30 each night.  The week will then end with a fun-filled pool party at the Cooksey’s home on Friday to celebrate God’s great work that will be done throughout the week.  

As the Canon for Missions & Evangelism, there are few things that encourage my soul more than seeing our young people out on an adventure with God.  Over the years, I have watched so many youth come alive in Christ during trips, camps, and other mission-centered outings to Nicaragua, Belize, Gretna, and throughout our own community.  I am now so very excited to see what the Lord will do during this Youth Missions Week with our young people at St. Peter's.  These times together in mission are truly transformative and we believe this special time will be a catalyst for even more work together in the months and years to come.

Please register your 6th to 12th grade son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, or any other youth in your life today by stopping by the table outside this morning or email Fr. Bill at BKrizner@StPetersFL.com.  You do not want them to miss out on this special time of youth ministry together!