Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope and pray that you all safe and well. Currently, we are in the season of Advent, preparing for the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Through this we are blessed to receive the greatest joy and hope into our lives. Just as God the Father gave to the world the gift of his only Son, we too must be willing to give, especially to our Church. Stewardship is an integral role that all of humanity must fulfill. When we give in such a way, we take part in a continual action of giving and receiving. This means that we give knowing that we continue to be blessed by God. “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8).

Supporting our Church means that as we look and plan for tomorrow, but we are also mindful of the present and need to sustain the Church going forward. There is a lot that must be considered for a Church to function and there is never a time for us to isolate and think only of ourselves, especially at this time of the year. This last year of 2024 was a great milestone here as we here at All Saints as we celebrated our 110th anniversary. We gathered as many remembered the past and at the same time look to the future.

This means that we go forward as a united Church family dedicated to the building up of the body. We are all part of the body of Christ, we support one another and we love one another which also means we support whole body of All Saints. “I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts of the Apostles 20:35).

 We all know that All Saints is truly a great gem of Orthodoxy here in Hartford. The Church community must be willing to carry the weight of growing expenses. It takes a lot maintain a Church such as ours. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of yours.” (Proverbs 3:9). Please return the attached 2025 All Saints Church Pledge Form by January 10, 2025.  Thank you! In Christ’s Love, Father Constantine Bodien