Dear Friends in Christ,

How have you connected to the church in the past year? Maybe you have enjoyed a return to in-person worship (albeit with a little frustration that we had to redon masks at the end of the summer). Maybe you have watched worship faithfully for the past year and half, finding the livestream a decent approximation of what it means to belong in a congregation. Maybe you have served on one of our ministry teams—missions, worship, facilities, finance; or reviewed grants for our mission partners; or donated cleaning supplies to Park Creek Elementary school; or given to support the ministries of the church; or prayed for the people on our prayer list. Maybe it has been hard to connect this year at all—it has been so long that you wonder where you can even begin.

No matter who you are, I’m willing to guess that your connection to the church has changed in some substantial way in the past year or so. That’s true for all of us. We’ve all had to figure out how and when to resume activities that make up our regular lives; and we can be frustrated when it doesn’t all come together at once.

This year, during our Stewardship Season, I’d like to invite you to reconnect. In the coming weeks you’ll hear from several members of our congregation about the new ways they have connected with our church in the past year, and how that has been important for them: from some longtime members who watch our livestream every week from their home’s “history room”; from a couple of recent retirees who have hit the road, but worshiped with us from some unusual places; from a faithful member of our choir who has been through all the ups and downs of pandemic worship; and a farewell from a couple of beloved members thanks to a generous legacy.

The question at the heart of our stewardship is about connection: how is God calling you to connect to the ministry of Jesus Christ in this particular time and place?

Enclosed you’ll find a pledge card so that you can pledge to contribute to the church in 2022. You’ll also see a blank line, inviting you to connect: “I pledge to connect by ________.” I hope you’ll give some thought to this answer. How is God calling you to reconnect? As a giver? As a worshiper? As a pray-er?

In the coming days, you’ll also receive access to our electronic time and talent survey. This tool will present you with opportunities to connect to the church. It will also give the session feedback on interest for post-pandemic ministries.

Thank you, as always, for your consideration, your generosity, and your witness of love in this place. I look forward to connecting with you at First Presbyterian Church in the coming year.

 

Peace,

 

 

 

Will