And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”
Luke 1:46-47, NRSV
Dear Friends of St. Luke's,
This year’s Stewardship campaign invites us to reflect on the many ways we connect with God, with each other, and with our community. Our theme this year, Tell Out My Soul, focuses on the stories we tell and the ways we are called to share our words, our actions, and our joy with the world.
We have a church full of generous, loving, creative people who find new ways to seek and serve Christ in all people. Each of us has a story to tell, a reason why we found this congregation and continue to participate. Each of us has dreams, ambitions, and great ideas, just as each of us has struggles and moments of difficulty. One of the parts of our Good News is that we can bring our whole selves, all our story, to this place and to these people, and receive the support, encouragement, and guidance we need.
As you know, we are a small but growing church. One of the blessings of being a smaller church is that EVERYBODY matters! We see this with our willingness to be changed by the gifts of time, talent, energy, and financial support we all bring. But, one of the struggles of being a small church is that because EVERYBODY matters, we feel loss more significantly. We grieve the loss of gifts, energy, and financial resources that people once brought.
Due to funerals and transfers in 2025, as well as a continued proposed reduction in diocesan aid, we are facing a loss of revenue of approximately $20,000 for 2026. This is significant because we are mindful that many of our good works and strong connections come from having a full-time and faithful priest in Fr. Jason. If our current trajectory doesn’t improve for 2026 and beyond, our ability to continue to support a full-time priest long-term could be in jeopardy.
Even with this significant news, we remain incredibly hopeful! We have competent, transparent, and responsible leadership thanks to our Vestry and Treasurer. We have faithful, generous supporters like you! And most importantly, we have Faith that the Living God is walking with us, and will continue to do so, into a future of growth and sustainability!
We ask you to keep all of this in mind and heart when making your pledge for 2026. We ask that you take a serious look at your household budget – perhaps there are some things you’re spending money on that are no longer important to you. If you are able to increase your pledge, we encourage you to do so. If you give financially, but haven’t previously made a pledge, we invite you to do so, especially now when we need to budget accurately and responsibly. Finally, if you are not a regular giver, we encourage you to become a pledger with any amount that is comfortable for you. Pledges are not legal contracts, but they are critical to the budgeting process and serve as a reminder to the pledger. The only people who see them are Dave Bernstein (Treasurer) and Fr. Jason. If you have any questions about pledging, please talk to Dave or Fr. Jason.
While hard copy letters and pledge cards were mailed out to all addresses in our database, you can access all that was mailed as well as pledge securely online using the links at the end of this letter. We will bless and offer our pledges to God at our liturgy on Sunday, November 16th, so we ask that you have your pledges in before November 16th. If you pledge online, there is no need to return a hard copy pledge card. If you choose to return a hard copy pledge card, you can mail it in or drop it off in the collection plate at either entrance of church.
Thank you again for all of your ongoing support of St. Luke’s. We could not be an example of love and compassion in our community without your many and various gifts. Be realistic, be thoughtful, be prayerful, and be assured we continue to be good stewards with the fiscal integrity that is the hallmark of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Tell out my soul! The Greatness of the Lord!
St. Luke’s Stewardship Team
Dave Bernstein
Joyce Britt
Amy Cook
Jason Lavann+
Click here for our Priest and Treasurer's Stewardship Reflections on October 19th
Click here for an FAQ document and Pledge Chart
Click here for a secure, electronic pledge card
This year’s Stewardship campaign invites us to reflect on the many ways we connect with God, with each other, and with our community. Our theme this year, Tell Out My Soul, focuses on the stories we tell and the ways we are called to share our words, our actions, and our joy with the world.
We have a church full of generous, loving, creative people who find new ways to seek and serve Christ in all people. Each of us has a story to tell, a reason why we found this congregation and continue to participate. Each of us has dreams, ambitions, and great ideas, just as each of us has struggles and moments of difficulty. One of the parts of our Good News is that we can bring our whole selves, all our story, to this place and to these people, and receive the support, encouragement, and guidance we need.
As you know, we are a small but growing church. One of the blessings of being a smaller church is that EVERYBODY matters! We see this with our willingness to be changed by the gifts of time, talent, energy, and financial support we all bring. But, one of the struggles of being a small church is that because EVERYBODY matters, we feel loss more significantly. We grieve the loss of gifts, energy, and financial resources that people once brought.
Due to funerals and transfers in 2025, as well as a continued proposed reduction in diocesan aid, we are facing a loss of revenue of approximately $20,000 for 2026. This is significant because we are mindful that many of our good works and strong connections come from having a full-time and faithful priest in Fr. Jason. If our current trajectory doesn’t improve for 2026 and beyond, our ability to continue to support a full-time priest long-term could be in jeopardy.
Even with this significant news, we remain incredibly hopeful! We have competent, transparent, and responsible leadership thanks to our Vestry and Treasurer. We have faithful, generous supporters like you! And most importantly, we have Faith that the Living God is walking with us, and will continue to do so, into a future of growth and sustainability!
We ask you to keep all of this in mind and heart when making your pledge for 2026. We ask that you take a serious look at your household budget – perhaps there are some things you’re spending money on that are no longer important to you. If you are able to increase your pledge, we encourage you to do so. If you give financially, but haven’t previously made a pledge, we invite you to do so, especially now when we need to budget accurately and responsibly. Finally, if you are not a regular giver, we encourage you to become a pledger with any amount that is comfortable for you. Pledges are not legal contracts, but they are critical to the budgeting process and serve as a reminder to the pledger. The only people who see them are Dave Bernstein (Treasurer) and Fr. Jason. If you have any questions about pledging, please talk to Dave or Fr. Jason.
While hard copy letters and pledge cards were mailed out to all addresses in our database, you can access all that was mailed as well as pledge securely online using the links at the end of this letter. We will bless and offer our pledges to God at our liturgy on Sunday, November 16th, so we ask that you have your pledges in before November 16th. If you pledge online, there is no need to return a hard copy pledge card. If you choose to return a hard copy pledge card, you can mail it in or drop it off in the collection plate at either entrance of church.
Thank you again for all of your ongoing support of St. Luke’s. We could not be an example of love and compassion in our community without your many and various gifts. Be realistic, be thoughtful, be prayerful, and be assured we continue to be good stewards with the fiscal integrity that is the hallmark of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Tell out my soul! The Greatness of the Lord!
St. Luke’s Stewardship Team
Dave Bernstein
Joyce Britt
Amy Cook
Jason Lavann+
Click here for our Priest and Treasurer's Stewardship Reflections on October 19th
Click here for an FAQ document and Pledge Chart
Click here for a secure, electronic pledge card