October 29, 2014
Dear People of St Peter’s,
Many years ago, in a time of great turmoil in the church, Martin Luther wrote these hopeful words. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
Today, our Junior Warden planted two apple trees in a sunny area behind the Parish House and I was filled with hope for St Peter’s—hope that we as a congregation will continue to bear the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control-in all that we do.
The fruit of the Spirit at St Peter’s shows our commitment to God and to one another as we sing and worship and study and eat together. The fruit of the Spirit is evident at Vacation Bible School, in Godly Play and in our nursery, in our youth group meetings, and in our Bible Study and meetings and dinners together.
And the fruit of the Spirit is present out in the community when we make space available for community groups, when people come to St Peter’s to hear music, or to learn to cook, when we feed people and provide gifts at Christmas, when we meet with prisoners at Peumansend Creek Regional Jail for Bible Study every month, and when we provide financial support to organizations that do God’s work around the world.
And the fruit of the Spirit is present when we support our Diocese and our Region with our time, our talents, and our financial contributions.
The fruit of the Spirit is also evident in the ways in which we care for our buildings, which are not only our worship and study and meeting and play places, but one of the town’s important historical resources and a visible witness to God at work in our community. When Bishop Shannon Johnston visited us a few years ago, he commented several times on how impressed he was at the beauty of the plantings around the church and the parish house.
I’m hopeful that we can continue all that we are already doing, as well as to start and maintain a monthly food distribution for area residents, to resume our tutoring program, and to be open to the Spirit’s guidance in being a community of love and welcoming hospitality. I hope that we can continue to bear fruit for years to come.
All that we do takes money, of course. So please give generously, and please make a pledge to St Peter’s for 2015. Your pledge now will help the Vestry come up with a realistic budget for the coming year. Our goal is to be financially responsible about our current expenses and also work toward including in our budget long term projects that have to be done periodically—one of these projects is going on now—the painting of the church. If for some reason during the year you want to increase your pledge, or you have to decrease your pledge, you can do that by contacting our treasurer, Clarence Kunstmann. If you have never pledged, give this hopeful and empowering way of giving a try. You’ll find that it bears fruit.
Peace,
Catherine