Stewardship
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
Stewardship for 2023
Updated August 9, 2022
Stewardship began Sunday, August 7, 2022. Messages from Mother Darlene, Bill Card – Sr. Warden, and Linda Anderson – Jr. Warden are distributed by email each week with links to their messages below.
A Pledge form is also available by clicking here or by clicking the link below. Printed copies are available at the church if you prefer to pick up one.
Join us Sunday, August 28, as we celebrate our giving to the church with our 10:30am Sunday service followed by a picnic at the New Buffalo Township Memorial Park, 17425 Red Arrow Highway.
Note: If you are unable to open or print any of the Stewardship material, please contact the Church Office and request printed copies.
Pledge form – click here
Mother Darlene’s letter
August 1, 2022
Dear Congregation of The Episcopal Church of the Mediator,
I am grateful to you and to all the members of our congregation. Throughout the year I have witnessed such generosity as you contribute your ideas, your funds, and your time to our community. Every dollar that we raise, every minute of volunteerism, and every good plan comes from the heart and goes toward our mission.
Our pledge campaign this year focuses on the miracle of sharing, the ways in which our means meet the needs of the world, the ways in which we respond to the Gospel, and the ways in which we sustain our community. 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. In today’s letter, I would like to focus on Wisdom.
Bill Card’s letter (Sr. Warden)
August 8, 2022
Dear Family of The Episcopal Church of the Mediator,
When I was asked to serve as your Senior Warden this year, 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 you contribute to the church and to our neighbors. While we do spend a lot of time in our vestry meetings talking about our own finances and operations, we spend even more discussing how we can serve our neighbors and focus our work on the world.
More Than Enough, our campaign 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. In today’s letter, I would like to focus on Works.
Linda Anderson’s letter (Jr. Warden)
August 15, 2022
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Leading the annual campaign is never easy, but it has its own rewards. One of those is to witness the power of how your gifts fund the mission and ministry of our church in the community. Because of you, we can share our message of love with many, and this is the greatest gift!
We have been focusing on Works, Wisdom, and Wealth as we enter our annual campaign this year, and it falls on me to talk about Wealth. Each household has had a different financial experience of the pandemic, and this year’s turbulent market and inflation have been rough on all of us. Even so, I am inspired by the ways you made and continued to make your financial gifts to sustain our ministry.
Open, O Lord, the eyes of all people to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works, that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, they may honor thee with their substance, and be faithful stewards of thy bounty.
In chapter 22 of Matthew, Jesus divides the tributes to be paid into what is Caesar’s and what is owed to God, based on whose likeness is shown. The coins are fine for Caesar, while the person, made in the image of God, the whole person, and all that one is, belongs to God. So, we may genuinely ask what we can give of ourselves, in addition to our annual pledge, that will be an offering of the parts of ourselves that were made in the image of God. In what ways do we reflect the treasures that God has given each of us that we can bring to the world around us, in His name, to serve our community?
Supporting Our Church
Through Giving
Mail a donation to us:
Church of the Mediator
P.O. Box 223
Harbert, Michigan 49115
OR
Through Prayer
Support Church of the Mediator through prayer:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
– Mark 11:24
Through Service
Support Church of the Mediator through service. Please speak with a Vestry member or other members of the church to match your skills and interests to the needs of the Church as well as the Harbor Country community.
Through Endowment Planning
When you or a family member wish to make a specific gift to Church of the Mediator, restricted or unrestricted, please contact the Senior Warden to discuss your wishes.
Through Estate Planning
When you or a family member wish to discuss how to include Church of the Mediator in your estate planning, please contact the Senior Warden to make your wishes known and how you wish to express those wishes in the Church’s future.
Come Visit Us!
We are part of a unique Lake Michigan community just a short drive from New Buffalo, MI on Red Arrow Highway. We are also conveniently close to another lakeshore community, Saint Joseph.