Here am I; send me!
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’”
With this passage, Isaiah tells us how God reached out to him with a yearning love. And this passage nicely illustrates the theme for our Fall 2023 Stewardship season: Call and Response.
Such a divine call was not given solely to Isaiah. We have all personally heard God’s call in the Baptismal Covenant, which include the question, “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself.” In brief, being good stewards of our time, talent and treasure is an ongoing reaffirmation of the response given when the waters of Baptism were poured on our heads: “I will, with God’s help.”
Our formal campaign begins on Sunday, Oct. 8. Shortly thereafter, we will be mailing out pledge cards and other materials to each St. Peter’s household. The culmination will be Nov. 5, when we will have our Pledge Ingathering Sunday and Potluck Brunch.
As is our tradition, during Sundays throughout the campaign we will again be hearing the testimonies of individual parishioners concerning how they have heard and responded in their lives to Christ’s call. This year David Lettice, Yvonne Johnson and Tom Entrup have accepted invitations to give witnesses. On October 22, we welcome back the Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg as guest preacher for a stewardship sermon.
We look forward with joyful hearts to a strong individual and collective response this Fall from the people of St. Peter’s to the call of stewardship
Pledge Card Mailing
October 24, 2023
Dear St. Peter’s Community,
As we prepare for Pledge Ingathering at our 9:30 am combined service on All Saints Sunday, November 5th, we are sending you this year’s pledge materials – a pledge card, return envelope, and an optional worksheet for calculating your pledge. Materials will also be emailed and can be downloaded at stpetersfrehold.org/stewardship.
The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg reminded us this past Sunday that a pledge is a sign of our intention for the year ahead and of our connection to the community we support. While any gift placed in the offering plate is appreciated and supports our ministry, a pledge is a statement of belonging and support.
St. Peter’s is blessed to have such a strong commitment from our community, our parishioners through their pledges and other givine, and our ministry partners through their support. It is all of us together saying “Here am I, send me!” that allows St. Peter’s to offer the hope, healing, and support so many people find here. It the one place that says “Whoever you are and whatever you are facing, you voice is welcome and we are here for you.” That is a powerful message in today’s world, and we hear again and again from our parishioners that that is what drew them here.
In our weekly witnesses, Yvonne Johnson talked about the support St. Peter’s has given her in both challenging and joyful times, and how prayer guides her thorugh each day. David Lettice spoke of God’s faithfulness to us when we say “send me!” Tom Entrup will share this week how St. Peter’s offers an uplifting message and an encouraging welcome to a newcomer. You can hear each of these witnesses in a playlist on our YouTube channel, linked at stpetersfreehold.org/stewardship.
How much should a pledge be? Our stewardship preacher also reminded us that far too often we get bogged down in legalistic thinking. Everything we have is a gift fro God. How much do we give back in response to God’s blessings to us? How does our pledge match our passion for the work God is doing through the St. Peter’s community? How is our pledge helping us to stretch and grow?
These are the kinds of questions that the enclosed worksheet can help us walk through as we discern our support for the year ahead. Mary Frances suggested we choose a goal that is achievable. We are each on a journey, and each step forward is another step closer to where God is calling us to be. Likewise, if our circumstances change, we can adjust our pledge accoridngly.
We invite you to return your pledge on All Saints Sunday, November 5th, at our combinmed 9:30 AM service and then celebrate with us at our annual stewardship potluck tailgate party. Bring dish to share! You can either complete your pledge online by visting stpetersfreehold.org, or use the enclosed matierals and bring them in person. A link to our potluck Sign-Up Genius is also online.
Our tradtiion at our service is for each household to place their pledge in the baptismal font as we sing our steardship hymn. The pledges are then blessed on the altar as a sign of our answer to God’s question, “Who will go for me?” If you pledge online, you can still participate in person by writing “Pledged online” on your card when you place it in baptismal font. All online pledges will also be added, and any cards returned by mail will also be included.
If you still need additional time to discern your pledge for the year ahead, pledges can be completed at any time online, by mail, or placed in the offering plate. It does help our budgeting proces to have a sense of where the congregation is for the new year.
Thank you for your part in God’s healing of this world. We look forward to celebrating with you and serving with you in the year ahead!
St. Peter’s Stewardship Team
Joe Whall, The Rev. Dirk C. Reinken, Candy Cooper, Judy Royer, Susan Jane Story
Fall Stewardship Schedule & Events
October 15 - Stewardship Season
Witness: Yvonne Johnson
Prayers for Healing during Communion
October 22 - Stewardship Season
Sermon: The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg
Witness: David Lettice
October 26 - Mailing of Pledge Cards
October 29 - Stewardship Season
Witness: Tom Entrup
Bible & Prayer Book Sunday
Enrollment of confirmands
November 2 - All Souls Eucharist, 7:30 pm
Remembering those we love but see no longer.
November 5 - All Saints Sunday
Pledge Ingathering & Potluck Brunch
One Service Only at 9:30 AM
Our potluck theme is “Tailgate Party.” Click the button below to indicate a type of dish you will bring or to volunteer for set up or clean up.
Stewardship Talks
Check out our 2023 Stewardship Talks series to see how three of our parishioners have been strengthened in hope through God’s work in their lives and their time at St. Peter’s.
Upcoming Dates
“Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”