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Money Matters

Dear Friends,

I know, most of us really don’t want to talk (or read) about money in our church life. But stay with me a minute.

We just got through Black Friday, Cyper Monday, and Giving Tuesday… all unofficial secular holidays of finance.

Holiday is actually a funny word to use, since a holiday is a “Holy Day”; Holy Days of finance- makes one wonder how to stay grounded in God’s love and presence, in holiness, even as credit card numbers fly. Bishop Tom Shaw used to tell us that it was good to pray for money- nothing like a counter-cultural narrative flip, huh?

We shy away from talking about money in church, because we don’t want people to get the idea that we see our membership or our visitors as potential donors. We don’t want to emulate the history of church financial abuse; from indulgences to TV evangelists whose congregants buy them private jets. All of that makes our stomachs turn.

But money matters. We can’t pretend it doesn’t. Refugees matter, and money is required to help them toward safety. Poverty matters and money is required to abolish it. Parish-based ministry in general (and St. Paul’s ministry in particular) matters and money is required to keep it equipped to keep going.

I have heard it said that you can tell a lot about someone’s priorities based on what they do with their money. This is one of the reasons that faith leaders in various traditions recommend giving away 10% of what we have. That 10% keeps us anchored in a life intensionally lived beyond self. For those with higher levels of resource, that 10% mark is a starting point. For those with lower resources, that 10% is only recommended after your own basic needs are met. Money matters. It matters how we talk about it, how we use it, how we share it, and how we work to redistribute it in a very out-of-balance world.

While some of you are still deciding whether or not to commit a certain amount of money to this church for 2022, I want you to know a few things:

1.Your pledge to our 2022 life is more appreciated than you know, no matter the size. Truly.

2.We all figure out how much to give in different ways. I calculate 10% of my salary, make half of that a pledge to church, and the other half goes to other places where I see God’s hand in the world. Some give much more than that. Others start with $50 or $100 a year and then increase incrementally each year as they are able. Still others discuss the matter with a financial advisor.

3.Always it’s good to pray about how much you want to give.

4.Always it’s good to know that unlike other non-profits, St. Paul’s doesn’t draw on 1000s of donors, we are solely supported by our small membership. And your gifts go directly to making ministry happen, not to making anyone rich.

5.Salaries, benefits, electric bills, cleaning services, and copying machine contracts are not “overheard”, they all enable ministry.

6.Your commitment to church in 2022 has a direct impact on the staffing choices, building repairs, and programming that we are deciding on in the next couple of weeks.

7.I am available to talk and pray with you about this if that is helpful.

8.Money matters. To us. To you. To God’s movement in the world. We can use what we have to make clearer pathways for God to heal us, and pour love into the hearts of creation. Or we can avoid it, and miss out on an opportunity to define ourselves with more intentionality.

You are amazing for reading all the way to the end of a message on money. Thank you for your partnership in this work of bringing about God’s ways of love where we are. If you feel ready to make a financial pledge to help make church happen for 2022 here at St. Paul's, click HERE!

Yours in Christ,

~Becky


Tags: Rector's Reflections / Stewardship 2022

The Rev. Becky Gettel
Rector

    The Rev. Becky Gettel

    Rector

    The Rev. Becky Gettel joined us in March 2020 as Rector of St. Paul’s. Raised in RI, Becky went to Rhode Island College for her degree in Art Education, but detoured to Togo, West Africa to volunteer with the Peace Corps before launching into her teaching career. When she returned, she taught art for a short time, but ultimately became a Director of Christian Formation which led her to seminary. She attended the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge and received her Masters in Divinity in 2012, the same year that she began an eight year long ministry as Associate Rector of Trinity Church in Concord. Becky is delighted to have found St. Paul’s and to live in Natick now, in our rectory, with her trumpet-playing husband, Greg, and their two children. When not on Zoom, the Gettels are having a great time getting to know Natick by bike, foot, and kayak.

    Sermons

    • Mar 6 | The Rev. Becky Gettel
      Wilderness: Lent 1
    • Jan 9 | The Rev. Becky Gettel
      Baptism: Go With the Flow
    • Jan 2 | The Rev. Becky Gettel
      Epiphany
    • Dec 24 | The Rev. Becky Gettel
      Christmas Eve
    • Dec 12 | The Rev. Becky Gettel
      Dear John

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    39 East Central Street · Natick, MA 01760
    (508) 655-5880
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    Service Times

    10:00 a.m. In-person & Live-Streamed Service:

    Join with the community of St. Paul's Natick as we gather for our Sunday morning Eucharistic Liturgy. This service runs about an hour long. Masks are currently required. As an added bonus, we are able to sing together because we are masked. There are spaced out pews for those who prefer greater physical distancing and there is overflow space in our lower church hall with the service projected on a large screen to assist with maintaining healthy distancing.

    Pre-register for In-Person Eucharist


    Our in-person service is available to attend virtually as a Zoom webinar and is also live-streamed to both our YouTube and Facebook pages so that you have a choice of platforms!

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    St. Paul's Episcopal Church
    39 East Central Street
    Natick, MA 01760

    Contact Us
    (508) 655-5880

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    Whoever you are, wherever you come from, and wherever you’ve been, we welcome you. Whatever your race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, we celebrate you.

    Whether you wonder what an “Episcopalian” is, or have been one since birth, there is a place for you here. In this place, there is room for your questions, your stories, your laughter, your doubt, your grief, and your most authentic self.

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    St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is a dynamic and growing community located in Natick, a western suburb of Boston (also known as Metrowest). We are a diverse group of people, united by a common purpose: seeking to live out lives that respond wholeheartedly to the love that God has for us in Jesus Christ.

    You do not have to be a member of the Episcopal Church to participate in worship and ministry at St. Paul’s.

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    Baptism. Communion. Marriage. Funerals. At these special times, we celebrate them as sacraments. According to the Book of Common Prayer, sacraments are "outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace." We look forward to sharing with you in these special sacramental moments.

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    We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world. We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.

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    Donate Stewardship 2022 Pledge Altar Flowers

    Thank you for your support of the mission and ministry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

    You can make an online donation via ACH Bank Transfer, Credit/Debit Card or PayPal account by clicking the button below!

    Please note, you may direct your contributions to a variety of funds through the online link.

    Donate Now

    This year we started discussing how Stewardship is about more than money. It’s about giving our time, talent and treasure to take care of the world that God has created for us.

    As God’s people we are stewards of God's creation.

    Consider Stewardship as giving back to God that which God has already given to us.


    Find out more about our 2022 Stewardship campaign

    Episcopal churches are self-funded. St. Paul’s relies on Stewardship pledges to fund nearly 80% of the operations of our church life.Your pledge allows the Vestry and Finance Committee to prepare a sound, realistic budget. Thank you for your commitment to St. Paul's. To learn more, visit our Stewardship page as well.

    Make your Pledge Online

    Altar flowers beautify the Church and are an excellent way to give in memory of, or in honor of a family member or a friend. Currently the cost of Altar flowers are $35 per vase. There are slots available for two vases per Sunday, except on Palm Sunday when there are only palms and on Easter and Christmas Eve when there are multiple donors. After the services, the flowers are given to those who are sick or shut-in, unless otherwise requested by the donor.

    Sign up to Donate Altar Flowers