An Historic Moment for an Historic Church
by Fr. John Tampa

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11: 8-10)

By faith, our ancestors established this holy place over three hundred years ago. The history of our church is rich and spirit-filled, and by faith we now begin a new chapter.

These words were written in St. Peter's history book in 1946:

As one looks back over the long and varied history of this old Colonial parish, it is impossible not to be profoundly impressed by the inherent vitality displayed in the face of discouraging drawbacks. In spite of long periods when there was no rector and the congregation was entirely without pastoral care; in spite of serious losses by removal of parishioners to other neighborhoods; in spite of almost continuously insufficient care because of having to share one priest with one or more neighboring parishes; and in spite of the strength inevitably drawn away from the parent church at the founding of each new mission, St. Peter's has lived in abiding usefulness, through the blessing of God and the steadfast loyalty of those who have unremittingly cherished the foundation laid by staunch Welsh Churchmen more than three hundred years ago. With such a background, and with conditions becoming increasingly favorable, the future holds a bright prospect.

These prophetic words become a reality on Sunday morning, April 17 as we ceremonially break ground for the construction of our new worship, Christian education and fellowship hall. We will gather in the parish hall at 10:15 A.M. and from there, led by the Cross, our clergy, a Scottish bagpiper, and our choir, we will move in procession to the site of the new building. This promises to be a deeply moving celebration. The Worship Commission has designed a beautiful service that will involve all who attend, especially our children.

This historic moment marks both the end of a long and prayerful process of discernment, planning, and labor, as well as the beginning of a new era of mission and ministry. As our Junior Warden Rip Tilden has said many times, "It's not about bricks and mortar; it's about a journey of faith." We have invited local diocesan, governmental, and media representatives, representatives from our architectural, construction, and engineering team, and also several "friends of St. Peter's" who have contributed to this effort. Please mark your calendars for this historic event.

It is important to note that we are moving forward with the construction of this building in faith. We have not yet raised all the necessary funds for the project, but are prudently confident that we will be able to do so in the long run. If you have contributed financially to this effort, we thank you. If you have not, please pray about your participation in the future. If you have contributed and feel you can do more, please pray about that too. The prayer for our capital campaign effort says it all:

Stretch us Lord, for you call us to grow.
Stretch our arms to embrace all who come to our doors.
Stretch our minds to grow in wisdom and faith as we plan and build and work together.
Stretch our resources and our giving to abundantly meet the needs of your plan.
Stretch our imaginations to create a beautiful, peaceful, sacred place to sing your praise and cherish one another.
Watch over us, your people of St. Peter's in the Great Valley,
and help us to grow in dignity, grace, and love.
Amen.