They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. - Jeremiah 17:8
Dear Redemption Family,
This year as we begin our conversation about our annual pledges, I’d like to begin with the most important words to say in Church, “thank you.” Say it often, and mean it, and today I say it to you. Thank you for the many gifts that you share with our community.
Our giving tradition has always been focused on how we share all of our gifts – not just our financial gifts. A church needs new ideas, creative people to lead, individuals who know how to solve complex problems, volunteers to keep our ministries focused on our neighbors. We usually talk about this in a three-fold way: wealth, works, and wisdom. If any one of these areas is missing from our community, we are diminished.
Despite the challenges of multiple clergy leaders and a limited budget and active membership, we have expanded our ministry in the local community and maintained the beautiful church and hall. We provide green groceries on a weekly basis to 4 families, sponsor Scout Troop and Cub Pack #577, hold monthly family-friendly Bingo nights, and provide space for members of the community to meet, exercise, and celebrate baptisms, weddings, birthdays, and other events. This year, we resolved long-standing issues with the deterioration of the church’s walls and upgraded the parking lot. We will be replacing the decayed wooden frame at the front of the church that holds the stained-glass rose window and are applying for a grant to reduce rainwater runoff from our roofs and parking lot to reduce pollution in the harbor and Chesapeake Bay. We need you to help us continue to be a presence in the Locust Point community.
Our gifts that we make to our church community help us to support the mission that we pledge in the name of Christ. Every dollar that we raise has a face behind it, a story, a purpose, and a mission! We use our financial gifts to serve God, to care for each other, and to show our love for our neighbors. What greater gift can there be? I am grateful for how each of you supports our ministry in our community.
Yours in Christ with gratitude,
Eileen Menton
Senior Warden and the Vestry of Redemption
