How often have we heard the passage from Ephesians 5:2: “ Walk in Love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us” as our offerings of time, talent and treasure are to be placed on the altar. This phrase has always been the invitation into the sacrament of the Eucharist, and we mark this moment with an invitation to walk in love.
This year, St. Simon’s has a very special reason to walk in love: The gift of the sale of our parking lots, a gift that will help us continue to be a thriving community in a changing world.
This revenue will enable us to fulfill the mission that our months of discernment revealed. “Saint Simon’s exists so that everyone can experience the abundant life that Jesus came to bring; specifically, all experience delight on a regular basis, all have their physical needs met, and all are connected to community.
We are already doing some of these mission activities: the ‘Creative Spirit’ art show; the Outreach Ministry’s Pantry Providers; Lay Eucharistic Ministry, Adult Formation, our Music Ministry, and the investment in a Community Connections Minister—our wonderful music director, Beau, who is uniquely suited for his new, expanded role here.
Now, imagine other things we could do: repurposing the second floor as a respite for families of seriously ill patients. Or establishing our own food pantry. These are just two examples of re-purposing our building to further our mission and ministry. Better yet? What if we could repurpose our building’s assets AND develop a revenue stream? (You will be hearing about ways other churches are doing this at an upcoming All-Parish Meeting, read further!)
But alongside these possibilities are the ongoing operations of our church. Operations encompass salaries and insurance for the staff, normal expenses of running a parish, and our aging building’s maintenance. This year our budget will have a deficit, and we expect a larger deficit next year. We will be using some of our investment income from our parking lot revenue to fund a portion of these operational deficits, but the bulk of that support will come from your financial contributions to the life of St. Simon’s. Your generosity allows us to maintain the important work we are already doing, and also to stretch ourselves, trying innovative ways to serve our neighbors.
That’s the reason that this year’s Walk in Love Giving Season campaign is as important as ever. As we begin our Giving Season for the month of October, please consider sending in an estimate of what you can contribute financially to St. Simon’s this year whether you have not done so in the past or not; please also consider increasing that estimate over what you gave last year if you are able.
Please join us for an All-Parish Meeting, after coffee hour, on Sunday October 6, where we will present our vision for our financial future. We’ll discuss our new investment policy; and present a program, called Good Futures Accelerator, which provides a different way of looking at both our ministry and our economic future.
Thank you. Walk in Love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us. |
Louise Retzer for the Giving Team |
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