This week from Mitch
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As you saw with the mailing you received recently, St. Martin's is beginning its annual Stewardship Campaign. The year 2020 is a strange one for fundraising. For some in our community, 2020 has been a year when record profits were made. Several industries are absolutely booming. For others, nothing has changed. I know of members whose offices have merged seamlessly into remote capabilities. They are currently wondering if they ever need to go back into a traditional office setting. And finally, I know of others in our parish who have lost jobs, taken reduced hours, or had their businesses close. Like everything else in 2020, the extremes seem to be more extreme, the space between the two points seems to be a little further apart than in years past. I believe the church is one of the few things that is able to fill this void and keep people connected.
In the face of the variety of circumstances that 2020 has brought our way, St. Martin's needs your financial help to budget for 2021. As your priest, I understand if hours and income are less. If this is you, I ask that you give what you can. It will be graciously received and accepted. If you are a person whose income has remained stable or even gone up, I ask that you pray about giving a tithe. A tithe is a biblical practice of giving 10 percent of your income to the church. I understand that this is a challenge, but I also know that if Denise and I, as a priest and a teacher, can do this, many of you can as well. We do it as a gift to God and commitment back to each of you, whom we consider our family in Christ. Finally, if you have never pledged to St. Martin's, I pray that you consider doing so. Our success in 2021 depends on the commitment of the entire community.
In 2021, there will be needs that we as St. Martin's can address. Columbia has been described as a childcare desert. With work, we have the ability to open a licensed, affordable, top-quality, fulltime childcare center that celebrates diversity and meets the needs of working families. Our service can and should offer early drop-off and after-school opportunities for the moms and dads who are on waiting lists that are sometimes 150 people deep. As I write this, Hurricane Zeta has just finished pounding New Orleans. We have the disaster relief ministry to respond. And finally, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I know that many of you long to gather at our altar. One day in the not-too-distant future, our doors will once again be flung wide open. COVID-19 will pass. Your giving, your pledge, and your participation can and will allow St. Martin's to respond to these ministry needs and more.
Our church has grown, is growing, and will continue to grow in spite of the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic we are enduring. I believe the world needs Christ's love, grace, and mercy. I believe that in 2021 there will be a hunger for simple blessings, and through your giving, St. Martin's can and will offer them.
In Christ,
Mitch+
