In these recent months of transition and anticipation, I’ve returned often to a simple phrase that Stephen, the team, and I continue to promise to root ourselves in as we face the changes ahead - especially with Bruce’s upcoming retirement: We will keep showing up.

Not perfectly. Not always with answers. But with presence. With prayer. With the willingness to stand alongside this community and trust that God is, indeed, still here.

That has been our shared compass. And it has been, again and again, gloriously enough.

There have been moments, some tender, some just plain absurd, when the three of us have paused, laughed, shrugged at the unknowable together. In situations beyond comprehension, a little laughter, a shared knowing, a steady presence... has felt like grace. And grace, I’m learning, doesn’t have to be grand to be holy. Sometimes, even that is gloriously enough.

This theme of showing up has been especially with me since the summer, when I visited St. Paul’s Chapel in New York, just blocks from where the Twin Towers once stood. Tucked into one corner is a chasuble, stitched with patches from first responders around the world. A quiet tribute to chaplains who showed up after 9/11, not to fix or explain, but simply to be there.

I didn’t stay long, but I wept. Not just for the loss, but for the holy witness of presence in the midst of chaos. Even when things make no sense, people still show up. And that is, sometimes, gloriously enough.

Now, here we are. Together again. In our sanctuary. On our campus. Relearning the sacred rhythms of gathering, praying, singing, belonging. And let’s be honest: just being here is no small thing.

The first Sunday back is ringing deeply in my bones. The tears, the laughter, the deep joy of hearing “Welcome home!” spoken and sung and shouted across the courtyard and pews. The presence of this church family, just as we are, felt like a balm. And it still does.

And yet, it’s important to name something:
We are not the same church we were before the fire.
We are not meant to be.

Something has shifted in us. Not just because of the loss, but because of how we have loved one another through it. How we kept showing up. How we learned, together, that faith is not about returning to what was, but about trusting what is becoming.

And what is becoming right now... is beautiful.

There is comfort again - in this place, in our rhythms, in seeing familiar faces and remembering how to be community in person. Even just walking under the trees again feels like grace.

I had a full circle moment a couple of weeks ago in which I walked onto campus for some more preparations, only to find myself pausing once again to say hi to my friends, the trees of this campus. And I found myself reverting back to the very works of Mary Oliver’s that I shared about in my very first Epistle letter to the Parish back in 2022. Words from her beautiful
invitation of a poem called When I Am Among the Trees:

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

That invitation, stay awhile, never felt more real that in that quiet moment in getting more preparations ready for our return. Even if it’s only the patio and the columbarium for now that we can meander, even if we’re still
waiting for parts of our campus to come fully back online - it is gloriously enough. Because we are here. And God is here.

Of course, this weekend brings a tender goodbye. As we prepare to honor and celebrate Bruce’s retirement, I name how deeply grateful we all are: for his ministry, his wisdom, his presence. But perhaps what I’m most thankful for is this: Bruce has quietly shown us, time and time again, how
God is found in the ordinary. In what is. In what’s enough.

He has modeled for us the truth that holy moments are rarely flashy. More often, they are simple and deep and human - moments of faithful showing up. Of staying awhile. Of seeing one another. Of trusting God in the in-between.

So here we are: still returning, still rebuilding, still becoming. And through it all, we’ve laughed. We’ve wept. We’ve prayed. We’ve kept going. We’ve shown up for each other.

It’s not perfect. But showing up and staying awhile is real. And it is gloriously, tenderly, abundantly enough.

In Joy,
KC+

On October 19, more than 300 attendees returned to the Parish of St. Matthew for its first service on Bienveneda since January. The service began with the entire congregation on the patio for an initial blessing of the Church Sanctuary, followed by the opening of the doors to fill the pews.

During the service, children were invited to engage in complementary worship activities in the newly designed Prayground, located in the former Chapel space, along with dedicated floor space near the lectern.

This return marks a significant milestone for the Return to Bienveneda Task Force, after months of painstaking remediation efforts. While services will continue at St. Matthew’s on Sundays at 10am, all other areas of the campus will continue to be off limits as remediation progresses in stages. During this phase, all visitors will be required to stay within posted boundaries for safety considerations.

Please click below to watch a recording of the October 19 Homecoming Service!

After the 1978 Agoura-Malibu fire destroyed the Parish of St. Matthew Church Sanctuary and its reconstruction was complete, the Bell Tower that welcomes all to the Church was commissioned. The Story of the Bells is an amazing journal of the Bell Tower’s creation, documented by longtime parishioner, Mary Waycott. Thanks to the efforts of Richard Waycott, The Story of the Bells can be shared with the entire St. Matthew’s community!

Renew Your Membership or Become a Member Today!
While all are welcome to attend services, we invite you to become a member of the Parish of St. Matthew. Membership does not renew automatically. You renew your membership each year by making a Stewardship Pledge, filling out a Stewardship Pledge Card, and paying the pledge. If you have the resources, please consider increasing your pledge or making a supplemental pledge for 2026 to support our recovery during this challenging time. If you haven’t pledged before, we invite you to make your commitment before our Stewardship Celebration on November 9.

Saints Alive is coming to St. Augustine's again on November 5 with author Katherine Nichols presenting Behind Closed Doors: Dementia's Untold Stories and Ethical Complications. Nichols is a longtime journalist, whose additional work as a dementia awareness advocate inspires honest conversations around neurodegenerative diseases in an effort to empower both patients and loved ones. Click below to register for the lunch on Nov. 5 at 11:45am, followed by the presentation.

Opera’s rising star returns to St. Matthew’s with passion and brilliance. Experience mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis in an unforgettable evening of Verdi, Dvořák, and Saint-Saëns, spirituals, and folksongs on November 7th.

Please join us on THURSDAY, Nov. 20 at 6pm for St. Matthew's annual Christmas Faire, to raise essential funds for our charitable outreach partners. This year's Christmas Faire will take place at the Water Garden in Santa Monica. Visit the Christmas Faire website now for all of the details.

Parish of St. Matthew Mission Statement

We are a Christian community, and

Welcome all, wherever they are in their journey,

Nourish all who seek unity with God and each other in Christ, and

Serve all, striving to do Christ’s work in the world.

Keep in Your Prayers

Please pray for Bruce, Katie, Judy, Mike, Linda, Lariss, Dylan, Farida, Wendy, Mia, Marco, Amy, Jane, Noah and Brenda.

We also remember those who have died in the hope of Christ’s resurrection, especially Satoshi Katanazawa and John Shiner.

Please know that in addition to your praying for these persons, they are prayed for regularly throughout the week by clergy and by members of our Intercessory Prayer Group.

If you would like to add, keep, or remove someone from this list, email connect@stmatthews.com. Prayer requests will automatically be kept on the list for one month only.

Temporary Mailing Address:
2000 Stoner Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90025

www.stmatthews.com
connect@stmatthews.com