In-Gathering: Gratitude, Updates, and Invitation to Participate:
I want to begin with a word of thanks to all who made this year's In-Gathering Service and Thanksgiving Meal such a holy and celebratory time. The church was entirely full with our largest attendance for this service in our history. The meal was truly a joyful time full of fellowship and fun, including, welcoming a new baby to one of our families. My thanks to all who brought our wonderful sides and to Mickey and Susan Dorsey for their generous and hard work as chairs of our Hospitality Ministry.
Financially speaking, In-Gathering was a strong start to reaching our overall goals in terms of both participation and overall giving. To date we have about $265,000 committed in 52 pledges toward our $381,000 goal (so about 68% of the way there). So, first off, a huge thanks to those who have already submitted a generous and sacrificial pledge for 2024. You have my sincere and heartfelt thanks. However, to achieve our goal, we will need everyone's participation. To this end, if you have not already, we hope you will please consider making a pledge and helping us achieve our goal. When it comes to stewardship, I have always given the highest value to participation, as I genuinely believe that if we all participate, as we uniquely can, we will have everything we need to accomplish exactly what God has set before us in the year to come, including, moving into our new home next year is a position of health and strength. To make a pledge, you can complete our online Ministry Commitment Form (pledge card) linked here, or complete a paper card, which are in the entryway of the church, and place it in the offering baskets.
I am so excited about all God has in store for us in the year to come, but, even before then, I am looking forward to journeying with each of you through Advent and on to our celebrations of the Babe of Bethlehem at Christmas.
If you have any questions about In-Gathering follow-up or anything in our shared life, please reach out to either of us. I hope this reaches you and yours well and God bless!
Online Ministry Commitment Form (pledge card)
Peace and Warm Friendship,
The Rev. Miles Brandon, Vicar
and
The Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail, Associate Vicar for Youth and Young Adults