Walk in Love: Stewardship 2025

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   

Sermon from Rev. Mark Wilkinson on Sunday, December 8, 2024

Click here to watch Sermon

Letter from the Senior Warden           

Dear Friends,

As we prepare for our annual Stewardship Campaign, please accept this invitation into prayer about the journey each of us makes as members of St. Paul’s congregation – our spiritual home. We are companions for one another as we navigate the ups and downs of our shared lives. It is a walk of love that we make with each other.

Throughout this year the ways in which we accompany each other has been truly inspiring. The loving care for the sick and shut-ins in our congregation We have eaten at table as we share recipes and efforts for our community meals and potlucks.  Support. Support for one another always, whether it be a friendly greeting during Sunday service or as happens so often, any time when any one of us is struggling or in need a hand or a shoulder.

This is what it means to be in community with each other – this is what walking in love looks like. This is what living into our mission as a parish looks like. In our gospel Sunday we heard John the Baptist quoting Isaiah and speaking about preparing the way. We are challenged to prepare the way for Jesus Christ to come into our lives and the lives of the people of our community. All the ministries that we support are working towards this mission. If you look at our mission statement, we name those ministries and how we prepare the way. Please turn this letter over to read our mission statement and our core values.  If you were not in church last Sunday, I encourage you to go to our YouTube page and watch Rev. Mark’s sermon where he shows us our mission helps us to prepare the way for Jesus to come into our community. Now it is time for us to pray about how we will support this mission work.

We have so many gifts to share at St. Paul’s; gifts of time, talent, and treasure that we freely give to support our ministry and to do the work of mission in our neighborhoods and communities. We do this because we are motivated by love. 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,

John Johnston, Senior Warden

CORE VALUES

WE BELIEVE THAT

Worship: St. Paul’s deepens our connection with God through a rich (liturgical) worship tradition of scripture, prayer and music.

Fellowship:  St. Paul’s builds relationships that value, enrich and support one another.

Children and Families:  St. Paul’s nurtures children and youth and those who care for them in a loving relationship with God, in a safe environment.

Inclusivity and Belonging:  St. Paul’s welcomes people from all walks of life and stages of their faith journey.

Outreach:  St. Paul’s is the hands and feet of Christ, supporting the community through service and prayer.

MISSION

St. Paul’s mission is to share the love of the Lord with everyone through meaningful worship and prayer, education for all ages, service to others, and supportive relationships within our church family and community.

Letter from the Treasurer

My Dear People of St. Paul’s,

I am grateful to have been asked to write to you as your treasurer about our Stewardship Campaign this year as we enter a season of giving. Our theme this year is Walk in Love, and it calls us to remember that our greatest gift in community is how we align, come together in purpose and mission. Rev. Mark wrote to you about how our Mission and Core Values drive our programs and efforts to bring the Good News to the people of Katy.

During this season we talk a lot about money, about our budget. Yes, those things are important, they are the way we fund our mission, but our real focus is on what our gifts can do for the world. Jesus calls us to heal, visit, feed, accompany, protect, advocate, love our neighbor, and sharing our time, talent, and treasure is the way that we accomplish our mission.

Our unique talents and training have been gifts freely given to us in Creation so that we may share them with a world in need. How will you feel God’s call to walk in love this year? How will you determine how you will share your gifts with God’s people in the world?

With this letter you are receiving the invitation to make your promise to the Church for the year to come. Before you fill it out, whether online or on paper, I ask that you pray about it, discuss it with your family, and discern how God is calling you to share your gifts. Pay special attention to both sides of the form and let us know what time and talent offerings you would like to learn more about this year.

Our goal in 2025 is to fully fund our mission from the start of the year rather than a last minute appeal. To do this we need to increase our revenue by 15%. You can help by praying about an increase in your individual gift to meet this need for additional funding.

Our campaign will end on January 6 when the wise men come and bring their gifts to the Christ Child. Please bring your pledge card that Sunday or return your answer to us by then if possible so that we may count your pledge in our ingathering where your gift will be added to many others to be blessed, broken, and shared with the world. If there is anything I can do to support you or questions I can answer, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Walking with you in Love,

Bruce McKee, Treasurer

Support from the members and friends of St. Paul’s Episcopal are the primary means by which the operation and work of the church is funded.

If you would like to submit your pledge electronically, please click here to fill out the Form or please click here to email the office. Please include name/contact information and total annual pledge amount. Your pledge will help St. Paul’s plan responsibly for the upcoming year. Financial information is kept strictly confidential.