Presentation by Mary Holmes

Good morning.

A few evenings ago, Billy Richardson called me at home and asked, “Mary, will you do the stewardship remarks on November 11^th?”

It was the LAST thing I wanted to do.  But, Billy and Barbara Richardson are spending 12 weeks of their lives trying to build up the financial pledges of our church through the stewardship campaign. 

So, after a brief pause, I said, “Yes.  Of course.”

I hung up the phone and my husband John asked, “Who was that?”

To which I replied, “Billy Richardson wants YOU to make the stewardship speech in a few weeks.”

John is the ever-willing volunteer and he loves St. Johns, so, I knew that sneaky plan would work.

Anyway, I eventually came clean and here I am.  Talking to you about giving your time, your talent, and your treasure.

My assignment was to talk about what St. John’s has meant to our family. 

But, every one of us here today, is here today for different reasons. 

I have attended many Episcopal churches during my life – Holy Trinity, here in Fayetteville as a child, St. Helen’s in Winston Salem while at Wake Forest, St. Ann’s in Campo San Vio in Venice (which is Anglican), Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City, Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, and now, St. John’s, since I married John Holmes and he was on the vestry at the time.

The amazing thing is, all those churches, and all Episcopal churches, have heard the same lessons today.

There is something amazing and reassuring about that to me.

I don’t want to attend a five year old church with purple carpet and a preacher who gets up and makes stuff up every Sunday.  I like that there is a well thought out plan that is delivered by a minister who has been called to interpret it for our church.

The Episcopal Church is our home, for many reasons. 

Today, the Episcopal Church is teaching the lesson of the Widow’s Mite. Robert has already spoken about that to us.

A woman of very modest means gave what she could for the Lord.

And the Lord said it was GOOD.

Each of us has something to GOOD to give to this church.

Our family has seen this first hand.  The members of this church have blessed our family through your gifts of time and talent. 

Some of St John’s members can sing.  – Certainly no one in our family – except for Covey.  In fact, Billy and Robin Kelly are the only two people who have ever sat in front of us twice.  Y’all better get your hearing checked. 

But, the music ministry in this church has far reaching impact.  Some people actually join St. Johns because of the beautiful music.  Where else does the congregation stay five minutes AFTER the service has ended, just to hear the music?

Some of St. John’s members can teach young children.  For example, Ruth Gates and her Godly Play lessons in Sunday School are a blessing to our youth and anyone who hears her lessons.

All of St. John’s members can pray.  Most of the members of this church have given their time at some point by praying for our youth through the Guardian Angel program.  It was a blessing to have Mrs. Coffey pray for our daughter Covey, as her guardian angel last year.

Some of St. John’s members bless us just by showing up and sharing a smile with those who need one.  Some lead the Children’s Chapel a few times a year. Some can make our altar beautiful, every Sunday, and every time the doors open.  Some can call on the elder members who are sick or lonely. Some can tell a joke, and make someone feel welcome.  Some can help with the accounting or the investments or the financial oversight or the personnel, or in the case of Melene Hatcher, all of those.

Some help care for our amazing historic buildings.  What would we have done in the last few years without Winston Olive, fairly new to St. John’s, and his hammer and paint brush?

Some can cook. Some can set the tables.  Some can herd cats… a-hem…  I mean help with the children.  Some give their time by training and scheduling the acolytes.  Some show up with their clippers, build the Rood Screen, and transform the sanctuary for our Christmas worship.

Some can barely get here, for whatever reason – responsibility for an elder family member or friend, illness or injury, transportation, busy lives – but you are here today and you are contributing to our worship as a community today.

One of the greatest things about St. John’s is that everyone can contribute their time and talent in their own way. 

Martha Duell, one of our oldest members, is able to come only because of a loyal friend who picks her up and brings her.  She rarely leaves her home.  Yet, SHE is the one who sold $2,400 worth of tickets for the youth fundraiser.  She picked up the phone and asked.  She contributed her time and talent.

Once, a man told me that he had been a member of St. John’s for many years before he was every asked to be an usher.  I was shocked.  Every year, we all are asked to complete a time and talent card saying where we are willing to volunteer. Ushering is on that card, with a box, waiting to be checked.  But, he was shy and felt that he needed to be asked by someone.

People, this is not a social club.  If you are willing, if you have a pulse, if you are still breathing, YOU ARE HEREBY BEING ASKED, in person, TO VOLUNTEER. To give your time and talent to St. John’s.  And, YOU will be blessed in return.

Time, talent, and treasure.  That is the foundation of the stewardship campaign for the church.

For the last fifteen years I have worked at the same charity and I spend a lot of time talking to people about their giving. 

Giving MONEY.  I was taught as a child that it was tacky to talk about money.  Nice people just don’t do that.  Especially NOT Episcopalians.  Everyone has different circumstances and you might make someone uncomfortable.

And, here I am in an Episcopal church that is almost 200 years old, talking about money.

But, what I have learned by working at that charity.  That is, everyone wants to help others.  Everyone wants to change the life of a person in need.  Everyone wants to have an impact.  Everyone wants to make a difference. 

But, it is a funny thing.  Most people think that their gifts are too small.  No matter how big their gift, they say something like, “I wish it were more.”

The widow’s mite was all that she could give to the Lord.  And the Lord said it was GOOD.  So, your gift of treasure – any size – will make a difference.  It WILL be good.  Your pledge of financial support is needed to make St. John’s a blessing for everyone.  Your two little mites could be the gift that buys the nail that holds our church together.

There are elderly who are alone and need ministry.  There are members who are facing cancer.  There are youth who are in formation as Christians who need ministry.  There are families who need counseling and ministry.  There are singles who need to know they are not alone.  There are one time visitors who are lost, and need to find God.  There are soldiers who need prayers and their families are scared and alone and need support.

We need to grow our church so we can do a better job in these ministries. And then, we can reach outside of the church and do more of the same.  But, it takes money to grow.

If you have attended St. John’s any time in the last 200 years, you have benefited from someone else’s giving.  So, like the man who needed to be asked to usher, you are hereby formally being asked in person to make a financial pledge to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 302 Green Street, Fayetteville, North Carolina, 28301.

We cannot hire an assistant minister or expand our Christian ministry or spend more time with our elderly or the sick or youth or families in need --- on good intentions.  We need your treasure – your money – and we need to know that it is coming so St. John’s vestry can make the 2013 budget.  That is what a pledge is.  YOUR commitment to helping St. John’s Episcopal Church plan and do God’s work during the next year.

So, YOU are hereby being asked.

If you give within your ability to give, you will make a difference in ways that you will never know. But, God will know, it will be GOOD, and you WILL BE BLESSED.

Mary M. Holmes