“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and make good your vows to the Most High.” Psalm 50:14
My Dear St. James Family,
To know God, is to thank God is the theme of our stewardship campaign this year. That is, we thank God for the many blessings that he has bestowed upon us by offering Him a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and making good our Baptismal Vows to Him. Through the latter, we are fulfilling St. James’s mission "to care for, love, and support our parish family AND to reach out to those around us using the imperatives of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Hence, we are becoming a rich church that “keeps persons of varied backgrounds and with varied needs united,” as J. Cliff Christopher stated in his book, Rich Church, Poor Church. But, how are we doing this?
We do this through our God given gifts of time, talents and treasures. Although they’re all equally important, time is a gift that can’t be replaced. When we give of our treasure or our talent, they come from renewable streams, to some extent. But time, once given, can’t be taken back, reclaimed. This is why I am inspired by the way you give of your time to St. James Episcopal Church and School. Whether this gift of time is measured in hours spent helping in a ministry; participating in our worship; volunteering in the community; or in the minutes spent on the phone or in person reaching out, praying for, or ministering to each other, St. James members are generous with their time!
Therefore, as we continue our Stewardship campaign, I want to thank you ALL for your generous gift of time. I also thank you for the talents you have shared thus far with St. James, the community, and beyond, as you’ve helped in various ministries. In this season where we uphold our God given gifts, I hold you up in light, love, and leadership. This Sunday, during our Ministry Fair, you will be hearing more about our three gifts from our leadership team, as well as throughout our liturgy. “To know God, is to thank God,” so let us continue to be gifts to each other and to a world in need of love through our time, talent and treasures.
Your servant in Christ,
Father Arnoldo+
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