Friends,

It is that time of year again to start our stewardship campaign!!

I know you must be excited, not because you like to be asked for money, but because you are excited at all of the wonderful things that are possible for our congregation. The past two years have been dynamic. We have tried many new things. Most have worked out tremendously, while a couple of things have been consigned to the category, “well, that was a nice try”. I am genuinely energized by our Church’s willingness to listen to what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do, and to strive for growth, joy and to be a healthy community.

In the coming weeks you may hear some esoteric terms, and I thought I would take a chance to take the mystery out of this process by giving you a short glossary

· Operating Budget: This is the money that keeps the lights on and funds our ministry. This does not include capital gifts that are specified. For example: if you put $20 in the plate on Sunday that will go to pay for salaries, utilities, insurance, ect. If you give $20 dollars at a fundraiser to help fix the ceiling, that is a capital improvement and is not part of the operating budget.

· Pledge: This is what you plan on giving to the operating budget of the Church in a calendar year. Many members give on a weekly, or monthly basis, and more and more people are choosing to give online with automatic gifts. This is tax deductible donation, and is not designated to something in particular.

· The Diocese: We are part of the Diocese of Virginia, who provides St. Luke’s with invaluable resources and structure that make our Church possible. We give a percentage of our operating budget to the Diocese based on the average of the last three years.

· Tithe: A tithe is giving ten percent of your income to the Church. There are many reasons to do this. Some do this as a spiritual practice. Other’s tithe to the Church, because scripture commends us to do so. I tithe my salary to St. Luke’s for the simple reason that I am grateful for the gifts I have, and being generous makes me feel good.

We are going to kick off the stewardship campaign with a Harvest Feast this Saturday (October 14th) at 6:00 pm in the parish hall. This is a feast, and we will be giving thanks for everything at St. Luke’s and having some fun. Rest assured; we won’t be doing any serious ask, so you can come and enjoy the food and fellowship! I have been itching to do a fish fry since I was ordained nine years ago, so I will be frying fish (there will be a chicken upon request), hush puppies, and French fries for anyone that wants to come. I have been wanting to do a fish fry, because it is Biblical! Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection just by showing up and grilling fish for everyone on the shore. You can read the story in Luke 24:36-49. Sometimes just hanging out and enjoying some fish can be a good and holy thing.

What next year will look like is up to you, and what we are able to do with this pledge campaign. I urge you to be generous with your giving, but before we dive into details, let’s start by having a good time together, and trust that Christ is with us.

I hope to see you on Saturday!

-Nick