by Lael Carter, Stewardship Committee
Dear Friends,
The Stewardship Committee has begun its work for the 2025-26 program year. BELONGING will be our stewardship theme.
St. Paul’s coming program year promises to be eventful as we prepare to call and welcome the 17th Rector to St. Paul’s. We will experience numerous changes and new beginnings. This will be a year to embrace BELONGING early and often!
In preparation for the fall stewardship drive, the Committee is planning to celebrate and hear from many voices of St. Paul’s. Our goal is to know our Lord, ourselves, and one another more deeply and more lovingly. We believe our sense of belonging to St. Paul’s will grow as we listen to and receive the Holy Spirit moving among us; as we celebrate our many voices of faith and conviction.
We will begin this summer with individual voices of faith. Tom Nobbe has offered to share his faith reflections this Sunday, June 22, at both the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services. On July 20, Valerie Wilson will share her faith journey at both services as well. Stay tuned for more conversations throughout the summer. In the fall we are planning small group gatherings to continue dialogue about journeys of faith.
Earlier this month we celebrated Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit to the brand new church. The Apostles and those present immediately began speaking in different voices, though they shared one message and one spirit. Pentecost celebrates the coming of one Holy Spirit, in the form of many voices to God’s beloved community. Pentecost reminds us that in our diversity we all BELONG to one holy Fellowship.
Merriam-Webster defines stewardship as; “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” But Christian stewardship is more than just ensuring and managing the financial resources needed for a parish like St. Paul’s to thrive. For this reason, we hope that our stewardship pledges this fall will not just be about our wallets. We hope our pledges also will represent how much we value BELONGING to each other, as we celebrate the faithful guidance of the Holy Spirit, our love for Jesus, and the power of God’s daily companionship in our lives.
The Stewardship Committee hopes sharing these faith stories and conversations will help each of us to consider our faith journey and how BELONGING TO JESUS through St. Paul’s enriches our life each day.
In Love,
Lael Carter, Stewardship Committee