Stewardship
The Episcopal Church sees stewardship as more than simply contributing money to the church; it's also about contributing time and talents, and volunteering for ministry and mission. It's about reaching out to build relationships from a perspective of abundance instead of scarcity. from the Episcopal Church website
"As Christians―indeed as people of faith of any tradition―we are called to tend to the needs of the least among us. Our response to them must be the response of faith. God gives us a new heart to do this work, and every time we gather to do it, God offers a pacemaker jolt to tweak our heart's rhythm. The challenge is this: will our hearts respond with a strengthened beat, in tune with God's own heartbeat, sending more life out into the world?"
―from the Introduction of “The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything”
by The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2027
And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8, NRSV
Dear Friends in Christ,
There is something beautiful about the words Jesus offers his disciples: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:2). I hear in that promise the very heart of the Church: a place where people are welcomed, burdens are shared, and everyone can find room to belong.
This year, our stewardship theme at St. Mary’s is Plenty Good Room. For a parish like ours, where the seasons bring new faces and familiar friends, those words carry special meaning. We know what it is to make room at the table, in the pews, and in our hearts. We know, too, that the love of God reaches well beyond our church doors.
I am grateful for the countless ways you make that love visible. Through worship and prayer, fellowship and hospitality, care for our neighbors, and the quiet kindnesses that seldom receive recognition, you help St. Mary’s remain a living witness to Christ’s compassion. Every gift of time, talent, and financial support helps sustain this ministry and makes space for what God is calling us to become.
Stewardship invites us to consider more than what we can give. It asks us to remember what we have received, to hold it with gratitude, and to share it with generous hearts. As you prayerfully consider your commitment for the coming year, I invite you to reflect on the place St. Mary’s holds in your life and on the welcome we can extend together to others.
My prayer is that we will meet the year ahead with faith rather than fear, trusting God’s abundance and one another’s generosity. There is plenty good room here, and still so much good work for us to do.
With gratitude and love in Christ,
The Very Rev. Allison Burns-LaGreca
Rector, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church