Friends,

It's stewardship season again, and I'm asking you to help us plan for 2027 by submitting a pledge card that tells us how much you plan to give to St. Luke’s next year. This practice has a spiritual component, and before I dive into that, let me tell you plainly where we are. The growth that we have been seeing is remarkable. This fills me with a sense of accomplishment that we are bucking the trend of decline within our larger Church. It also fills me with fear that we are going to mess it up. It has been three years since we tried to have another priest. Since then, we have been hiring part-time and temporary lay personnel to pick up the slack, and they have done so with gusto. Not everything has been smooth sailing. But we’re learning from our mistakes and continue to strive to do better, while cultivating a faithful and happy community that wants to gather on Sunday mornings. As our community grows, its needs grow too, and we cannot keep up.

It is time for us to hire another priest. A bad priest is far worse than no priest, and I will not hire someone I do not feel great about. Right now, a uniquely amazing class is graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary, and they will need jobs this spring. Now is the time to make this move, but we can't unless we significantly increase our budget. If you are not already giving, please consider starting. If you do not pledge, please help us plan by filling out a pledge card. If you already give and pledge, thank you. If you can give more, please join me in increasing your pledge so we can lean into the growth that we have been seeing.

Now for the spiritual part. We do things well at St. Luke’s. Our music program is amazing. We have great volunteers and leaders who make outreach programs, parish retreats, and so many food-centric events happen. I am not the best preacher in the world, but I am better than most, and I almost always keep it under ten minutes. It isn’t one thing, but the combination of everything that gives newcomers the sense that this place could become their home.

We cannot afford airs where we expect new people to earn a place at the table and a sense of belonging. Some of the people that have shaped us the most get moved every couple of years. We need to know and love people now, because life is far too short to form exclusive clubs. At the center of our home, like a hearth that radiates heat and light, is our shared longing for a relationship with God through Jesus, and with our neighbors. Chasing that relationship and cultivating love along the way drives us to gather to worship as one body. We do many things well, but our greatest strength is loving each other.

Giving financially to St. Luke’s is a selfless practice. Everyone will get a jar of pickles at the start of this campaign. If you give the most, your jar will not be any bigger. Whether you give or not, I will try to love you as best I can. If you believe in this place as much as I do, I know you will give what you are able, as we all continue to do our part to welcome someone home.

Blessings,

Nick