“Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” These words from the Letter to the Ephesians, are also found as closing sentences for Morning or Evening Prayer. They are some of my favorite words from Scripture that are contained within the Book of Common Prayer. These exhilarating words also remind me of the Church of the Good Shepherd.
We could describe God’s power working in us as the movement and impetus of the Holy Spirit. And in recent years, the Holy Spirit’s movement in this parish has been palpable. Here’s some of what has happened by the hand of God working through all of us here:
average Sunday attendance has nearly doubled since 2020, even given the challenges of a pandemic.
parish ministry has expanded to include children’s and adult formation.
the new retreat house ministry has flourished and brought many people, from across the country, into contact with Good Shepherd, Rosemont. It has also generated $14K so far this year in donations that serve as a source of revenue for the parish.
the diligent work of staff and parishioners has enabled us to address significant deferred maintenance on campus.
pledged giving has increased from under $50K in 2020 to $130K (anticipated) in 2023.
people’s lives continue to be blessed by an open church during the week and regular public worship.
our online presence has expanded to include a network of prayerful supporters across the country.
campus ministry brings the Gospel to local college students on a regular basis.
These are only a few of the incredible things that God is doing at Good Shepherd through the hands and hearts of so many people. I dare say that at various points in the past decade, this would have seemed much “more than we could ask or imagine.” This past week, our Advancement Committee held two online Zoom presentations as we move through the 2024 pledge campaign. I heard much excitement from parishioners and new faces in our midst. What I kept hearing was expressed inspiration at the hopeful spirit in this parish. Many parishes, when they become anxious about survival or finances, try to “cut their way to success.” They slash programs (especially music) and withdraw into their shells. They are ostensibly doing the “right” thing, but I believe it’s for the wrong reason. What they can’t see (perhaps through insufficient hope) is that cutting usually has the opposite of the intended effect. But what I see happening at Good Shepherd is a courageous willingness to expand spending, even despite financial challenges, in order to invest in ministry that is part of God’s intended flourishing for this parish.
I don’t believe this is irresponsible. It is most definitely a balancing act. We can’t get ahead of ourselves in spending, but we have to take some risks. When the three-member vestry of Good Shepherd decided to call a full-time rector in 2020, it was a huge risk. They were willing to do it out of hope. They were able to do it with the generous support of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Now, as we enter the second year of our five-year plan for fiscal sustainability, we are not cutting our way to success. We’re investing our way to flourishing. We are setting an ambitious pledge goal in 2024 so that we can bring staff salaries to fair levels, because investing in our staff is investing in ministry. We are investing even more money (and trust!) in our music ministry through the calling of a new Director of Music, with confidence that this will be a part of our parish’s outreach and growth. Our five-year plan will not be a straight line, because ministry never is. I believe this is another moment (like three years ago) when we need to take another leap of faith in how we invest money in ministry. Once again, we are able to do this through the generous support of our diocese, which is giving us an even larger stipend to support the rector’s salary for campus ministry, trusting that this parish is being bold for the sake of the Gospel and basing that trust on what is already happening at Good Shepherd. But beginning in 2025, we need to begin weaning ourselves off diocesan support for our own financial sustainability and health. I encourage you to read more in the weekly email about why pledging is so important in the Episcopal Church, especially if you are coming from another denomination. In short, with the exception of our current diocesan support, we are a financially self-sustaining parish.
So, here’s the invitation: would you mirror the trusting spirit of Good Shepherd, Rosemont, by giving sacrificially towards ministry in 2024? First and foremost, sacrificial giving is an invaluable spiritual practice that teaches us to relinquish our grasp on the thing that so often becomes the center of our lives. What would it mean to take a bold leap of faith in 2024 with your financial gift to the parish? If you are like me, “trying out” sacrificial giving for even a year might teach you that everything does work out after all. My firm belief is this: God has given Good Shepherd everything it needs to carry out the ministry to which he is calling us. It’s a bit like manna: no more, no less. We are not aiming to be rich. We are aiming to be faithful. What we need is right under our eyes. Will you share what God has given you by giving a sacrificial portion back to God? With God, anything is possible. And the fruits of our investment will undoubtedly be infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle