Grace in Motion: Rally Day Ministry Fair
This fall Christ Church Cathedral hosts its annual Rally Day, offering a chance to learn more about different ministry areas while highlighting the importance of finding one’s place and getting connected to the broader community. There are many ways to tap into all the wonderful ministries of the Cathedral including volunteering, participating in Sunday school, or joining service initiatives.
“Rally Day is a great reminder, year after year, to re-set and bring us back together as the summer winds down and the busy fall nears,” said Canon Bradley Varnell.
The theme for Rally Day 2023 is Grace in Motion: Praising - Growing - Serving - Giving - Belonging – Caring. Canon Kathy Pfister said “these action words were chosen for the way they describe the spiritual dispositions and habits that open us up to God's movement in our lives. This theme serves as a reminder that our life of grace is active, always in motion.”
Over the years, Rally Day has taken many forms, noted Pfister, who shared that this year’s Rally Day will be a ministry fair. "The focus depends on the year,” she said. “We’ve done rallies against hunger and other community outreach. But this Rally Day aims to inform and invite members to explore the various ministries available."
The last time the Cathedral hosted a ministries fair was in 2018, and the timing of this years’ couldn’t be more perfect with a new Dean coming,” says Canon Pfister. "We thought it would be important for our whole community to experience the breadth and depth of what the Cathedral has to offer.”
Canon Bradley Varnell said he’s excited about the ministry fair format. “We'll be highlighting our ministries and inviting folks to prayerfully reflect on how they might be called to dive into life at the Cathedral in a new way.”
“People can walk around and visit with different ministries,” Canon Pfister continued. “The tables will provide information about the programs offered, ranging from Bible studies and children's programs to various service initiatives.” She added that praising, growing, serving, giving, belonging, and caring are all interconnected.
Rally Day is an invitation to consider these six actions and to discern how, where, and with whom you are called to move in grace. Pfister concluded that “the answer will be different for each one of us,” and added that “we certainly don't need to try to do everything all at once. Rather, let us each choose one or two areas to center our attention and energy.”
“Just pick a spot to start and make a commitment to that,” she counsels. “As an example, if you become a Sunday school teacher, you're serving, but you're also growing as a person, and finding a sense of belonging. But you might identify it first as serving.”
Canon Pfister made it a point to emphasize that the ministries of the Cathedral don't fall neatly into one action or another. “In fact, I find that if one just starts with one or two, the others flow along with it. The important thing is to check in with ourselves and discern how we would like to better experience grace in motion.” She also said Rally Day represents not just a simple gathering of volunteers, but a profound expression of unity and shared purpose within the church. “Through engagement in ministry, the congregation strengthens its bonds, nurtures personal growth, and collectively builds a church that flourishes on the principles of grace, love, and compassion.”
Canon Varnell added that each member of the Cathedral has a part to play in the body of the church. Rally Day takes this premise seriously, and challenges everyone to ask where and how they can contribute. “There's no one right way in which we are members of the body,” he said. “What matters is that we take seriously that we are members and ask how we can be present.”
