Our Annual Giving Campaign is Here!

My sisters and brothers,  

I have long been fascinated by the paradox of Christian living: in scarcity we are given abundance; that death is the gate to life. We see this most vividly in the Cross where we see our broken humanity being wed to eternity. This idea of apparent loss or scarcity being turned to abundance pervades all of Chirstian life from “Thy will be done,” the feeding of the 5,000, to the careful attention we give to the “least of these.” The consistent Christian witness to this movement is that what we thought was scarce instead, to our continual surprise, yields great abundance. In a word we experience renewal.

St. Paul says that we should not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). He precedes this discussion of renewal with an odd turn of phrase, to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God.” The truth is, there’s no such thing as a living sacrifice. What gives? I think it means that we give ourselves utterly to God: body, mind, spirit, money, talents; everything. And, wonder of wonders, we are given back even more than we give. We give entirely so that we are scarce, and then are in turn given, “abundantly more than we can ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20).

I’d like to invite each member of our parish to continue to deepen in your experience of this living paradox of Chirstian living: that in giving more is received. It has been my own personal experience that giving sacrificially to the church is a powerful spiritual discipline that yields great abundance. You know me, I’m not really into woo-woo stuff, but there is something about giving in a real, sacrificial, and giddy way. As we have said for years, I’m not interested in you giving until it hurts. That’s guilt and gets us nowhere. Instead, look at your finances and find a way to participate in the mission of the church that bring you joy. For those of you who have not increased your gift over the past couple of years, I invite you to grow I this discipline; grow until you find that joy again! When we’ve all done that, we will be overrun with abundance.  

Peace be with you,

Josh+

WHY SHOULD I PLEDGE? 

Pledging is a spiritual exercise that lets us reflect on the gifts God has given us. In a more practical sense, it's how we keep the church and all of its programs running.

DO I NEED TO PLEDGE IF I GIVE IN THE PLATE?

Giving money in the plate is wonderful and helps support St. Martin's and the work that we do to with our neighbors on a daily and weekly basis. However, pledged gifts allow us to plan for the future, build our budget, and to take steps forward in our growth.

How do I pledge?

The online form to record your pledge for 2024 is below, but also keep an eye on your mailbox and in the services over the next few weeks for AGC 2024 pledge cards and materials!

The 2024 St. Martin’s Pledge Form

If you have questions about the status of your 2023 pledge, how best to make a 2024 pledge, other ways to give to St. Martin’s, setting up automatic payments from your bank, or about accessing/updating the financial information in your Realm account, please contact Jane Thompson via email at jane@stmclt.org.