FAITH FAMILY TRADITION

Transcription

1 FAITH FAMILY TRADITION STEWARDSHIP 2019

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3 FAITH (doctrine/growth) Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. TRADITION (worship) FAMILY (community) FAITH. FAMILY. TRADITION. It s Who We Are. It s What We Believe. Grounded in Scripture. If you asked anyone here how they would describe St. Laurence, they would inevitably come to the words: Faith, Family and Tradition. Our faith in the one true God and His holy scripture, guides all that we do. Our love for each other, our support of each other and our genuine enjoyment of each other is truly special in a world where most people just walk by and maybe, nod their head in greeting. Our upholding of a tradition of worship that has been passed down from Jesus Himself, sustains us and fortifies us for the daily battle with the world and its enticements. Our Faith. Our Family. Our Tradition. It brings us back here time and time again, to a church, a people and a worship that we can t live without. Why? Because God is with us and is drawing us to Him and to each other. Here at St. Laurence, we are living out Acts 2:42. And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. That s it. Right there. That s where our Faith, Family, and Tradition were forged. Deep in God s word, it undergirds all we do and who we are.

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5 Intertwined in Christ A Letter From Fr. John Jordan Some of you know that I m obsessed with Giant Sequoia trees. These trees fascinate me. Giant Sequoias are the world s largest trees, sometimes weighing up to 2.7 million pounds and reaching 40 feet in diameter. Over the years, I ve discovered that Giant Sequoias actually are not all that deeply rooted. In the old growth forests, where some of the trees are over 2000 years old, the roots are actually less than three feet deep! Now, if you re like me, that s pretty incredible stuff but it makes you ask the question, how can something that s over 300 feet tall stand with roots so shallow? Well, as it turns out, these giant redwoods, have a complex and intertwined root system where they grow very strong roots outwards toward each other, rather than downward like most trees. These giant trees reach out to one another, intertwine their roots and hold each other up. Thus they are incredibly strong, live an incredibly long time, and are some of the most beautiful and majestic trees on earth. Now, you can probably see where I m going with this, but I think that these trees offer something of a parable to us in the Christian life. There is something about those roots growing into each other, about them reaching out to each other, about them holding each other up, that is beautiful and I think describes the St. Laurence family. St. Laurence is a strong Church family because the people of St. Laurence have understood that God has brought us together. We belong to one another; we are intertwined in Christ. St. Laurence is a strong Church family because our people are committed to holding each other up, working together to create something that is long lasting, something that provides real strength, and something that shows the majesty and glory of Almighty God. During this stewardship season, we are asking all of you first to pray and consider the great blessing it is to be part of the St. Laurence family. Then we are asking you to take a step back and not to primarily think about money or giving some of it to the Church. Instead, think about the great privilege we have to be part of Christ s ministry today, to share our faith with one another, to be part of a strong community that exists to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Then after you ve prayed through all of that, we will ask you to tell us about your pledge. Those big trees endlessly fascinate me. Their strength is in their interconnectedness. And I think this is our great strength here at St. Laurence too. I ask you to join me during these days of stewardship in giving thanks for this strong community of faith, where we hold each other up, where lives are changed and God is glorified.

6 A LOOK BACK 2018 Has Indeed Been a Year of God Showing His Goodness Parent s Day Out is off and running, providing a nurturing and Christ-filled learning environment for the youngest in God s kingdom. We started in September with 4 children and by mid-october we had doubled to 8 with new inquiries about the program coming in regularly. New families who sought out the Parent s Day Out program are now worshipping with us, fulfilling the vision for a ministry that would reach into the nearby community and bring others to St. Laurence. Our mission efforts in the Diocese of Northern Malawi were greatly expanded. Our Adopt-a-Student program more than doubled the amount of money we ve ever raised for the education of students there. We are about to put a roof on the church in Kanjuchi, one of the outlying station churches of our sister parish. We have been at the forefront of an effort to collect medical supplies that currently fill a huge shipping container prepped and almost ready to be sent to Malawi. Our very successful Men s Retreat gave the men of the Parish a chance for spiritual growth, biblical teaching and bonding. The Parish-wide CrossWord Bible Study has given us a new opportunity to feast on God s word, drawing us closer to each other and to the Lord. We watched with pride as our curate Cooper Morelock became a priest, knowing that his experiences at St. Laurence will help to form him into the Godly leader that he was created to be. 32 new families have joined the St. Laurence family. They tell us that we have something special here. We felt it the first time we came, said one new family. There s an energy here that we haven t felt anywhere else. You all really love to be together! What they sense is what we all sense: God is with us and is drawing us to Him and to each other.

7 A LOOK AHEAD Working Hard to Advance the Mission of the Church 2019 will undoubtedly bring new and exciting opportunities for us. Opportunities that God has planned for us and we are ready for. More new families will join us, new ministries will be revealed to us and new ministry leaders will rise up to show us fresh paths to take. What won t change is our goal: We will continue to work hard to advance the mission of the Church. Our stewardship goals support this. We will continue to do all the amazing things that we are already doing, but work hard to make them even better. We are asking everyone to please continue to give the amount you pledged last year, which will allow us to maintain our current ministry programs and staff. If you are able to give more, we will gratefully use these funds to build on and enhance what we are currently doing will be an exciting year for us. We will baptize new Christians into the body of Christ. We will confirm those who have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus. We will grow together, celebrate together, grieve together and pray together. We will serve, teach, love and worship just as we always have. And it is always exciting.

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9 WHY DO WE PLEDGE? To Build Up His Church This is what we do here at St. Laurence. We serve, teach, pray, worship, give, rejoice and love. All to build up His church. What we do here is not about money. It s about ministry. It s about love and service to our Lord and to His people. It s about spreading the Gospel message and making a difference in the lives of many, whether they live nearby or far away. Your pledge supports everything we do and allows us to enhance our ministries and our reach into the community and the world. Please take this time to personally consider what you can give to God s work at St. Laurence. WHY DO WE PLEDGE WHEN WE RE IN A LAWSUIT? To Build Up His Church Yes, the answer is the same. As you know, the diocesan lawsuit has reached its final stages. But here s the thing, God is at work at St. Laurence and we know He will bring us through the lawsuit in a great and powerful way, no matter the outcome. Our ministries continue stronger than ever, our worship continues stronger than ever, and our service and mission to others continue stronger than ever. Your pledge makes this all possible. Should a decision come down against us, be assured that you get to decide what happens with your giving.

10 FAQ'S FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Do I really need to pledge? I just put whatever I can into the plate on Sunday. Pledging is your best estimate of the total amount you will be able to give next year. We use this estimate to plan our budget for next year so we know what ministries, programs and staffing we can afford. If you have not pledged before, we ask you to prayerfully consider doing so, joining the many St. Laurence families that pledge to support God s work here. Do you need me to increase my pledge? We are asking everyone to please pledge the same amount you did last year, which will allow us to maintain our current ministry programs and staff. If you are able to pledge more, we will gratefully use these funds to build on and enhance what we are currently doing. Given all the uncertainty surrounding the diocesan lawsuit, can I change my pledge if circumstances change? Be assured that you can change your pledge and your giving at any time. You get to decide what happens with your giving. Should I set my pledge up on autodraft? Yes, please do. It helps you to give steadily throughout the year without having to cut checks and remember to bring them on Sunday. It also helps us to have a steady income each month. I m on board. How do I tell you my pledge? Next week, you ll receive your pledge card in the mail. Complete it with your pledge amount and bring it to Church on Sun, Nov. 4 or drop it in the mail.

11 HOW WE SPEND GOD S MONEY Operating Fund In last year s stewardship campaign, $772,560 was pledged. In our budget, we planned on an additional $111,000 of income through non-pledged offerings, gifts, etc. for a total income amount of $939,560. Every dollar we spend supports our ministry work. Expenditures are divided into 4 categories: Spiritual Growth: Includes children and youth ministers compensation, nursery, Parish events, hospitality, youth group, Christian education and VBS. Evangelism: Includes support of the Diocese of Northern Malawi, GRACE, Nashotah House Seminary, Union Gospel Mission, mission trips, the diocesan assessment and all other outreach. Worship: Includes music staff compensation, altar supplies, outside musicians, building repairs and maintenance, landscape, cleaning, utilities, property insurance, altar flowers and debt service. Spiritual Growth Evangelism 35% 22% Worship Pastoral Care 15% 28% Pastoral Care: Includes clergy and office staff compensation, insurance, payroll taxes, office supplies, and normal office expenses. Note: at 22%, Evangelism has reached its highest percentage ever.

12 A Prayer for Good Stewardship Heavenly Father, you call us to be disciples of your son Jesus and good stewards of all your many gifts. Open our minds and hearts to a greater awareness and deeper appreciation of your blessings. Bless our Parish family with a deepening devotion to prayer, a growing commitment to service, and increasing levels of generosity as we work to advance the mission of your church. We pray this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 519 N. Kimball Ave., Southlake, TX office@saintlaurencechurch.org