A Message from Pastor Stephen
Dear friends,
“Come and see.” Over and over in the Gospel of John, we hear this invitation to come and be transformed. Are we seeking new life? Community? A connection with the divine? A place to serve? Beauty and transcendence? Whatever it is we seek, God offers it to us through the faith life we share together here at Incarnation.
This is a place where lives are changed for the better. Each of us at Incarnation is here because we have found God at work in our lives here: growing us, deepening us. Making us more loving, more compassionate, more joyful, more forgiving. Teaching us. Healing us. And what God does for us, God offers also to others. “Come and see.”
Last year we celebrated our 150th anniversary—which means we are now embarking on our next 150 years. And there is a lot going on.
- We’ve completed a generational plan for our campus and will be moving forward in the next year or so with plans for much-needed renovations to some of our beloved spaces.
- We are launching new programs this fall and re-launching old ones, like a Tuesday morning Bible study, a monthly Episcopal 101 session, a twice-yearly Inquirers and Seekers course, programs on planning ahead and aging well, and more.
- Our children are leading the way with our Garden of Dreams on the playground lawn and our Green Team is helping us honor and care better for God’s creation.
- Our children’s and adult choirs will lead us this December 22 in our first Festival of Lessons and Carols.
Meanwhile our vestry is hard at work developing a plan to achieve a fully sustainable operating budget— ending structural deficits that have burdened us for the last decade, so we can continue to thrive into the future.
All this depends on us, of course. We are the Body of Christ in this place, and it’s by pooling the resources God has given us together that we can do the work God has given us. By making a financial commitment for 2025, we are doing more than supporting the church’s budget—although that’s essential. We are making a faith statement. We are putting a stake in the ground, claiming this faith community as our spiritual home and committing to our share in its thriving.
Will you join me in making a pledge to Incarnation for 2025? It’s an ancient Christian practice to intentionally set aside a designated portion of our income to give away each year. Perhaps you’re able to give 10% of your income this year, or 5%, or 2%. Whatever the amount, our hope is that every single member and friend of our parish will make a pledge to Incarnation this year. We also hope you’ll mark your calendar to participate in our Stewardship Town Hall on September 29 and our Ingathering Celebration on November 10. Together we can keep drawing the circle wider, extending God’s invitation to more and more of the world God so loves: “Come and see.”
In Christ’s love,Stephen+
September 29, 2024
