DEAR FRIENDS,

Something’s afoot at St. Paul’s, Chattanooga. This special energy many of us are sensing is about preparing to attract and employ a new rector to lead this amazing faith community.

Everywhere we look we experience growing edges – from ministries for young families, children, youth, music, formation, pastoral care volunteers, contemplative prayer, spirituality and worship, stewardship, growth in membership and engagement, to effective service reaching out to those in need in Chattanooga and the world. “Empowering” is our mission verb, resonating with the DNA of our church as well as with the “Holy Spirit Power” theology of St. Paul’s letters.

In order to embody the growth energy we are feeling, we cannot let our collective stewardship giving remain the same.

The Vestry, staff, and I are seriously considering a $500,000.00 budget increase in staffing, programming, infrastructure, and outreach-giving as well as a healthy line item for deferred maintenance. If the Vestry is enabled to vote on that kind of increase at the February 2025 meeting, you and I will have to increase our giving over fiscal year 2024 by 42%.

To match this aspirational budget, in theory, everyone who has given could just give half again of what they last gave and we’d be done. But we can get there in other, meaningful ways as well – some folks may be able to and want to give double, others may give a smaller increase.

Others may feel they can match a prior gift, adjusted slightly upwards for inflation. And some people who haven’t been able to or called to give before may feel moved to make their first gift. Our mission and ministry depends on the percentage of growth in revenue from your generosity. Equally vital is the percentage of growth in the number of those supporting the Parish and their renewed and refreshed commitment to stewardship.

As your Interim Rector, I am convinced that we together can resource this vision. Some of us will have to stay where we are in our annual pledges. Others of us need to pledge for the first time. Others of us need to inspiringly increase our pledges to a larger percentage of our income. It’s always helpful to look at what proportion of our income we are currently pledging and then let the Holy Spirit guide us to discern how to change that.

Something’s afoot at St. Paul’s, Chattanooga. I think it is the Enterprise of God’s Grace-oriented Love. The Energy of Love is taking us in a very definite direction – that of great service to all.

Take a look at our vision in this brochure. Take the pledge card on the last page. Feel God’s Glory coursing as a LoveEnergy Current through your pledge for 2025.

Yours in God’s Big Energizing Love,

Ed Bacon