Dear Friends in Christ,
Earlier this summer, we introduced three words that will shape our stewardship conversation at St. Andrew’s this fall: Plenty Good Room.
The words come from an old spiritual and echo Jesus’ promise that “in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” They remind us of something at the heart of our faith. God has made room for us, and God calls us to make room for others.
On Sunday, September 20, we will begin Plenty Good Room, our stewardship campaign for 2027. Over the following three Sundays, we will hear several voices reflect on generosity, gratitude, and the life we share at St. Andrew’s. You will also receive an invitation to make a financial commitment for the coming year. On Sunday, October 11, we will bring those commitments together and celebrate our Ingathering.
Stewardship is often treated as that annual moment when the church talks about money. Money is certainly part of it, and we need to be willing to talk about it. But Christian stewardship begins somewhere deeper. It begins by recognizing what God has given us and deciding how we will use what has been entrusted to our care.
Our goal for this campaign is $200,000 in pledges for 2027. Those pledges will allow the Vestry to plan responsibly for the ministry of St. Andrew’s in the coming year. Just as important, we hope more households will make a pledge and take part in supporting the life and ministry we share.
Behind that $200,000 are people.
Our giving allows us to deepen our commitment to the children and young people of St. Andrew’s and invest in their faith and their place in this community. It allows us to care responsibly for our buildings and physical plant, so that this parish can continue to be a place of worship, welcome, and ministry for years to come. And it allows us to continue supporting important ministries beyond our walls through Martha’s Mission, Hope Mission, Meals on Wheels, and other outreach in our community.

These are not simply expenses in a budget. They are choices we make together about what matters to us and about the kind of parish we want St. Andrew’s to be.
That is why, as we begin this campaign, we hope you will consider three questions:
Why does St. Andrew’s matter to you?
Where have you experienced God here?
What do you hope this parish will become?
Those questions eventually lead us to another one: How will I help make that possible?
We are not asking you to make your commitment today, but we are asking you to begin thinking about it. Pray about your giving. Consider what you are giving now and what proportion of your income it represents. Then ask whether you can take a step forward in 2027.
For some, that step may be making a pledge for the first time. For others, it may mean increasing a longstanding commitment. And for some, continuing a faithful commitment will itself represent generosity. What matters is that we make these decisions intentionally, prayerfully, and with gratitude for what God has entrusted to us.
There is much to be grateful for at St. Andrew’s, and much to look forward to. We hope you will join us over these next few weeks as we listen, pray, and consider what God might make possible through this parish in the year ahead.
There is plenty good room in God’s house. Together, may we continue making plenty good room at St. Andrew’s.
With gratitude,

The St. Andrew’s Stewardship Committee
Erik Heden, Chair
Holly Batts
The Rev. Jeffrey A. Roy

P.S. A word from Jeff: Since arriving at St. Andrew’s in March, I have had the privilege of seeing the generosity of this parish up close. I have seen it in the way you worship, care for one another, welcome people, and quietly step forward when something needs to be done. I am grateful for what I have found here, and I am excited about what is ahead. Plenty Good Room is an opportunity not simply to fund another year at St. Andrew’s, but to invest in the ministry God is calling us to do and the parish God is calling us to become.