"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1

"Once upon a time…"

Whether your time begins with the founding of this church in 1948 or whether you found your way here in 2005, the next few moments are of great importance to the St. John's story. I thank you right now for reading this document through to the end.

You hold in your hand the flagship piece of our REACH campaign: an experience designed to spiritually energize each and every one of us and to set the stage for our next two decades of mission and ministry. I am excited about how God is already using this campaign to create our story for generations to come.

In these pages are both hindsight and foresight. You will laugh and sigh and shake your head at the recent past. You will catch a vision of the future close at hand. You may even get an inkling of how our stories, yours and mine, will make a difference in this congregation, our community, the Christian witness in the world.

• The Reach of God toward us in forgiving and encouraging love.
• The Reach of children's imaginations in play and prayer and possibility.
• The Reach of youth's inquisitive minds in discovering and defining themselves.
• The Reach of hands toward old companions.
• The Reach of welcome toward new friends.
• The Reach of hospitality to the homeless and dispirited.
• The Reach of Christian love clear across the world.

Do you know the folk tale that says God created us because God loves stories? Individually we are precious, together we are powerful. We can and we must REACH to make a difference. So turn the page and let the story begin!

Your grateful pastor,