Dear Brothers and Sisters

The backbone of the Christian life is giving, both giving to those less fortunate than us and giving to support our Church. Essentially giving or stewardship have two aspects, the spiritual and the administrative. And although on a day to day basis it often seems as though these are opposed to one another, they are not. In fact, they are two parts of the greater whole; because in the Church there are no dichotomies. The Church is not two, it is not divided, it is one as we hear in the Creed. We must ask ourselves, why do we give? We give because it is the right thing to do. Scripture reminds us of the value of giving to support our faith. In the Old Testament is was command in order to support and maintain the temple in Jerusalem and the priests just as we must support our Church today. At that time, the people were expected to give a tithe of the earnings. Throughout the New Testament, the standard of giving is raised now we are given the model of giving freely as God has given to us. “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:6-7).

We offer back to God with the first fruits of the harvest that we have received which itself is based upon the blessings that God has given to us. We give because we have been given. In short, stewardship is our Christian duty.

Throughout history the Church has been able to adapt to different cultures and settings, yet there are many things which remain constant. One of the most important things are the main teachings of our faith; the Trinity, creation, salvation, and the sacraments. The other important idea is stewardship. Our giving is a reflection of our love; our love of God, our love of one another, and our love of the Church we belong to. It is where we begin to put into action the beliefs we uphold. As I stated, remember that the Church comes to us as the single, united Body of Christ where there is no division. All are one in Christ. There is no true separation between what appears to be the spiritual side and the administrative side, for they are two parts that are necessary.

 Always remember that when you give to support our Church, this is needed for now as well as the future. If we do not give in support the Church, the Church will not be here, we hope and pray for the future and that means our support. Stewardship and giving to support our Church is as much a spiritual discipline as it is an act of worship showing that we put our complete and total trust in God and no one else. Please return the attached 2026 All Saints Church Pledge Form by December 15, 2025.  Thank you! In Christ’s Love, Father Constantine Bodien