1 September 2022
Dear Friends of Saint Mark’s,
Our stewardship theme this year is “Freely you have received, freely give.” This statement recognizes that everything we have is loaned to us from God, and that God has entrusted us to share what God has given freely to us. In a world where we are taught that everything we have, we have earned, our faith reminds us that we are completely dependent upon God. What we have is ultimately God’s, and God desires that we freely give away the gifts God has given us.
This October St. Mark’s will have our annual pledge campaign for 2023, and two video stewardship stories will be shared with the parish in the Evangel. St. Mark’s is blessed by the generosity of many within our church, and the church could not survive without such support. We are not the beneficiary of a grand endowment, and we are not a wealthy parish. We survive month by month due to generous contributions.
Over the next few weeks, I invite you to reflect and pray about your current stewardship practice. How are you growing in Christ through your practice of giving? How have you freely received gifts from God, so that you might freely give to others? Such questions get to the very root of our Christian faith.
I hope you will join us for two special events this September. On September 11, the Evangelism and Discipleship Ministry is coordinating a parish potluck at 12:00 noon. This will be a time to hear the stories of how God has freely blessed us. On September 25 at 12:00 noon, our treasurer, Dr. Michael Ida, will present current given trends and other financial matters pertaining to the church.
Freely you have received, freely give. Learning to live by such words requires constant diligence by the Christian, especially in today’s world. Thankfully we have each other for support at St. Mark’s, as we seek to be more authentic regarding our faith in Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Father Paul Lillie +
Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu
