Easter Sunday, April 20, Worship Services: 6:30 AM, 8:00 AM, & 10:30 AM
Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM
Letter from the Stewardship Committee
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2, NRSV
Our Dear Neighbors in Christ,
We are grateful to have been asked to lead our Stewardship Campaign this year and to spend these weeks with intention as we enter a season of giving. Our theme this year is Walk in Love, and it calls us to remember that our greatest gift in community is how we align, come together in purpose and mission. When we walk in the same direction, we can do so many things.
During this season we talk a lot about pledging and about our budget. Yes, those things are important, they are the way we fund the Church, but our real focus is on what our gifts can do for the world. Jesus calls us to heal, visit, feed, accompany, protect, advocate, love our neighbor, and sharing our time, talent, and treasure is the way that we make this happen. With that thought in mind we ask you to join us in this year’s effort to reach out to our community. We are looking at having a separate theme for each month during the year to help us focus. We propose for October to honor St Francis and the Blessing of the Animals to send our 2nd Sunday loose cash offering to the Animal Aid Society in Hampton. There are also volunteer opportunities there as well. Our theme for November will be A Night’s Welcome. In years past we provided shelter as well as meals. Since 2020 with the shelter at one location for many weeks at a time we have been serving dinner and breakfast on a monthly basis. The 2nd Sunday loose cash offering would go to Hampton Roads Ecumenical Lodgings and Provisions (HELP) to meet any needs they might have. In December we will support the Angel Tree project as in past years. Any loose offering on the 2nd Sunday will go for any shortfalls in the program. We ask you to think about other community outreach projects that would be a good idea for Emmanuel as we “Walk in Love” to serve God and our neighbor and to let a Stewardship Committee member know what you think.
Each of us hears this call differently, just as each of us has been blessed by God differently. Our talents and training have been gifts freely given to us in Creation so that we may share them with a world in need. How will you feel God’s call to walk in love this year? How will you determine how you will share your gifts with God’s people in the world?
With this letter you are receiving the invitation to make your promise to the Church for the year to come. Before you fill it out, whether you download the form from Emmanuel’s website or use the paper form enclosed, we ask that you pray about it, discuss it with your family, and discern how God is calling you to share your gifts. Pay special attention to both sides of the form, and let us know what time and talent offerings you would like to learn more about this year.
Our campaign will end on October 27th, please return your pledge form to us by then if possible so that we may bless them together on that Sunday. If there is anything we can do to support you or questions we can answer, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Walking with you in Love, The Stewardship Team
Paul Davidson, Karen Harrington, Vic Hellman, Suzzane Jewett, Cary Kelly, Dean Seitz, Margaret Seitz, Scott Vickery, and Rev Rhonda Wheeler
Pledge Card - Please click here for a copy of Emmanuel's Pledge Card for 2025
For on-line giving, please use the "Virtual Offering Plate" located on the homepage of this website.