June, 2008
Dear fellow parishioners:
All over the world people are experiencing some very harsh economic times. Daily the price of a barrel of oil goes up with the resulting increase in the prices of everything else. The most noticeable increase is in the price of gas which is now well above $4.00 per gallon. This makes us all aware of what we have in terms of disposable income. Many of us are on fixed incomes and this makes life that much harder. In these circumstances the temptation is to reduce spending on the "non-essentials" and funny enough the church and all such related activity comes on top of that list.
We are into the second quarter of the year and our pledges are way below where they ought to be. This should be a matter of some concern for us. It could be that our initial pledge was too high and now needs revising because our financial situation has changed; maybe we have just been a little slow in making our payments, but what ever the reason now is the time we act. God has never demanded the impossible and if after prayerful reflection we find we cannot honor our commitment then by all means adjust. It is between you and your God, but the church must know what we can expect on terms of pledges.
The church must go on and adjustments made so that we can meet our obligations as a parish. Priorities will need to be set and critical decisions made. Please do what you can to support your church and may God continue to bless your efforts.
Your friend and Rector,
Monrelle +