The Rev. Lisa McIndoo

Episcopal Priest

Profile

I have a call to serve Christ for all of God's creations. I have a heart for missional engagement. I am enthusiastic about preaching, teaching, and inclusion — bringing Good News to people that need it.

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Sermons

Church of the Holy Apostles – Collierville, TN

St. Timothy's Episcopal Church – Mountain View, CA

These are initiatives I have launched or revitalized in my two most recent parishes.

Liturgical Development

Bluegrass Mass: Every year we invite the community to join us for a raucous pet blessing in our outdoor chapel.

Christmas Pageant: A pageant involving angels, barn animals, shadow puppets, and the Holy Family takes place every Christmas Eve.

Blessing of the Pets: Every year we invite the community to join us for a raucous pet blessing in our outdoor chapel.

Blessing of the Backpacks: As we gather to go back to school each year, we have a blessing of the backpacks and then a big ol' BBQ.

Drive-by Ashes: For the busy folks of Silicon Valley, I revived Drive-by Ashes in our circle drive way for those who cannot make it to church for our evening service on Ash Wednesday.

Epiphany Burning of the Greens: We mark the end of the Christmas season with the traditional Burning of the Greens — a brief outdoor gathering after our Epiphany service where we burn Christmas greens, drink cocoa, and celebrate the light of Christ revealed to the world.

Fundraising

Dinner Under the Oak: I revamped the former “Vestry Dinner” to include our community and school families at an annual charity fundraiser with live music, good food and awesome silent auction items. We shared the fun beneath the beauty of the historic California Oak tree bedazzled with lights.

Be an Organ Donor: Through our Be an Organ Donor capital campaign, we raised over $100,000 to restore and preserve our unique and historic pipe organ—ensuring its music continues to inspire for generations to come.

Raise the Roof: Disco Party: This fall we will put on our dancing shoes for a groovy night of fun, food, and funky beats—all to help raise funds for the new roof at Holy Apostles!

Spirit Tastings: One of the more popular fundraisers was our Spirit Tasting, led by Bill McIndoo! He takes groups on a tour of the Scottish glens or the Kentrucky countryside (depending on the season).

Congregational Development

Choir Pilgrimage: York: In October of 2024 the Holy Apostles choir went on pilgrimage to York, Lincoln, Durham, Ripon, and Whitby to explore our Anglican heritage. We worshiped and sang for All Saints, Bolton-Percy in Yorkshire.

Crafternoon: Crafternoon is a wonderful time for the creative folks in our congregation to come together and work on their projects while sharing a space in the conference room.

Heavenly Hosts: Hospitality was run by one person for years at Holy Apostles. Now, five teams rotate serving hospitality hour brunch throughout the year creating a welcoming and vibrant space after service.

Holy Hives: Our on-site bee hives support pollinator health and help grow the local bee population in the precious Wolf River Nature Preserve.

Mardi Gras Pancake Fest: We celebrate Mardi Gras with pancakes, a brass band, a bicycle parade, and the creation and then “burying” of the Alleluia banner that we “dig up” on Easter morning!

Missional Engagement Training: I have held classes over the years to train parishioners how to engage the community in conversation and action. I use my training that began in seminary and has become an integral part of my ministry.

Little Free Pantry: Our Little Free Pantry provides emergency provisions for our food-insecure neighbors to help bridge the gap between paycheck or benefits.

Episcopal 101: I teach a class each year for newcomers, the curious, and those that want to know more about what it means to be Episcopalian. The class involves history and also what is happening in The Episcopal Church today.

Breakfast with Paul: Many sermons are based on the Gospel readings on Sundays and we wanted a chance to dive into the letters of the Apostle Paul while having a traditional Southern breakfast! We (my husband and I) made biscuits and cheese grits, which most of our congregation had never heard of! They are hooked now.

Mystery of Faith: Backstage Pass: I wanted to do more than just an “instructive Eucharist.” Many of my parishioners were not from a liturgical background and found Holy Communion to be baffling. I took participants behind the scenes, into the sacristy, into the vestry, behind the altar, and into a deeper relationship with our Liturgy.

Women of Holy Apostles Pre-Maundy Pedicures: Started by my classmates and I in seminary, I instituted this tradition with the Women of Holy Apostles group. Many people are uneasy about the ritual of foot washing on Maundy Thursday in Holy Week. This gathering allows conversation and discussion about the practice and provides a place to gather and make our feet ready for washing!

Wednesday Night Dinners: Pre-covid, we gathered every Wednesday night for food and fellowship. Sometimes there was programming and other times we had family game night.

Christian Formation series: I organize seasonal series based on feedback from our Christian Formation Ministry Team. Some have been on: Anti-Racism, Journey Into Lent, Falling Into Grace, Water Into Life: Baptism, Cloud of Witnesses, etc.

Advent Festival: I wanted to recreate the magic of a European Christmas Fair but with a Holy Apostles' spin! We have a parish hall full of crafts that families can make together, a room for making Advent Wreaths with all the materials, and in the courtyard, vendor booths, food, and live music.

Saints and Dinners: Casual small group dinners held in parishioner homes where we share a meal and build lifelong friendships.

Pentecost BBQ: After every Pentecost service, we have a big celebratory cook out to kick off our summer series and celebrate the school year.