By now, each of you should have received a mailing from our Stewardship chair, Randy Swift, announcing our Fall Stewardship Campaign for 2009. Please look over the contents of the mailing and prayerfully consider what your gift of time, talent and treasure will be for the upcoming year. Our ability as a parish to continue day to day operations and to expand the various ministries we all want and need in our continued walk as disciples of Christ is dependent upon your generosity.

Time and time again each of you have proven your understanding that all that we are and all that we have are gifts from God. In thanksgiving, you have given not only your portion of the biblical tithe in time, talent and treasure but have gone over and above to sacrificial giving. Many thanks to each of you! I trust that with this past history of giving, we will "stretch" to the 2009 goal of $140,000! And, maybe beyond! I believe and depend upon the generous nature of each of you. More so, I believe and depend upon the generous nature of God revealed and lived out in each of you!

In this newsletter, you will find a statement from the Stewardship team that lets you know the specifics of this Stewardship campaign. Please read over it carefully.

On another matter, many thanks to all the Sunday morning ministries that have worked so well together in seeing that we moved easily into two Sunday morning services with Christian Formation offerings in between. Already, with only two Sundays under our belt as I write this, attendance is more than what it was this time last year. In addition, the number of guests is more than this time last year. The church growth "gurus" are right - you open up space and people will come. I am grateful to each of you and the way all have stepped up to the plate for the good of the whole.

Needless to say, we will be "tweaking" both services and our new schedule for Christian Formation as we move forward! The Worship and Christian Formation teams and I would appreciate hearing from you as we go about this work. You may leave your comments in the "church model" located under the tract rack in the fellowship area of the worship space. Let us hear from you!