Dear Saints of St. B's,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
As many of you know, we have been in a moment of discernment about how best to shepherd our ministry to the youngest members of our church and their families. Though we had an unexpected transition when our former Director of Children and Family Formation left due to loss in her personal life, our wardens, vestry, and staff joined me in allowing this transition to be an opportunity to dream God’s dream about how this moment may be fertile ground for greater discernment.
Over the past several years, St. Bartholomew's has experienced remarkable growth in the number of children, youth, and families participating in the life of our church. Since 2022, participation and engagement across our ministries have continued to grow, including a 17% increase in youth participation, and more than 50 volunteers now serve children, youth, and families throughout the year.
As God has blessed St. B’s with such growth in this ministry, we know that it comes with the responsibility to be good and joyful stewards of such blessings.
In mind of this responsibility, I have spent several months with the Vestry, staff, and parish leadership discerning how best to support children and families in a way that provides and overall approach that creates a seamless program for our families with stronger volunteer support and clear leadership. We believe this approach will provide clearer continuity in supporting children and families from birth through graduation. When the wardens and I shared this new vision with the Vestry, they affirmed this direction and designated the budget resources needed to support it.
In fulfillment of this vision, I am delighted to announce that Alysha Moroni has been called to serve in the newly developed position of Director of Family Formation to lead this next chapter of ministry.
In this role, Alysha will provide consistent leadership and vision for the formation of children, youth, and families. She will help ensure that every child and family who walks through our doors experiences a consistent, welcoming, and Christ-centered path of formation, while also supporting the volunteers, catechists, and ministry leaders who make that journey possible.
Recognizing the increased scope of this ministry, Alysha will be supported by an expanded Family Formation team and additional resources that will be developed thoughtfully in the months to come and over the longer horizon as the ministry continues to grow.
Many of you have already experienced Alysha's gifts firsthand. During her six years at St. B's, youth participation and engagement have grown significantly, with active youth involvement increasing from 53% to 83% over the last several years. She launched our Young Adults Ministry, which has grown from a small leadership team into a thriving ministry of more than 50 participants.
Beyond our parish, Alysha has served on the diocesan youth steering committee and recently helped lead one of the largest diocesan youth events in recent years. She brings more than a decade of experience serving children, youth, and families in churches of varying sizes and has demonstrated a remarkable ability to build relationships, develop leaders, and create environments where young people can grow in faith and community.
Yet as impressive as those accomplishments are, they are not what most qualifies Alysha for this role. What sets Alysha apart is her deep love for the young people she serves. She leads with joy, compassion, wisdom, and a genuine pastoral heart. She knows our families, understands our parish culture, and shares our vision for raising children and youth who know they are loved by God, welcomed by this community, and called into a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ.
This investment reflects something we believe deeply at St. B's, that our youngest members are an essential part of who we are as a parish and as we promise in the baptismal covenant, we are doing all in our power to support our little ones and youth in their life in Christ.
We are grateful to Sarah Benfield who has truly blessed us as our interim leadership these past few months. She has led with compassion, grace, and flexibility and we thank her for her faithful service and leadership during this season of transition.
Please join me in congratulating Alysha, praying for this next chapter of ministry at St. B's, and giving thanks for the many volunteers, catechists, parents, and leaders whose dedication has been essential in this season of growth. May God bless us all in this ministry we share.
With gratitude and hope,
Josh+
The Rev. Joshua T. Condon
Rector
