Seeds of hope: Cultivating resilience, growing together

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November 2024

Dear All Saints:

 Embark with us on a transformative journey – a stewardship campaign that reflects the spirit of growth, unity, and resilience. Just like a tiny seed that blossoms into an substantial tree, we too can flourish through shared efforts and unwavering faith.

On Sunday, November 19,  we will launch a campaign designed to cultivate financial stability to support our church, its ministries, outreach programs, and community initiatives.

With your help, we’ll also focus on membership nourishment: strengthening our church family by nurturing existing relationships and sowing  seeds that continue our tradition of welcoming inclusivity.

All Saints Episcopal Church of the North Shore continues to have significant community impact through our soul-filling, 'everyone is welcome' worship -- accessible in person, on Zoom and on Facebook Live -- our feeding programs at Haven from Hunger, our food collections for Danvers Food Pantry, our formation and fellowship programs in Parish Hall and also on Zoom;  each Friday’s deeply meaningful Morning Prayer, and through our unique Perfect Paws Pet Ministry, which offers pet loss bereavement, therapy dog certification and deployment, and a monthly online worship service that attracts participants from as far away as California and Australia. 

In every way, All Saints and its people offer deep welcome, extending our roots deeper into the community, serving as a center for hope and support for those in need.

Giving to a small church like All Saints can be a meaningful and impactful decision for several reasons:

• Community Impact: Your contribution directly influences the well-being of our close-knit community. In a small church like ours, every donation has a more immediate and noticeable effect on the church's ability to carry out its mission and support its members.
• Personal Connection: At All Saints, your support is felt on a personal level, and you have the opportunity to witness the direct effects of your generosity.
• Nurturing Faith and Resilience: Like so many other small churches around us, All Saints often faces unique challenges, and your giving becomes a testament to faith and resilience. Your support helps our community weather difficulties and fosters a sense of determination and strength that is inspiring for everyone involved.
• Preserving Heritage and Tradition: All Saints holds a rich history and wonderful traditions that are deeply cherished by our members. By contributing to our stewardship campaign, you play an active role in preserving these traditions and ensuring that they are passed on to future generations.
  Meaningful Relationships: Ours is a community where everyone knows your name, your story and your family. It is a place where you are valued. Here, we offer the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with fellow churchgoers, clergy, and leaders. Your giving fosters a sense of togetherness, and you become an essential part of a supportive and caring network.
• Flexibility and Innovation: Our size makes us more agile and open to innovative approaches. Think about how quickly we moved to Zoom when Covid struck, allowing everyone  access to our worship. Think too about how our Worship Team crafted an engaging, interactive Sunday Morning Prayer enriched with the sharing of an Agape meal. Think about the formation of a robust choir and the wonderful leadership we get from our lay people  --- including those who gift us with their always  thoughtful, inspiring homilies! Your giving  contributes to the implementation of new ideas and projects that often are not feasible in larger, more bureaucratic institutions.
• Sustainability and Growth: Your support can be a catalyst for sustaining the growth of All Saints. With your support, we have the potential to expand our outreach, welcome new members, and continue to be a thriving center of community life.

Giving to All Saints is an investment in our community, a statement of faith, and a demonstration of the transformative power of collective support. 

Please join us in cultivating this community we love so much, where every member matters and where the seeds of hope we plant today will blossom into a bountiful harvest tomorrow.

Gail Arnold, Stewardship Chair 

Carol Bouffard, Co-Warden