Dear Friends of Saints James and Andrew, Every pledge campaign begins with gratitude, and that is how we want to begin our message to you this year. We are inspired by your generosity – by the grand acts that you have accomplished this year, by the single acts of love and kindness, and by the unseen work you have done in service to God and our church community. We cannot say it enough--thank you. Our pledge campaign this year focuses on our gifts; not just on the things we wrap with paper and bows, and not the things we put in envelopes or give from our bank accounts, but all of the gifts that we give throughout the year. It is traditional to talk about offering the gifts of time, talent, and treasure, and easy to do so without really focusing on the strength each offers our community. We are grateful and aware of the ways in which you have given all three, and today we want to focus on your time. Time, they say, is the greatest gift, because it is a gift that we can’t replace. When we give our treasure or our talent, they come from renewable streams, to some extent. But time, once given, can’t be taken back, reclaimed. This is why we are inspired by the ways that you give of your time to this community. You give generously by being present with the community in worship- whether it be virtual or in-person; by volunteering at our feeding ministries and pantry; by engaging in the important work of creation care, anti-racism, and advocating for God’s dream for this world. Whether these gifts of time are measured in hours spent running a ministry, participating in our programs, volunteering in the community, or in minutes spent on zoom calls, this community is generous with its time! In this season where we uphold our gifts, we hold you up in light, love, and leadership. Over the coming weeks you will be hearing more about our parishes’ gifts from clergy and lay leaders. Know that each of you is a gift, to each other and to a world in need of our loving, liberating, and life-giving God. Yours, Rev. Heather and Rev. Molly Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another
with whatever gift each of you has received. – 1 Peter 4:10 Dear Members and Friends of Saints James and Andrew, This year has reminded us in so many ways of the strength and closeness of our community. Even in these months in which we are physically distant and unable to gather in person, the Spirit has kept us together, connecting us. Many in the media or in our society keep referring to our churches as “closed,” but we were never closed — we continued to follow the Gospel call to live in love with our neighbors, finding ever new ways to seek and serve Christ in all people. We want to share a story about a particular moment this year in which our generosity of spirit and strength was clear. This year, in the midst of the pandemic, along with continuing Second Helpings and Whitney’s Pantry, we set up a new ministry of Sunday Sandwiches to deliver food to our underserved neighbors after other free resources in our community closed. Many volunteers from Saints James and Andrew gave up their time to shop for, prepare and distribute our offerings. Isn’t this a great example of how God uses us in times of hardship to bless others? As we look to the year to come, we are more committed than ever to the ministry and love we share with our community and our neighbors. Our ministry is funded through the gifts of its members — your generous offerings given in grace and love. This year we are asking for every member to take part in our stewardship campaign by making a pledge. Included with this letter are materials for making your gift. We encourage you to visit our website at www.saintsjamesandandrew.org to learn more about opportunities to get involved and participate in our congregation. We will be hearing messages of Faith-Filled Generosity as we move through the weeks of this year’s stewardship season. The Gospel is rich with examples of how our faith kindles our love for each other and our call as followers of Jesus to share our love with the world. We invite you and your household to pray and learn, taking these weeks to consider how your generous response to God’s call has been shaped by this community and the friends who gather with you. Thank you for being a part of Saints James and Andrew and for your faithful, faith-filled gift to our annual campaign. In the spirit of generosity and love, Di Kurkulonis, Stewardship Chair Erica Burns, Elizabeth Keitel, Bryant Morgan, Con Trowbridge, Stewardship Team Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another
with whatever gift each of you has received. – 1 Peter 4:10 Dear People of Saints James and Andrew, Who could have imagined that this year would look so unlike any other in our lifetime. It has been a year ripe with disruptions, losses, and anxieties, forcing us to reimagine what it means to be the Church. While the coronavirus pandemic has tested our resolve, it has not tested our faith. We are stronger, more resilient, and more connected than we have ever been as a Church and as a community of neighbors. Thank you. Thanks to each one of you doing your part in your homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, families, and here in our church. This has been a year focused on prayer and service. When we were suddenly forced to halt our in-person gatherings, our parish took a leap of faith and began to explore other meaningful ways to worship, pray together, and serve our most vulnerable neighbors. It has been a liminal space for us to discover, hone, and put to use the gifts we have received from our Creator God and to serve one another. We have witnessed the countless ways that you have used your resources for the mission of the Church and to help each other. We have found it inspiring and hopeful. During this fall’s pledge drive, we will explore the way that our generosity is inspired by our faith, how we are formed and led into relationships with each other as we share our gifts with the world. How will you discover and use the gifts you have been given to help our church this year? How will you hear the Gospel call to seek and serve Christ in all people, and respond with generosity? As we look at each family, each individual in our community, we realize that we are the stewards of God’s manifold grace because we give to the world from what we have received. This year, your stewardship team will be sending you a packet with your pledge card and an appeal. We invite you to receive this with grace and prayer as you consider how you will share with God and God’s Church from what you have received. In the spirit of generosity and love, Rev. Heather & Rev. Molly |
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