Fall 2026

Dear People of St. Barnabas,

The harvest season is upon us as we seek to gather in and celebrate the blessings we know here at St. Barnabas and prepare for the arrival of a new rector.

In support of the life of worship, service, and learning that continues in this faith community, your Stewardship Ministry Team has been doing a remarkable job of growing the spirit of gratitude and commitment throughout St. Barnabas. This year’s theme “Our Faith, Our Future: Grow the Mission” is rooted in a rich past, a vibrant present, and a promising future. As you consider the amount of your pledge gift for the coming year, a gift that will support the ongoing mission of St. Barnabas, the team is suggesting a simple process for discernment:

• Set aside some time to review the materials found in your pledge packet then pause for a few moments to consider and jot down a pledge amount that reflects you or your household. Put the paper aside for a few days.

• Over those few days, prayerfully reflect, alone or with your partner/family members, on the life you experience at St. Barnabas. Consider what this community means to you.

• Reflect on how the mission of St. Barnabas supports the larger community and is an extension of Christ’s mandate to care for one another and live the gospel in the world.

• Consider what you are actually capable of giving. Are you pledging the same amount as you have in years past? Inflation impacts the church as well.

• Consider increasing your pledge by 10% and ask yourself how that feels. You might be surprised!

Decisions about annual pledges are personal…and they are also about the larger communal mission we share here at St. Barnabas. One goal of this pledge appeal is full participation. To participate is to belong. Whether you will be giving for the first time or are a long–time pledger, we encourage you to make your offering in gratitude for and support of our shared life and mission.

Along with the Vestry and Finance Teams, your Stewardship Team is seeking to lay a firm financial foundation for the coming year and for the new chapter that is soon to unfold. The promise that we know in Christ Jesus is the promise of new life continually seeking to take root in us and in the world. It is for us to support, nourish, and live into this new life. This is what it means to “Grow the Mission.”

May our pledge appeal yield the fruits of gratitude and generosity!

Yours in God’s abundance,

The Rev. Dianne Andrews, Interim