(tl;dr: Nativity is doing a lot of cool stuff inside the church and in our community. We’d like to keep doing it. Plus, pledging your financial support is an important spiritual practice. And yes, Episcopalians tithe. Make your pledge here.)
Our annual stewardship campaign to raise money for our mission and ministries in 2020 begins on Sunday. I believe two of Nativity’s greatest strengths are its commitment to mission outside the church doors and the deep connections fostered within the worshiping community.
Made for Mission
A Heart for Service
Whether it is wielding a hammer for Habitat for Humanity, wearing a hair-net while packing food for Rise Against Hunger, bringing donations the first Sunday of the month for Leesville Backpack Buddies program, our youth participating in mission and outreach on trips, children and families participating in outreach projects, or fiber artists in Chatty Yarns making hats, mittens, and gloves for those in need, helping others is not a extra-curricular program for Nativity – it is a way of life.
Mission Partnerships
Nativity actively seeks partnership and collaboration with other organizations in our community to make the world a better place. We are proud of our mission partnerships with our community including Habitat for Humanity, the Kinder Garden outdoor pre-school, the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute, Leesville Elementary Backpack Buddies program, and Windsor Springs Retirement home.
Leading the Church
Nativity is known throughout the wider Episcopal Church and other denominations for our commitment to creation care and environmental stewardship. We witness through zerowastechurch.org, invitations to speak at other churches, and our leadership in the Diocese of North Carolina. Through our annual diocesan contribution, Nativity contributes to the larger life of the Diocese, helping to fund staffing and programs and assisting other congregations. We mentor numerous interns and have been invited to help with an exciting new venture to train new clergy.
Created for Connection
Replenishing Our Souls
In order for us to set our mission outward, we return to the worshiping community to refresh our souls. Through lively worship on Sunday mornings, weekly spiritual formation for all ages, and active support of each other during times of crisis, Nativity provides a space for members to replenish ourselves so that we may do the work we have been called to do.
Strong Financial Foundation
Over the past few years, our financial foundation and our care for our physical plant has grown stronger and stronger. The addition of solar panels, replacement of aging HVAC systems, and a significant payment of over $125,000 to decrease our mortgage when we re-financed are vital signs of financial prudence and care. With this strong foundation, we are able to turn our attention and resources towards creative program and mission opportunities.
Beyond Our Comfort Zone
As we care for one another, we can can create space for challenging conversations. Presiding Bishop Curry and our own Bishop Sam Rodman have issued a challenge for congregations to work actively in “Becoming Beloved Community.” This means having hard conversations to challenge our ideas about race in our country and in our communities. It forces us to reckon with ideas about power and our impact on marginalized communities. These conversations offer us space to consider “why” outreach and mission are so important to our community. Sacred Ground, a film and reading series about the history of race in the United States and the Episcopal Church, currently has 30 people from Nativity participating in deep and meaningful conversations.
I firmly believe a healthy worshiping community needs both mission and connection. I hope you will join me in your financial support for the coming year. I pray that you reach for connections within our church and are inspired to share God’s love with others outside the church doors.
Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing more about the church’s budget – our income and where the money is spent. We will talk about the large scope of our people resources – members of Nativity given an incredible amount of their time to the church and in service to others. We will talk about tithing, and we will talk about how giving is a spiritual practice. On November 10, we will have some glorious music during worship as we offer those pledges to God in thanksgiving.
To make your pledge online, click here.