2026 Pledge Request

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Attached is your annual pledge form for the coming year. As you prayerfully consider your commitment, I would like to share with you once again an image from St. Paul that shaped our reflection:

“He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully… for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:6–7)

Many of you know that I am planting my winter garden up at Robson right now. When I place seeds in the soil, I don’t bury them to lose them—I plant them because I trust in the harvest to come. And if I sow generously, the garden will be abundant. This is precisely the vision St. Paul gives us for stewardship.

Our Pledge as Seed in the Garden of God

A pledge is not money lost or spent. It is seed planted in the soil of God’s Church. From that seed comes the life and ministry of this parish:

• the formation of our children,
• the beauty of our choir,
• the light and warmth of this holy temple,
• the support of our bishop and our wider Church,
  and the welcome we extend to every soul who walks through our doors.

St. John Chrysostom reminds us that “The Church is the common home of all… and just as we provide for our own household, so much more should we provide for the household of God.”

First Fruits, Not Leftovers

Like last year’s saved fava beans set aside for planting, our pledge is not simply what remains after everything else. It is a deliberate offering—the first fruits. St. Maximus the Confessor teaches, “The one who dedicates the first fruits of his possessions to God is showing that he owes his whole life to God.”

Beyond “Keeping the Lights On”

Our goal is not mere survival. We are called to sow abundantly so that this parish may flourish—spiritually, liturgically, and in love for one another. The Church is not just maintained; it is built, season by season, by the faithful offering of her people.

An Invitation

As you receive your pledge form this week, I ask you to do three simple things:

• Pray about your pledge.
• Make it intentional and generous.
• Offer it with joy, not reluctance.

For just as no garden can flourish without seed in the ground, the life of our parish depends on each of us planting our pledge in faith, trusting that God—who is the true Gardener—will multiply the harvest.

With gratitude for the love and support you show this community year after year, and with confidence in what God will bring forth from our offering,

In Christ,
Fr. Stephan