Dear Friends,
We are thrilled to share that St. Bart’s has been selected as one of 33 worshipping communities across the United States and Canada to receive a 2024 Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and funded through the Lilly Endowment.
This prize, in the amount of $25,000, will support the continued growth and development of our Thursday evening Imagine Worship NYC community. From the beginning we have sought to foster a space for spiritual seekers, along with lifelong Christians and cradle Episcopalians, to experience church in a new and meaningful way. By striving to intentionally center fresh and underrepresented voices, we have also sought to build a church that is both younger and more diverse.
Some come for the convenient time and location given their weekday jobs in Midtown East. Some are attracted to the artful, contemporary music and worship in the round. Many appreciate the unique sense of care and community wrought through the opportunity for personal prayers during communion and the common meal shared afterwards. Others are simply drawn to the light—quite literally—as the glowing ambience of the historic church, shining through our open doors and out to Park Avenue, leads them to stumble through the threshold.
Since launching in 2023, Imagine Worship NYC has garnered national attention in the Episcopal Church for the ways in which it has enhanced St. Bart’s mission of transforming lives, transforming the church, and transforming the world as we extend the radical welcome of Christ to our neighbors. This grant will fund the continued operations and expansion of Imagine Worship, including:
- Special live streamed feast and fast day observances, such as a justice-themed All Hallows’ Eve celebration or an Earth Day Vigil for Creation Care
- Seasonal reflection guides and Bible studies to accompany weekly worship
- Continued partnership with composer and musician Mark Miller and other guests, such as the Maverick City Gospel Choir and other local artists
- Increased lay leadership training and empowerment, including lay preachers and seasonal workshops for lay volunteers to take part in designing and creating worship alongside clergy and staff
"Stillness," an original song by Mark Miller and Lindy Thompson, recorded live at Imagine Worship NYC on May 9 with soloist Julian Wamble
As the grant selection committee affirmed, each of these new endeavors is deeply rooted in the Anglican Way of being Christian. Beginning with the very first English Bibles and Book of Common Prayer, our beloved tradition has continually sought to embrace the evolving needs and creativity of a given context with the riches of our religious heritage—all for the sake of the gospel. In a culture and context that is not monolithic, Imagine Worship NYC is just one stone in the mosaic of liturgical offerings that enable St. Bart’s to be a church that gloriously reflects the breadth of our great city on earth and, ultimately, what Isaac Watts called that “beautiful city of God.”
We look forward to the year ahead and invite you to come and see for yourself! 7 pm Thursday nights in the chapel. We’re saving you a seat!
Peace,
