Last Sunday we heard the last two of our stewardship reflections on generosity. I was blown away again by the power of people sharing their stories with bold vulnerability. Thank you Jane Barger and Alan Nanavaty.
This Sunday we will celebrate All Saints’ Day, giving thanks for all who have come before us in faith. We will remember those whom we love but see no longer with a Litany of Remembrance. We will baptize James Patrick Brown into this family of families we call the church. We will also gather together our pledges to support the mission and ministry of St. James’ in the coming year.
This pledge ingathering will look a little different this year. We are asking everyone to place their pledges in the offering plates when they are passed. Once they are gathered together, we will pray over these commitments to our common life when they are brought to the altar. 
As with any journey, it is most often the journey itself – more than the final destination – that matters the most. That is because there are numerous wayside stops along the way that are destinations in their own right. And so while our Journey to Generosity will continue as we live out God’s call to live generous lives, this Sunday we will wrap up our stewardship campaign.
To mark this, you are invited to take a brick sticker from the table next to our Journey to Generosity poster and affix it to show your decision to join this journey in this community. If you are unable to join us this Sunday, you can bring your pledge another Sunday or mail it to the church – and the bricks will remain out for people to add as they pledge. Extra stewardship packets and pledge cards will be available in the narthex and can be found on our website (https://www.stjamesmtairy.org/stewardship/). See you Sunday!
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+