Our Stewardship Series begins on Sunday, October 16, marking the time of year when we as a church focus our thoughts and prayers on our pledges to All Saints for 2017. It is also a time for reflection on how our monies have been used over the past year and how blessed we are at All Saints. Our slogan for the series this year is “Generous Living,” which describes the kind of lives we want to steward for God’s kingdom.

We need each member to prayerfully consider how much of their income can be pledged for the work of All Saints for 2017. For both our newcomers as well as our seasoned members, I would like to share with you how this process works.

During our series, each family will be mailed a pledge sheet to make a decision of what they plan to give for the upcoming year. The pledge sheets are collected (by November 20) and confidentially compiled so that no one among the clergy or vestry are aware of the individual gifts. The Finance Committee then develops the budget based on the total amount pledged. If the pledges do not bring in enough to cover budgeted expenses, then items are cut until the budget and pledges are equal.

Our slogan “Generous Living” is perfect for All Saints because of the generosity of our members. Beyond monetary pledges, many in our congregation actively give of their time through their involvement with programs in our community. All Saints further invests in the community through sponsorships of area events and donations to a number of nonprofits in the city. Outside of our community, we reach out to missionaries across the globe as well as those countries with which our bishop has ministry connections.

It is my hope that as we are generously blessed, we prayerfully consider how we can contribute to All Saints, our community, and our world.