Sundays
8:30am Rite 1 with closing hymn
9:30am Bible Study in Griswold Room and via zoom
10:15am Godly Play
10:30am Rite 2 with organ and choral music
After 10:30 service – Coffee hour
And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17, NRSV
Dear friends in Christ,
I am grateful to you, and to all the members, friends and community partners of Saint Ann's for your support. We are growing in faith, in commitment to service, in new members and in community programs. Throughout the year, I have witnessed such generosity as you contribute your ideas, your funds, your skills, your expertise, and your time to our community. Every dollar that we raise, every minute of volunteerism, every meeting attended, and idea discussed come from the heart and go toward our mission: "We are a community of Christians, open to all, who serve God in Jesus Christ through worship, education, mission and fellowship." The letter from Bob Jennings that accompanies this one describes some of the many ways we strive to live out our mission at Saint Ann's.
Friends in Christ, we live in a society of vast abundance that runs on the perception of scarcity. There are only so many spots on the school team, places on the admission lists of schools, and seats in the clubs. We are set up to compete and think there is not enough for all. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus takes a different approach to resources and opportunities so that all may flourish. He urges us to follow his inclusive "more than enough" approach in service to others.
More Than Enough, the theme for this year's Stewardship program, recalls the moment of the miracle described in Luke's Gospel, when Jesus feeds five thousand people from a scant few loaves and fish. The people in this story hear Jesus's call to share what they have in order that all might be fed. We are all called to do the same.
This year's pledge campaign focuses on the miracle of sharing. If we all share from what we have, with God's help, there will be more than enough for all. By such generosity of spirit and resources, we wholeheartedly support the critical needs of the world so that all may thrive.
Will you join me in this new season of mission by giving to Saint Ann's "More Than Enough" 2023 campaign? Our campaign will be incomplete without your gift.
Thank you for your commitment to Saint Ann's and our mission.
In abundant gratitude,
Anita Louise Schell
Rector
If you're like me, your mailbox may seem to have an endless stream of appeals from charities and nonprofits. Many of them are worthy of consideration. But how do you decide how to allocate your money among worthy causes?
Research suggests that most of us allocate our giving by three primary factors:
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Belief in the mission;
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Regard for leadership; and
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Fiscal stability of the organization.
I respectfully ask you to consider these things when deciding on your 2023 pledge to Saint Ann's.
Two of the cornerstones of our mission at Saint Ann's are worship and service.
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We offer a wide variety of worship opportunities featuring two Sunday Eucharist services, Godly Play for young people, two Bible study sessions, Morning Prayer Tuesday mornings, and a Creation Service Wednesday afternoons.
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Saint Ann's has a broad range of service ministries. Here are a few examples:
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Refugee Resettlement Ministry
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Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries
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Creation Care Committee
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Pastoral Care Team
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Becoming Beloved Community
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Caribbean Mission / Sewing Ministry
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During the pandemic the leadership at Saint Ann's was faced with this challenge: Would we come back weaker, the same, or stronger?
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Thanks to your generosity, the Capital Campaign Committee, the Vestry, and our Clergy were able to complete a fantastic Capital Campaign project to modernize our facilities and make them much more handicap accessible.
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Based on strong feedback from our congregation, the Vestry voted to call Mother Anita Schell as our seventh rector. With her direction, our worship and mission programming have flourished, and our parish is growing.
Saint Ann's Vestry took several actions to insure our continuing financial stability.
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The Vestry resolved to preserve our endowment and reduce our financial draw to balance operating expenses.
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The Vestry also made sure that our income from the Nearly New Shop is focused on enhancing our Outreach mission.
In order to sustain our strong and growing ministries, as you prayerfully consider your 2023 pledge, I hope you will consider increasing your pledge to this wonderful parish by 10%. Thank you for your generosity!
Bob Jennings
Stewardship Chair, for the Vestry
Suggested Ways to Think About Pledging
Tithing
10% of your income (salary, pension, other). $2.00 per week for every $1,000 you receive per year. Therefore $20,000 per year is $40 per week, $10,000 per year is $20 per week, and $75,000 per year is $150 per week.
Modern Tithing
5% of your income. $1.00 per week for every $1,000 you receive per year. Therefore $20,000 per year is $20 per week,$10,000 per year is $10 per week, and $75,000 per year is $75 per week.
Our total pledge goal for 2023 is $230,000.
We hope that all our parishioners will participate.
Altar Flower Memorials
We would love to have dedicated flowers on our Altar every Sunday. If you have a date to honor someone, celebrate something or give thanks for someone or something, please fill out this form and return to the office.