Newsletter: Turning our minds to Stewardship...

As the end of the year approaches, Parish Council’s hearts and minds are turning towards planning for the new year. We’re thinking about the different kinds of events we might want to hold, and we’re also thinking about the budget for 2024. All of this planning depends on support from you, the people of God. Please let us know where your hearts are at when it comes to the ministry of the church. Is there something that we’re doing that you really like? Is there something you really like that we’re not doing? Please connect with a member of Parish Council to share your thoughts, hopes, and dreams!

Financial Stewardship

Stewardship Update for 2023 - a Message from the Wardens

As we reported a couple of weeks ago, in the financial section of our Wardens Update, our expenditures for the year are about $2,000 under what we had budgeted but our revenues to the end of September are $17,000 under what we expected. This means we have had to use surplus funds from previous years to pay our bills. (Revenues are always hard to forecast but we use pledges and last year’s givings to forecast the revenues for the year.)

With less than 3 months to go before the end of the year, we are asking all of you to look at your donations so far this year and see if there is any opportunity to increase those gifts before year end. By now, if you are a regular donator, you should have received a copy of what your donations have been, to the end of September. This is to help you compare this year’s giving to last year and to your pledge if you made one for 2023.

We will be looking for other opportunities to raise money, such as fund raisers, but most of our revenues come from you, our parishioners.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be doing a stewardship campaign that focuses on the current situation and how we can improve it before year end. Later in November we will be doing our regular annual Stewardship campaign when we will discuss our plans for St Andrew’s in 2024.

Thanks-you for your help.

Stuart Allan & Cathy Barnes (Wardens)

Stewardship of Time & Talent

There are currently three areas of ministry in the church where we are looking for a bit more help.

The Kitchen

We need a small team of people to keep their eyes on the kitchen and the hall.

This would include cleaning out the fridge once in a while, watching and tidying the garbage cans & recycling, and generally ensuring that things are clean and tidy on that side of the building.

The Care Homes

We need a few more people to commit regularly to coming with me to the care homes.

The job includes greeting and visiting with the residents, assisting with the Eucharist by reading, praying, and distributing communion, and, of course, singing along with the hymns. (We’re not looking for professional musicians, but rather for people who love to praise God!) The next Care Home visit will be to Harrison Pointe on Thursday, October 26th at 2pm.

Proofreading

Emily & I would really appreciate having someone to look over the missals, bulletins & Sunday PowerPoints before we print and publish them.

It would be best if you could do this in the office, but we could email these things to people if you’d rather do this from the comfort of your own home!

Please be in touch with the office if you have the time and energy to help out with these important ministries.

Family Eucharist: Saturday, October 21st, 4:30-6:30pm

Please consider inviting and bringing any of the younger members of your family, either children or grandchildren, to our special Family Eucharist this coming Saturday. We’ll be reading the beatitudes and praying for peace at home and peace around the world. We’ll also be teaching people how to make rope!

As always, please let me know if you or anyone you know would like a visit from the clergy!

Love from,

Andrew