Think About It - October 19 Newsletter

Our stewardship theme this year is simple, yet elegant, and points us toward practical steps to support our community of faith: "Love, Give, Grow." Love calls us to show empathy and compassion for those around us. Giving demands selflessness with our time, talents, and treasures. Growth is a concept filled with hope and promise, but also full of ambiguity. How, when, and why does transformation occur, and who benefits from our growth?

I work in a College at Texas A&M where we often talk about our investment in the future. A colleague regularly speaks of planting seeds for future generations, noting that we all benefit from the shade of trees planted by those before us. The same is true of our stewardship in the church. On Sundays, when my family attends 8am church in the small chapel, I look around the room and marvel at the care and resources poured into that structure. Our founders had no way to predict how small and intimate the chapel would feel today, and yet it has remained a critical foundation for our church growth. The brick in our entryway is an ever-present reminder that we absorb and build upon the work of those who have come before us. The love and the gifts that we plant at St. Thomas today will provide shade for our future. Whether it be for growth in our own lives and hearts, growth in the size and impact of our church, or growth that will offer life-giving bounty to future generations, we have an invitation to use our gifts for the service of a greater cause (1 Peter 4:10). We can trust that our gracious and generous God will use what we offer to multiply our impact in this community.