A Letter to the Parish on Stewardship

October 16, 2023

Dear friends in Christ,

This past year has been perhaps the single most transformative season in the life of our parish. Our stewardship theme was “Writing the Next Chapter,” and by the grace of God, that’s precisely what we’ve done. We came together as a community. We laid a foundation of financial sustainability. We dreamed a very big dream, and we’ve been able to witness that dream gradually come to life. 

All of this has been a precious gift from God, and this gift can’t help but change who we are as a community. Indeed, we now have a wonderful opportunity to ask questions that may be less pressing to our parish and yet are far more critical. We can ask what it is we love about this place. We can explore what it might look like to give joyfully, abundantly, sacrificially—not out of anxious obligation but simply out of affection and with great care. We can seek God’s will for us and our lives, trusting that God’s gracious love will see us through, no matter what.

Keeping this moment and each of these questions in mind, our stewardship theme for 2024 is “Called to Love.” The Christian life is fundamentally rooted in love—God’s redeeming love for us demonstrated in the cross of Jesus Christ, together with the love we give back to God and our neighbor. And as we approach a new year, one chance we have for sharing in this abundant love is through our generosity. We are a gifted community, with so much here for us to love and offer our thanks for. So, let’s see what happens when we come together, trusting that God will use us to bless each other, as well as bless the community and world just beyond our doors.       

Our stewardship campaign concludes on November 19, when we will again celebrate our beloved patron, St. Margaret, and offer our pledge cards. Along the way, we’ll talk about a lot about love, and we’ll hear about what the people in our community love about this place. As you hear these stories—as you discern God’s call once more—trust that God’s love is always enough. And know how grateful we are for your generosity, your care, your faith, and most importantly, your love.

Grace and peace,

The Rev. Marco Serrano+, Rector

Steve Knoll, Senior Warden

Lori Trenholm, Chair, Stewardship

Toby TeKolste, Chair, Finance Committe