Dear Good Shepherd family,

What a joy it is to be your rector! I am grateful for the love, faith, and generosity of this parish, and excited about all that God is doing among us. As we look toward another year together, I see so much to hope for, so much to offer, and so much to dream about.

When I invited Maddin Corey to dream with me about this year’s stewardship theme, she answered with the beautiful painting on the enclosed card: Our Wildest Dreams. Her painting and words celebrate God’s extraordinary generosity: birds and flowers, wheat and grapes, and the greatest gift of all, God’s own Son. These gifts belong to all God’s people. As Maddin reminds us, “no one is left out.” Her work brings to mind the words from Ephesians that conclude Morning Prayer: “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”

That promise fills me with hope for Good Shepherd. God is working in us! Through our worship, our care for one another, and our welcome to those who have yet to find a home here, God takes what we offer and makes more of it than we could imagine.

Thank you for all you have already given. Your financial support, your time, and your love sustain this parish and its ministry. This stewardship season, I ask you to prayerfully consider increasing your pledge for the coming year. If you have never pledged, I warmly invite you to begin.

The biblical standard of giving is the tithe: ten percent of our income offered back to God. For many, that is a goal to grow toward. I know that today’s costs place real demands on households. Your giving should reflect your circumstances while stretching you enough to remind your own heart what matters most.

If you are beginning, consider choosing a simple percentage of your income, perhaps one or two percent, and making that your pledge. Then, each year, consider taking another step. Growing our giving helps our parish meet rising costs and sustain ministries as faithful supporters move away or die. It also helps us grow in gratitude, trust, and generosity.

This year, our stewardship appeal will have a focused season, concluding with Ingathering Sunday on November 8. Please return your pledge by then, so we can prepare a budget for approval at the December vestry meeting. Your timely response will help us begin the new year ready to serve with confidence and joy.

In the coming weeks, members of the vestry, our treasurer, and I will be reaching out to check in, answer questions, and encourage your participation. Your giving remains confidential; vestry members will not have access to the amounts of your pledges or gifts. They are helping us hear from every household so we can plan responsibly for the year ahead. If you prefer to respond before these calls begin, please return your pledge card or complete it on our website by October 12.

I am so glad to be sharing this ministry with you. Let us give gratefully, dream boldly, and trust the God whose generosity has brought us together. In God’s hands, our gifts, and our very lives, can be transformed beyond our wildest dreams.

With gratitude and joy,

Walton Jones+
Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd