Several persons have asked me why we haven’t already done our stewardship campaign for 2008. The answer is a bit complex with many other outside factors involved. As a result, we delayed our publicity and activities regarding stewardship until after the first of the year (2008). Some of the factors involved with the decision to delay were: our move to a new facility, Advent and Christmas, settling in to our new place and time of worship, working through some of the complexities of a shared facility, to name a few. Now that we are getting settled in and feeling like this is the right place to be for the interim, it is now time to give thanks to God for his goodness.

Over the past several months prior to our move, we struggled with what kind of facility we could really be in. We looked at several properties that did not fit our needs for worship and fellowship. In November, God raised up our current worship place. To go with it, this was the answer to prayer by the people of Memorial Park Church, as a result of God hearing our prayers their congregational vote for St. Andrew’s to use their wonderful facility was unanimous. Does God answer the prayers of His faithful?

To also reflect on the answer to prayer is the fact that as we began worship in this new place, we were without the songbooks that we had used for so many years. The people of St. Andrew’s, Scotia (who have been praying for our parish for a long time) decided to give us a gift of seventy-five (75) songbooks for our use. These were delivered to us by representatives of St. Andrew’s Scotia at our first service. Another answer to the prayers of God’s faithful people.

Then came the move, an incredible number of people turned out to help with the physical move of Fr. Seel to his new home, and the physical move from the old church building. Another answer to prayer, we had more than enough hands to make two overwhelming jobs mush easier and without incident (or breakage of people or materials moved). The re-establishment of the parish office was in itself a miracle, from the jumble of stuff, to an organized, functional hub for the parish in less than a week and a half. Another answer to our many prayers.

Lastly, as we look forward to the joint congregational (St. Andrew’s and Memorial Park) dinner on January 11, 2008, at 6 PM, we will see two like minded congregations celebrating a coming together as a faith-filled family with two different worship forms under the same roof. This is something we would not have envisioned several months ago. Through all this, we see God working out His plan for St. Andrew’s.

To all of this, we as God’s faithful are called to respond in thankfulness. Part of that thankfulness is through our continued and increased stewardship of time and monies. I ask each of you to pray about your stewardship of monies for the coming year and respond as God calls each of us to do.

Lastly, as part of being good parish stewards, we will use up the last of the giving envelops that were ordered early last year rather than throwing them out. Yes, they have our former name on them, but I believe God will forgive us for not throwing them away.

You will be seeing more relative to our Stewardship in the coming weeks.

Yours in faith,

Bill Ritter Jr. Warden and Finance Committee Chair