By Father Casey
If you haven’t seen it yet, take a few minutes to watch the latest episode in the Sharing Our Story video series. The first episode featured founding member Deanie Winstel telling the story of the early years of Transfiguration, leading up to the building and dedication of the church in 1970. It is a touching story of faith, family, and perseverance. In this second episode, Rector Emeritus Terry Roper tells the story of the commissioning and installation of the Triptych. For many of us, this sacred image is what we imagine when we think of Transfiguration, so it’s wonderful to hear the full story of how it came to be. And just as in the first episode, this history is poignant and personal.
There will be more episodes to come, too, about the needlepointed kneelers, the installation of Godwin Organ, and a flashback to Archbishop Tutu’s visit to Transfiguration. It’s important to tell these stories of the past, because they remind us of our beautiful church, and also the people who have filled it with prayers and praises for several generations. But as inspiring as these stories are, and as important as our history is, we are not a museum. We are very much alive, striving to seek and serve Christ in our own day. And how we pursue our mission during this long ordeal will certainly become a story shared with future generations.
That’s why we’ve called the stewardship campaign Sharing Our Story, and why we need your help. So far we’ve heard from 190 households who have made a pledge for 2021. 16 of those are brand new, which is a sign that, pandemic or not, we’re still growing. Another 71 of the 190 are increases over last year, meaning over a third of our folks have chosen to stretch their generosity, in spite of the uncertainty all around us. What a sign of faith and hope!
Just remember, our median pledge is only $2,500, meaning half of our pledges are that amount or less. And our mean (average) pledge is $4,500. The bottom line is that we really do rely on everyone’s giving to operate our church, instead of the giving of only a few “big givers.” Every pledge really does make a difference.
And don’t forget that Sharing Our Story is not just a theme for stewardship, it is also our theme for our Sunday adult formation this fall. This Sunday we pick up where we left off two weeks ago, as we explore how to become more comfortable and confident bearers of Good News to a world that needs it. We’ve now heard from visiting mentors who encouraged us to reconsider our notions about evangelism. It’s not about conversion or convincing. We’re not selling people something. We’re sharing the story of who God is, and what God has been up to in our lives, because we know that God longs to offer it to them, too. It requires humility and involves listening as much as speaking. And it requires us to get more in touch with our own practice of the faith, because we can’t share what we don’t have. So, I hope you’ll join us this Sunday morning at 10:15 as we take the next step in this series. Register here.
See you Sunday.