Stewardship 2025: Walk in Love
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2, NRSV)
October 20, 2024
Dear Friends,
We invite you into prayer about the journey you make with St. Mark’s congregation—our spiritual home. We at St. Mark’s are companions for each other as we navigate the ups and downs of our shared lives. It is a walk of love that we make with each other. We are especially mindful of this as we start our Stewardship Campaign for St. Mark’s 2025 operating budget. This Stewardship Campaign overlaps with our second capital campaign for the new parish hall. Meanwhile, we also are preparing to welcome our new priest-in-charge, the Rev. Don Fleischman, and his wife Gypsy to our congregation.
Throughout this year we have been inspired by the ways you accompany each other. We have witnessed the way you welcome newcomers to our journey together, and care for those that have traveled far with us in our congregation. We have made the best of a challenging situation with lively worship and warm coffee hour community in the same space as we await the construction of our new parish hall. We have watched as you supported each other when you were struggling or needed a hand or a shoulder. You have helped us when we needed it.
This is what it means to be in community with each other—this is what walking in love looks like.
You’ll find materials on the operating budget and the capital campaign included with this packet. We ask that you prayerfully consider each and return your pledge forms to church by November 24, so that we may celebrate our gifts on December 1, the first Sunday of Advent and the day we welcome our new priest-in-charge.
We have so many gifts to share here; gifts of time, talent, and treasure that we freely give to support our ministry and to do the work of mission in the City of Milwaukee. We do this not out of a sense that we will get back what we give, but because we are motivated by love. When Paul wrote to his friends in the Church at Ephesus, he reminded them that the very spark of love that founded their community of faith was one of giving. God showed God’s love for humanity by giving us a part of the Divine.
Certainly, this is what we do when we place our gifts on the altar—we bring our whole selves and share the best part of our love and labor. As you consider what you will share with the church this year, I invite you to give thanks for the many people who have walked with you in love, supported you in your faith, and shared their gifts with you.
Walking with you in Love,
Vince Katter, senior warden
Anne Burris, junior warden