Dear friends,
When we chose our stewardship theme, Hurricane Helene had not yet formed. Seven weeks later, the choice seems only more fitting. The spiritual “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” insists that even when the world seems to spin out of control, our decisions count. In the language of the song, it matters how we live, how we work, how we pray, how we sing. In all those ways, God shapes us for service.
Your Stewardship Team is writing to thank you for your faithfulness. This resilient community has always known how to rise to a challenge. You show up; you offer your gifts; you stay connected to each other and to the world God loves. In these turbulent days, the ways you are caring for neighbors speaks volumes about who you are.
The year ahead will be pivotal both for this congregation and the community in which we live. At one of our first worship services following the hurricane, one of you shared a simple maxim. We are invited to “bring what we have and ask for what we need.” Some in our community suffered devastating losses in September; we need to keep showing up for those neighbors, even when our adrenaline abates. Others of us came through relatively unscathed—there may be more that we can bring to the table this year. What will it look like for you to live this year so that God can use you? We will need each other’s encouragement, creativity, faithfulness, and love if we are to be God’s people in this place.
The church’s challenge budget was sent out to everyone. It increases our engagement in the community; it provides for the calling of a new pastor; and it makes possible small raises for current staff. We hope you will return the enclosed commitment card (or fill it out online) as soon as you can. We know that you will give of your time and your resources, as you are able. We will celebrate God’s provision for our needs when we gather for our Thanksgiving service on November 24.
Yours in Christ,
The Stewardship Team
Janice Collins, Derron Daugherty, Donna Eagle Joslin, Sharon Lytle, Ken Murchison, and Margaret LaMotte Torrence
