Dear Fellow Member,

This year we have invited members to gather together to “reaffirm our commitment to the mission of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville.” In nineteen small group Member Gatherings, many of us have shared and celebrated what the church’s mission means to us and to others. Special thanks go to all who hosted, led a discussion, offered a personal witness, or simply attended a Gathering.

Our church’s mission statement, approved by the Session, says that The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville is a welcoming community, called by God to be followers of Jesus Christ, fed by the Word of God, and sent by the Spirit into the world to live lives of stewardship and service. This mission is acted out in many ways each year: through worship, music, pastoral care, congregational life, education programs, programs for children and youth, financial support for agencies doing God’s work locally and in Haiti and elsewhere, maintaining our facilities and sharing them with Temple Micah and other worthy local non-profit organizations. The fulfillment of our church’s mission depends upon faithful financial support by all members. Your timely submission of a generous pledge will help the Session assemble a budget to carry out and advance that mission in 2013.

Within this diverse congregation, we know that members approach pledging from different perspectives – although we generally agree, as Jeff often reminds us, that living (and giving) generously is a central part of being Christian. Some of us feel that that our faith prompts us to “give back to God” a portion of what we have been blessed with. Others emphasize the more practical perspective that, as members of a church to whose mission we are committed, we have a responsibility to underwrite our fair share of the cost. According to confidential Pledge Secretary Tina Koch, there were 239 pledges in 2012 for a wide range of amounts. The median pledge was $1,325 (half were higher, half lower) and the mean (overall average) was $2,376. We recognize that family circumstances vary, but please know that every pledge is important.

The Session and the Stewardship Committee ask all members to bring a completed 2013 pledge card to worship on Commitment Sunday, November 4. We will gather for an ice cream social after worship in the Fellowship Center thanks to The Purple Cow, which is owned by PCoL members Tom and Cindy Pearce.

You can use the pledge card linked here or fill one out at the November 4 service. If you cannot attend on November 4, please bring or mail your pledge to the church office as soon as possible. Beginning November 12, volunteers will be calling members who have not yet submitted a pledge, so your promptness will make their job easier.

We look forward to seeing you on Commitment Sunday, November 4.

 

Sincerely,

The Stewardship Committee:

Sherri Ahlers   Graham Cole   Erin Cook   Brent Ferguson   Bev Mills   Barbara Sandler   Tom Wilfrid