Hi Church! 

As we announced on Sunday, the Rev. Sarah Smith is joining our pastoral staff at COTC! Sarah is well-known and beloved by many in our community. Some of us know her from Christ Church and others from the many times she's preached and taught among us.

For the last few years, Sarah has served as a deacon and will be ordained soon to the priesthood in our diocese. Sarah is a thoughtful disciple of Jesus, someone who deeply loves the Word of God, and is a creative and gifted pastor. Drew, her husband works with Fuller Seminary's Center of Mission and Spirituality and is a gifted teacher in his own right. They have three, fun children in Isaac, Anna, and Olive. I'm thrilled to have Sarah and her family join our team and community! 

Sarah will begin her part-time role with us early in September. She'll have a particular focus on shepherding our Neighborhood Groups, a major part of the way we do life together, as well as regularly preaching and teaching and serving pastorally more generally. Please join me in praying for Sarah, Drew, and their three great kids as they make this transition in the coming month! I'm looking forward to welcoming them in the weeks ahead.

Sarah wrote this brief message for us

Hello Church of the Cross!

Some of you have known us for over 15 years, others of you we have yet to meet, and many of you are somewhere in between. Thus, introducing myself feels a bit tricky! I turned to my daughter Anna, asking what I should say about myself. She replied, “That you’re a great mom,” and she instantly became my favorite child and was given a cookie. Kidding aside, I am thankful that we will get to know and deepen relationships with each of you. Here are just a few of the reasons we are excited to join COTC:

1. I’m excited to see how God continues to draw people near. From my time with InterVarsity at UT, my time on the pastoral staff team at Christ Church, and my time of being at home with our 3 kids, I have loved witnessing God’s Kingdom at hand in Austin. I cannot wait to see how the Spirit continues to move in and through COTC to breathe new, abundant life into our city and its people.

2. I’m honored to get to serve in areas I’m passionate about with people of whom I am already deeply fond. It is no secret that I have had an affection for COTC from her beginning! To now enter a season of sharing more fully in her life, and bring into it my love of meeting God in the Scriptures and my desire to cultivate resilient communities of faith, is no small gift.

3. I’m eager to have our family formed by a people apprenticing Jesus together. As they say, “It takes a village.” Living a cruciform life that reeks of resurrection is never a solo endeavor, and we as the Smith family need the village, the family of God - you! - to follow Jesus. Drew and I look forward to the ways you will form us, and the ways our parish life together will reflect the glory of God.

Our family is delighted to be joining COTC, and I am thrilled to serve as one of your pastors. See you in September!

Ps. Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. The church is reminded of Christ's true identity as God from God and of our Triune God's gracious invitation deeper into the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.