Have you noticed the display in the corner of the foyer? We’ve seen the annual giving box before, with its message, “thank you for your prayerful pledge”. This is where you can drop in your annual giving pledge form, in lieu of mailing it in. But, what is going on with the big poster?
The image is of the grove in the fall, with the church building in the background. It is barren of the crocus; a sign of spring that is a favorite scene of our greater Newark community. Those flowers bring attention to our grove, and they are one small but visible way that the people of Newark can see St. Thomas’s in the community and be invited to share in the blessings of God.
There are countless other ways that St. Thomas’s shows up for our faith community and for the Newark and UD communities. Your pledges, your gifts to your parish, not only keep our lights on and our doors open to all, but also go towards that mission of service. And so, this poster will be a visual representation of our gifts that we are sharing. For every $1000 pledged, we can add another flower to the field.
We currently have 68 flowers of promise planted on the poster, and the goal is for over 250. Wouldn’t it be beautiful and exciting to exceed that goal and have our flowers flowing all over? Keep up with the growth at our Annual Giving page, which includes the weekly ministry moments and a prayer for this year, and will be updated weekly with how many pledge promise flowers we have added to our grounds.
If you have not already done so, please take a moment to consider your pledge. This year, the strategic planning committee has been “tilling the soil”; really digging in to see what opportunities can be unearthed. Many of our ministries and other groups are beginning to root around, post-pandemic, and have begun to plant seeds of regrowth. There are hints of germination all over and it is invigorating!
Be a part of the excitement! Your dollars will be planting the “bulbs” that will bloom in the spring and will come back again and again. You will hear about and see projects that are very visible and immediate, however there are also more subtle investments being made for the future of our beloved parish and its work in our community. Everyone’s contribution looks a little different just like every flower is unique, and it is all important. If you feel moved to pick up a shovel and dig into a ministry, please reach out to the office and we will help you connect.
Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644