Weekly Note from Senior Warden Lindsay Strannigan

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17, NRSV

Dear Saints,

When I was asked to serve as your Senior Warden, I had no idea what an honor it would turn out to be! More than being the chair of our leadership, I have had the opportunity throughout the year to witness the many ways that our wonderful parishioners contribute to the church and to our community. While we spend a lot of time in our vestry meetings talking about our finances and operations, we spend even more discussing how we can serve our neighbors and focus our outreach and work in the world.

More Than Enough, our theme for this year’s pledge campaign, calls us to remember that when we share what we have with the world, miracles happen. Our theology of giving focuses on the three-legged stool of Wealth, Works, and Wisdom, the ways in which we make our gifts to the world. Today, I would like to take a moment to focus on Works, specifically the works we are involved in here at All Saints.

- We are in the process of working with an architect to develop a Master Plan for our facility so that we can make it a safe, inclusive, welcoming and functional space.

- We are exploring the idea of a new community space, the "Woodstock Commons," as a way to engage the wider community.

- We want to sustain the expansion of our outreach efforts, such as Hot Meals, Woodstock Pantry, St. Francis Clothing Closet and Showers & Hygiene.

- We want to further develop the Arts Ministry and Digital Ministry that were launched in 2022

Works are not just about the programs our church participates in, or the things we pray for on Sundays; they are also about the way you raise your family, pursue your career, participate in the civic life of our community, volunteer your time in schools, shelters, and social causes. We are called to be the body, and I have seen you be the hands, heart, and head of God in our community. Inspired and informed by your faith, you give so much to our neighbors.

Thank you for all that you do for the Church and for the world. In a couple of weeks, you will be receiving an invitation to pledge your gifts for the year to come. I ask that you pray with us as we embark on this pledge campaign and consider how you will contribute.

With humble thanks,

Lindsay A Strannigan
Senior Warden, All Saints Episcopal