December 9, 2009

Beloved Faithful of St. Stephen’s,

Warmest greetings to you and yours this Advent season! As we prepare our hearts for the coming of our King and Savior who draws near, we also prepare for more earthly realities, namely St. Stephen’s budget for next year.

As you know, the ministry of our parish is not funded by any endowment or trust but entirely by the generosity of our members and friends. We rely upon people to give of their time, talent, and treasure to ensure that all things needed to fulfill our calling as a parish church are provided. And so, on behalf of the Wardens and Vestry, I issue this appeal for pledge support for next year.

While financial realities and budgets are necessary parts of the life of a church, I prefer not to appeal for pledges to fund a budget. This has the unfortunate tendency to take the spiritual discipleship aspect away from giving. In fact, our Lord Jesus has much to say about money in the Gospel, and how we use our substance is an important indicator of our relationship with God and a key component of discipleship. Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” So giving is a heart matter before it is a fiscal matter.

I prefer to look at pledging to the church as supporting ministry rather than funding a budget. Our ministry is not to have a building with electricity and heat. But having a building with electricity and heat is an invaluable asset in the doing of our ministry. And those, among other things, require money.

I believe in the adage that “money follows ministry.” That is to say, as we walk in obedience to our Lord’s will for us as a church He will see to it that we are provided with that is necessary. It has been a tough year for St. Stephen’s. I came as your new Rector to a parish still aching from division and dealing with the consequences thereof, including the financial ones. It would be difficult for me to overstate my admiration for the faithfulness and determination of this parish to press on for the Kingdom in spite of the difficulties. I ask now that we continue that faithfulness and determination as we move into another year.

The present economy cannot be ignored. Few people are unaffected by the realities of job loss, devastated investments and retirement savings, and an ever-increasing cost of living. But above all of this we are called to put our trust in the Lord, who promises to never leave nor forsake us. “Seek first the Kingdom,” Jesus said, “and all these things [the necessities of life] will be added to you.” God will meet our generosity with generosity and receive our sacrifices with a hand ready to pour out upon us much more than we could ever give Him.

I would like to ask several specific things of you as we continue our journey together in faith:

• Before committing to anything, please do pray and ask God what he would have you give this year. We always do well to seek God’s guidance rather than trusting in our own wisdom.
• See your giving not as funding a budget but as an investment in ministry, and as a practical, tangible aspect of your relationship of love and obedience to Jesus Christ.
• Strive to tithe. This is 10% of whatever our income is. It is the biblical standard…actually the biblical minimum. It is a lot, and it is difficult to conceive how it can be done if you’ve never done it before. But please trust me as I tell you from personal experience that I have never gone without or run dry at the end of a month if I have fulfilled that commitment. Whatever you give, give it as the first fruits. This means make giving to God’s work the first thing you do, rather than whatever is left over after everything else has been taken care of. God will honor and bless that commitment. Read carefully Malachi 3:6-12 to see the biblical promise involved.
• Increase your current pledge by at least 1 or 2% if you are able. It would help us close our expense to income gap.
• Give with thanksgiving. We do not give as if God needed us or our money. We give out of thankful hearts for his goodness and mercy and all the blessings of this life.
  

I envision great things for St. Stephen’s in the coming year. We will be focusing our efforts on evangelism, youth ministry, and missions. Will you make a commitment to support St. Stephen’s ministry with your sacrificial generosity? Included with this letter is a pledge card. After you have prayed, please fill it and either mail it back or bring it to church and leave it in the offering plate on a Sunday. We are a little late on this, so the sooner the better. It would be tremendously helpful for us to have these pledges in by Christmas, but we will never turn away a pledge no matter when it comes!

May God bless you this Advent and Christmas season with the joy of his coming! Thanks so much for your generosity to and support of your parish family. I am blessed to be your Rector and I look forward to seeing what God will do here in the next year. With a grateful heart I remain

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Ron+