One Thanksgiving Day morning in 2014 my wife, an ordained deacon at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, received a phone call from the rector’s wife. “I need you to come in to the ICU with me. Please come.”

Being a dancer my whole life, I am very familiar with the physicality of rebounding after falling to the floor or bouncing back out of a partner’s hold or using momentum to launch out of gravity’s pull. I didn’t realize these lessons would extend into my life.

“Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7-NIV) With this simple request, a man and a woman begin a life-giving conversation that touches the depths of the woman’s heart. And when you look deeper, the exchange provides powerful insights on healthy boundaries.

Did you know 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence? Additionally, more than 70% describe benefits like improvements in work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills after working with a coach.

Change is inevitable. It seems to happen frequently in our lives, especially these days. And it can be difficult to know how to embrace – or even endure – it. Because the truth is, many of us prefer to stay the course of the tried-and-true when faced with change.

We are in a unique time in the history of the church, a time that affords congregations the opportunity to honestly and openly reflect on who they are as a faith community and who they are being called to be.

To meet increasing needs, we have welcomed three new therapists, a director of consulting, a screening specialist for TeenHope, a client service coordinator and a finance manager over the past few months.

Executive Director Steve Schedler shares his holiday wishes and a short update on Samaritan Counseling Center. To add to the Christmas spirit, Licensed Professional Counselor Judith Kennedy provides a beautiful, contemplative poem she wrote while reflecting on the holiday.