We have been thinking about the classic meaning of stewardship. The word comes from “stig,” or “path, hall, or house,” and “weard,” or “guardian.” So a steward is someone who watches over a house, or protects a path, a way.

We are all asked to be stewards and called to serve at St. John’s. You might say we were born to that ancient duty, protecting God's path, God’s house, this bright and beautiful temple of creation, full of God’s amazing creatures, great and small.

That’s the mission we were created for, and we fulfill it here at St. John’s with love, worship, service, and sacrifice. We make extraordinary ministries possible, from educating children and youth to feeding neighbors at Martha’s Table, to partnership with SHARE and working with brothers and sisters in the Dominican Republic. And we meet together always, to worship and pray for one another, and to share our lives.

The work God calls us all to do has the power to transform lives. It’s our great privilege to care for our corner of creation, loving God and serving neighbors wherever we find them.

In the weeks ahead, you’ll hear from the Stewardship Committee and the Vestry how you can make our “All Creatures Great and Small” campaign an inspiration for the work ahead of us. We want to hear from you, how you want to steward God’s creation in the coming year. And we hope you will prayerfully consider how your contributions can help make a difference both at St. John’s and in the world around us.

This year, we’re going to ask you to stretch again. Our goal for 2025 is $1.1M (up $50k from last year’s goal).  This figure lets us budget responsibly and put additional focus on mission and outreach, truly critical parts of our stewardship. Our responsibility to God’s creation surely includes those outside our doors, including our Dominican Republic family and other missions already in place, and those waiting to be discovered.

And on Sunday, November 17 after the 10:15 service, we will celebrate the incredible generosity of the parish with a festive reception. Mark your calendar to be with us.

Scroll down to find an electronic pledge form. Pray about the challenge to pledge and find your inspired part in it. You can pledge online any time during this campaign, either online or with regular pledge cards. We’ll celebrate together in worship on February 9.

Grace and Peace,

The Stewardship Committee