This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope and pray you are well, safe, and dry. Please take a moment today and say a prayer for all of those who have been and are currently being affected by Hurricane Helene.

Holy wow, we have a huge weekend here at St. Martin's! Please know I am deeply thankful for all of the volunteers who will help to make it happen. On Sunday, we celebrate the kick-off to our stewardship season, Jazz Mass at 10:30 AM, and our SayLove band will be playing at the 5 PM Eucharist.

To say that we celebrate stewardship season might seem counterintuitive to some. There are clergy and churches that dread this time of year.

I am not one of those clergy! I am proud of our work and ministry, and Denise and I joyfully give to St. Martin's. Sure sometimes it's a stretch and it can be hard, but we give as an act of faithfulness and because we stand behind the ministries of this parish. I give thanks for the food that we provide, the SafeSpace meals we fund, our youth ministries, our worship, Martineers lunches, and fellowship potlucks. I stand behind our Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and the lives transformed in our community house! I am proud of the many ministries we provide.

I believe in my heart that one person finding sobriety, one person being fed, one person finding faith, and one person being welcomed into this community is worth every penny spent. Because I believe this, I celebrate stewardship season, because during this time I get to tell the story of how our collective giving blesses each other and our community. This is the story that will be told this Sunday amidst excellent music and fellowship.

Please know all are welcome. I look forward to seeing you.

In Christ,

Mitch