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I am very excited about the plans being made for our Fall Stewardship Program. Co-Chairs Suzanne Graham and Karen Norton are designing a very ambitious and interesting approach that will involve conversations with every member of our congregation. What impresses me most is their focus on celebrating the accomplishments of our “Strategic Plan” over the past two years, while focusing on the future with a new emphasis on lay leadership and ministry. The “Ministry of the Baptized,” lay leadership and ministry, is the very life-blood of a growing church. We need to build on our strong and healthy foundation with more lay member involvement in the varied aspects of our parish ministry.
Our plan is to hold small group meetings in which every member of St. Stephen’s will participate. During these meetings we will celebrate our accomplishments, discuss the future and seek support and ideas as we prepare for a new year. An old acronym for congregational work is “SWEEPS.” These letters stand for:
S Stewardship and Finance
W Worship
E Evangelism
E Education
P Pastoral Care
S Service (Outreach)
One of our goals is to significantly increase church member involvement in these areas and to collect ideas and suggestions from our parishioners.
St. Stephen’s is functioning in a highly competitive environment regarding the needed funds to sustain our programs and grow our ministry. Many church and secular entities are working hard to garner financial support for their projects. We don’t dare take our current financial stability and support for granted. St. Stephen’s has had a great few years and we are now at a “tipping point” on the edge of becoming a strong program/caring congregation; but, to do so, will require both financial support and member gifts of time and energy. So, begin now to pray for the ministry of your church and be thinking about your own stewardship commitments of time, talent and treasure.
God’s Blessings,
Fr. Steve Mues+
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From the Rector's Desk