Stewardship Chair Jerry Meter's 2022 Message October 10, 2021
Stewardship 2022
Good Morning. For those who do not know me, my name is Jerry Meter, and I am your Treasurer at All Saints. I am also serving as the Stewardship Chair for our 2022 Pledge Drive which began on October 2nd. Let me give you a little background about myself, why I came to All Saints, and the reasons why I make a Pledge of support to All Saints which I am here asking all of you to do as well.
Let me begin with My Spiritual Journey of Faith that I began as a very young child and has led me to this point because I believe it is who I am today and why it is important for me to Pledge. I grew up in the United Methodist Church serving as an Acolyte, singing in the Children’s, Youth, and Chancel Choirs, teaching Sunday School, and playing the organ. During my Teaching Career of 38 years, I was drawn to the Catholic Church because of the Sacraments especially the Eucharist. After a very painful separation from the Catholic Church in 2004, I became very bitter and angry, convinced that I would never set foot in another church. But God continued working on my heart and I realized in the spring of 2005 that I needed to find another church home. My Spiritual Journey led me to the Episcopal Church and All Saints. I became part of a wonderful Parish Family who has embraced me, accepted me for who I am, and supported me on my Journey of Faith. I helped lead All Saints into becoming a Believe Out Loud Congregation and my husband Chuck and I were married at All Saints by Mother Laura in May of 2014.
This remarkable Spiritual Journey that I have been on since a child has always been a fulfilling part of my life, a journey filled with hope and love, but most importantly given me a greater purpose in my life. When taken individually, the segments of that life Spiritual Journey do not always have significance or profound meaning. Those segments, though, when put all together, show me the spiritual pathway that I have been on during my lifetime did not just happen by chance, but was part of a continuous development of faith. This was all part of the plan that God laid out for me and when I have been open and trusting with Him about that journey, it has led me to places I would have never dreamed I would have gone.
This is why I give to All Saints. This community has supported me and accepted me from the very beginning and given me the opportunity to offer my gifts and talents to you. Being a part of this community has allowed me to grow in my faith and my Pledge goes to support all of the ministries that All Saints is doing to serve our Woodstock Community and beyond.
The ministries of All Saints continue to serve, nourish, and uplift those inside and outside of our All Saints family, both physically and spiritually. With our Reopening and Homecoming Celebration on September 12, we welcomed over 200 parishioners, neighbors, and partners. All Saints continues to provide Hot Meals to-go and coffee every Saturday. Our expanded Woodstock Pantry provides food boxes every Friday and Saturday to 200 people. The shower van, toiletries, clothing, give a touch of humanity to those struggling. The Shawl, Parish Life, Altar Guild, Youth, Pre-Teen, and Children’s Ministries meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of our members. This outreach is only possible because people like you express love and compassion with time, talents, and financial gifts to All Saints. We are incredibly grateful for that commitment and dedication.
I am truly humbled by the extreme generosity of our All Saints Community over this past year. Our Fall Stewardship Drive kicked off on October 2, and this year the Vestry and Finance Committee are asking the All Saints community to contribute $230,000 towards the 2022 Annual Budget. We have begun to envision what All Saints will look like in the years to come, and the financial support of our members will help us with that goal while maintaining all our current ministries. We will need your help to dream in color and to realize our vision now and the future!
Thank you for joining us in taking a leap of faith on our journey together by making a pledge of support. You should have received in the mail a Stewardship Letter with A Pledge Card and a chart to guide you in your decision. There are copies available in the Narthex if you didn’t receive yours in the mail or if you need a copy. As always, your financial gifts can be claimed as a deduction on your taxes. You can also go to our website allsaintspdx.org, click on the Give Button on the upper right and select Make a Pledge. The In-Gathering of Pledges will take place on Sunday, November 7. We are most thankful for your generosity and whatever you will be able to give.
Faithfully Yours In Christ,
Jerry Meter
