A Word of Thanks… but the Work Continues

Sunday is the Church of the Good Shepherd Annual Meeting, and with it the “official” end of our stewardship drive. We have received 293 pledges for $747,289.48. We rejoice in this generous show of support. While acknowledging it is a large drop from last year, we must also acknowledge there are many churches who would love to have this type of support, both in terms of pledges and dollars. Telling the story of the Church of the Good Shepherd is a work in progress, and there is much work to be done.

As we thank those who pledged financial support, I also thank those who every day fulfill a different type of pledge--commitments of time and talent. As Rosemari said last Sunday, we have extraordinary ministries at Good Shepherd, and they are extraordinary due to the efforts and inspiration of our parishioners who find ways to spread the word, help the afflicted, and cure the distressed every day.

On a personal note I thank all those who complimented me on my attempts at reflections on stewardship. I can only hope that over the last three months these weekly reflections helped you reflect on your own philosophy and framework of how the demands of stewardship at COGS fit into your life.

We now look forward to the challenges of a new church program year. Let us resolve to move forward together and face these challenges together. They are new chances to live our baptism, and in doing so continue to tell the story of the Church of the Good Shepherd.