2025 Stewardship Campaign
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”
Luke 1:46-47, NRSV
Dear Fellow Parishioners,
I am inspired – so inspired by you. When I look around our congregation and observe all that is happening I can so easily understand how God’s dream is at work here. Through our formation as disciples, the sermons we hear about love and service, and the many creative ideas that you all bring to our outreach, in-reach, and community. We are a small, but mighty group at St. James’. We are capable of great things.
Luke’s Gospel is bookended by the animated story-telling of two women named Mary. Early in the Gospel, Mary the mother of Jesus, tells us of her encounter with the Divine who informs her that she will bear a child who will change the world. She proclaims her joy: “Tell out my soul! The Greatness of the Lord!” At the end of the Gospel, another Mary, Mary Magdalene, visits the tomb to discover it empty and receives instructions from the Risen Christ to go tell the others. She carries this Good News with jubilance to the Disciples.
What is your Good News; the idea, dream, challenge placed in your heart by God, that needs to be shared? What is the ministry to which you are called which will change the world, sharing your talents, gifts, and love with your neighbors?
Our Stewardship Campaign this year focuses on these stories – the ones inside you, the ones you are still writing, the ones we tell about those who have gone before us. We are all a part of this ongoing narrative – the ongoing Creation. As you pray about how you will share your gifts with us this year, think about how God is calling you to tell out your soul, to spread the Good News far and wide. That is how we grow God’s kingdom and cast the net wider.
When you submit your pledge card, don’t forget to turn it over and share your time or ideas with your St. James Vestry. We invite everyone to get involved.
Tell out my soul! The Greatness of the Lord!
Stephanie Sterling
Senior Warden
Parish Giving
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Dear St. James Family,
Our Stewardship campaign is a chance to reflect on the many ways that we are connected to each other. Our theme this year focuses on the stories we tell and the ways we are called to share our words, our actions, our love, and our joy with the world. This year, with all that has been going on in the news, in our homes, schools and offices, and ever-shifting economic, the one constant has been the connections we have formed here at St. James.
Our stories bring us together. Each of us has a story to tell, a reason why we found St. James and made it our home away from home. Each of us has dreams, ambitions, and great ideas, just as each of us has struggles and moments of difficulty. One of the parts of our Good News is that we can bring our whole selves, all our story, to our St. James family, and receive the support, encouragement, and praise that we need.
As within all families, each member has a gift/talent particular unto them given to them by God. This gift may be in music, art, teaching, speaking, crafting, home repairs, or even baking goodies to share at Coffee & Conversation or one of our Community Dinners.
With this letter, I am sending campaign materials for you to use in your discernment for how you will share the Good News of your transformative creativity and abundance with us and with our neighbors. Each hour spent volunteering, each good idea that you have, each dollar that you donate is transformed through prayer and Grace into ministry and mission. We could not be an example of love and compassion in our community without your many and various gifts. Please return your pledge cards by Sunday, November 30th so that we may include them in our ingathering and bless them.
Tell out my soul! The Greatness of the Lord!
Dottie Paullin
Stewardship Chair
