Good Stewards of Our Community

A couple of weeks ago, all of us received a letter from Cyndie Knoll, our Senior Warden, along with our pledge forms and some information about the finances of the parish. In that letter, she said that responsibility to the future was one of the themes of the discussion about stewardship. We also discussed the joy and blessings that come from being a part of this community. I think that the words “Blessing, Future,” and “Community” describe both stewardship and St. John’s fairly well, but community is the word that speaks to me now.

When I walked through the door of St. John’s in 1998, my goal was to come to church, get what I needed from the service, and get out. I’m not kidding. After being a member of Episcopal churches from the age of 3 to 22, I decided that I didn’t need church when I went to graduate school. After all, I was going to be an “intellectual.” That didn’t work, so then I decided to be spiritual but not religious. Then I finally had to admit that non-religious people don’t turn to the Book of Common Prayer on a regular basis.

I came to St. John’s wanting a place where I could connect with the ritual of the Episcopal Church. I wanted the words, and that was all. I think I was able to go to St. John’s without being a member of this community for about three weeks. Then the welcoming and encouraging began. I started to understand how the community of St. John’s and I needed each other.

Individuals never just insert themselves into a community. The community always has to welcome them in. That’s how it works. And then the work and the wonder begin. What does being a member of the community of St. John’s mean to you? For me, it means being with a group of people who inspire me to be more than I could be by myself. To be more understanding, more courageous, more forgiving, and more open. To be more of a Christian than I could be by myself.

We are part of something that, with God’s help, lasts longer, reaches further, and touches more lives than any of us can do alone. That is the power of community. Stewardship is about the community of people who are this Parish. All of us. All who gave so much to us in the past, and those who will give so much to this parish in the future because of what we do now.

What do we do to ensure that this community thrives now and in the future? We remember that this community belongs to God. We accept the responsibilities and the blessings that go with caring for it. We give to this community. We become a little more than we can be by ourselves. We continue to inspire each other.

Because the people of St. John’s were good stewards of this community thirteen years ago, I received more than I wanted, but exactly what I needed. We do that over and over again. And we will continue to give the gift of community to people over and over again because of what we do now.

Faithfully yours,

Anne Edwards

Member of the Community of St. John's
and the Vestry