LOVE in ACTION
In the first epistle of John, the writer says, “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” Or as your grandmother used to say, it’s important to practice what we preach – to love in word and deed.
St. Stephen’s Church has a wonderful legacy of loving in action, of living as the hands and feet of Christ in Richmond and beyond. We take to heart the example of Jesus, who loved friends and strangers, insiders and outcasts. We strive to open our doors to all people and to be a community of hospitality, healing, and hope. All are welcome as we gather for worship, formation, and fellowship. Just as important, we move beyond our walls to deliver food and tutor children and visit men and women behind bars. We understand that in loving and serving others our own hearts and lives are transformed. Your pledges and gifts toward our annual budget make this ministry possible. Through outreach grants, mission support, and funds that support our many “front porch ministries” (our grocery store/food pantry, farmers market, café, Dogwood Preschool, May Fair House, and more), we bring to life this call to love in action. Of course, your gifts also support our full staff and building expenses, our music and worship, our children’s, youth, and adult formation, and so much more. Inside and out, we work together to embody the love of Christ and to make that love known.
SOME OF OUR PRIORITIES THIS YEAR ARE:
• Outreach and Engagement: Continued emphasis on our outreach ministries, including a Week of Compassion planned for November 10-17. A primary goal of this campaign is to sustainably build into our budget funding for a key staff position, the Director of Outreach and Engagement. This person will help cultivate relationships both within our parish and in the community and will coordinate our efforts to translate love into action.
• Children and Families: Continued investment in the growth of our children’s, youth, and family ministries, including expansion of the Palmer Hall worship
space by removing the wall between Palmer Hall and the Palmer Hall annex and replacing it with a flexible dividing wall that can open the space for larger services and events, as this part of our parish community continues to grow.
• Communication and Connection: We will continue to develop and integrate our new website and church management software, allowing for easier, targeted connectivity through the site and a new mobile app. At the same time, through a new Connect and Serve initiative, we are striving to better connect newcomers and old-timers to opportunities for fellowship and ministry.
• Worship, Music, and Formation: We will always invest in continued excellence in our worship and music offerings which draw us together and lift our hearts in praise. Likewise, we continue to emphasize our formation offerings for all ages, including new spirituality in aging small groups, prominent guest speakers, the anticipated return of youth and adult mission trips/pilgrimages, and more.
All
of
this will be possible only with your generous financial support. As we look toward 2025, we ask you to help us continue to grow and flourish, to put our love into actions that further God’s dream for the world.
WHAT IT TAKES
Did you know that the work we do as a parish is funded primarily by your pledges and gifts? We are grateful for our endowment which, while modest for a church our size, continues to grow. Still, 87 percent of our budget comes from pledges and other gifts from individuals and families, 6 percent from miscellaneous revenue such as facility rentals, and just 7
percent from endowment. Your generous annual commitment is crucial.
$3,714,761 PER YEAR* $10,178 PER DAY $71,438 PER WEEK $309,563 PER MONTH It costs
to provide the worship and music, spiritual formation, hospitality, pastoral care, and outreach that give life to so many:
The dollars pledged are important; broad participation in this annual support is important, as well.
Last year, we received pledges from 824 households. Those commitments totaled $2.58 million, a significant portion of the funds needed to carry out our mission and ministry.
Our goal this year is to receive pledges from at least 875 households, and our financial goal is $2.75 million in annual commitments, a seven percent increase.
*Costs are for 2024 budget
HOW ARE YOU CALLED TO LOVE IN ACTION?
Please use the attached commitment card and return it in the envelope provided by November 24. If you prefer to make your pledge online, visit ststephensRVA.org/pledge.
Thank you for your commitment to Love in Action and your support for the ways we live this mission at St. Stephen’s Church.
Please complete this card and mail or bring it to St. Stephen’s in the return envelope in your packet by November 24, 2024.
Stephen, our patron saint, is remembered in the Acts of the Apostles as the early church’s first deacon. St. Stephen’s is a diverse congregation that finds unity in acts of service. We will honor our patron saint this fall with a Week of Compassion, November 10 through 17, beginning with a celebration of St. Stephen the deacon. To learn how you can take part, read about the Week of Compassion in the weekly Spirit, eSpirit, or by scanning this code.
