2024 Stewardship
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matt. 6:21
These days I am spending a lot of time caring for my aging mother. She has numerous health issues and no longer drives, so I take her everywhere and manage her healthcare. I also handle her finances and other issues. She takes a lot of time. But as the gospel of Matthew points out, where we put our treasure, and this includes time, talent, and money, is where our heart is. You can tell I love my mother because I willingly spend much of my time caring for her. I also spend a lot of time enjoying my husband's company, and as much as I can with my adult children and my grandchildren. Based on time spent, my treasure, you can tell who I value.
In the same way, where we put our money tells us what we value. Stewardship season is a spiritual season. It is a gift. It gives us the time and space to evaluate how we use our money and our time. To sit back and decide if we are actually using our resources in ways that lift up what and who we value. Do we value our children most, yet decide to spend their college fund on an Aston Martin? Then our spending doesn't match our values. Stewardship is the season to take stock.
As you prayerfully evaluate your resources, consider St. Andrew's. If you value the parish, if you value the people, the worship, the closeness with God, the care of the community, the music, the education of adults and children, and the awesome teens, I ask that you prayerfully consider what to pledge this year. The Bible encourages the tithe, 10% of our income, but whatever you are able to offer will be gratefully received. Deciding how we use our gifts from God is a spiritual task.
Rev. Stephanie Bradbury
Interim Rector
Complete your 2024 Pledge Card online today!
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:11
Money can be an uncomfortable topic. In the US, both our wellbeing and social status are very reliant on money, and money is at the heart of many of our stressors and worries. Our church isn’t outside of this world where money matters. Sure, it costs money to heat the building and keep the lights on. But it also takes an investment to create the experiences and opportunities that allow us to grow in our spiritual and communal lives.
In our recent parish survey, we collectively highlighted our strong education programs, church services, and sense of community as the top things that give us energy and satisfaction as a congregation. And we are most eager to bring new people into the church (especially families with children and youth), as well as to find new ways to expand our connections with each other and the communities around us.
If we want to sustain our community and grow in these ways, we need to support the church not just with our time and talent, but with our checkbooks. Right now, based on 2023 pledges, we can only afford a part-time rector, and funds are very tight in many other areas of our ministry. Our pledges for 2024 will also directly impact the future leadership of our church: As we call our new rector, one of the first things candidates will look at to see if the church is healthy is the financial status of the church and how many people pledge.
So my call to action for each of you is this:
If you already pledge to the church, please join me in increasing your pledge by 10% this year. This will help us to both address rising costs the church is facing, and hopefully help us do more of the things we want to do, as expressed in the parish survey.
If you don’t currently pledge, please consider pledging. Pledges don’t all have to be huge – if things are tight financially, consider whether you could spare even just $10 or $20 per month. Your commitment to supporting the church is important, no matter how small your contribution, and it helps our vestry know what budget we have to work with for the coming year.
I pledge every year because I want to make sure Daniel is paid to lead our wonderful music for each service. Because I want to be able to call on our rector when a loved one dies, and for that rector to be paid equitably for her time. Because I want to expand our education programs and attract new families to join us. Because I want to bring our church’s love and strong sense of community out into the world to people who are alone and struggling. Because I want to have the chance to better get to know all of you, and for the future parishioners I haven’t yet met.
Please join me in generously sharing with the St. Andrew’s community the gifts that God has so generously given us.
Elly Stout
2024 Stewardship Co-Chair
Complete your 2024 pledge card online today!
We seek to be good and faithful stewards of all that God has provided
Many thanks to the parishioners who have submitted their 2024 pledges to support the St. Andrew's community and our work in the world around us!
For those who have not pledged yet, there is still time to share the gifts that God has given you to support our worship, music, staff, youth, and adult formation, and outreach to those in need around us!
Your pledge, whether big or small, is an important expression of your participation in our community.
Questions about Stewardship or your pledge can be directed to Elly Stout and/or Hunter Thoen.
-Elly Stout, 2024 Stewardship Co-Chair
