Dear Friends and Members of St. Peter’s,

I write here to remind you about our commitment to this small rural church in the mountains. We are to share our time and talents with our community. And we are to share our financial gifts as well. Many do not quite understand how churches in the Episcopal tradition are funded. We are funded entirely from plate and pledge, meaning donations during services and annual pledges to the church committing to support the church financially. Our entire budget must be raised from the membership. 

St. Peter’s is not an endowed congregation (which of course we would love to change); this means our reserves are meager. So, each year we rely on your gifts to create an annual budget and map our plans. We have great dreams—from an expanded indoor sanctuary to a labyrinth in our yard to removing the water-consuming grass from areas on the property, to a back deck off the back of the church, to a bell tower and more. All those dreams lie well beyond pledges and plate donations. 

We hope you will support this small parish with your pledge, and even consider a larger donation to help our dreams come true. Scripture is full of reminders to share our gifts from God—perhaps one of my favorites is this: “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” (1 Peter 4:10)

If you would like to understand more about our budget and our annual giving process please reach out to me or to our treasurer. Blessings and thank you in advance for your generosity. W+