Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
— Ephesians 5:1-2 (NRSV)
Faithful Discerners and Followers of Christ at St. Bart’s,
I am grateful to be your Senior Warden during our Giving Campaign this year and to share these weeks with you in mindful intention in this season of giving. Our theme this year is Walk in Love, and it calls us to remember that our greatest gift in community is how we align and come together in purpose and mission. When we walk in the same direction, our impact is multiplied, becoming many times greater than when we act alone.
During this season we talk and think about the money that funds our budget. Yes, this is the way we fund the Church, but our real focus is on what our gifts can do for the world around us and, when in need, each other. Jesus calls us to heal, visit, feed, accompany, protect, advocate for, and love our neighbor, and this happens in sharing our time, talent, and treasure.
Each of us hears this call differently, just as each of us has been blessed by God differently. Our talents, training, and experience are the gifts freely given to us in Creation so that we may share them with a world in need. Will you feel God’s call to walk in love this year? Will you determine how you will share your gifts with God’s people?
This letter is an invitation to make your pledge—a promise to the Church for the year to come. Before you fill it out, whether online or on paper, I ask that you pray about it, discuss it with your family, and discern how God is calling you to share your gifts.
Our campaign will end on November 16, 2024. Please return your pledge by then, if possible, so that we may count your pledge in our ingathering, where your gift will be added to many others to be blessed, broken, and shared with the world.
If there is anything I can do to support you or questions I can answer, please reach out.
Walking with you in Love,
Jerry Gray
Senior Warden
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