Council member Michelle Tinsley invites you to help Esperanza plan for the future and to commit your time, talent and treasure to our goals.
It’s amazing how quickly this year flew by. We are already in the midst of Advent! And so, a couple weeks ago the church council gathered to discuss our 2022 missions and strategies. We made a great start, and we want to get these ideas in front of you, our congregation, so that we may include your ideas as we plan.
We began by reviewing a series of articles from Lifelong Faith Associates regarding the evolution of Christian living—including the effects of the pandemic—and we considered how these concepts might be applied to our congregation. We also reviewed the Ministry Site Profile that was written during the call process in early 2020.
Our first focus was the needs of our community. Then we discussed the strengths and talents our congregation brings to meet those community needs. The result is three overarching strategies that will guide us as we build the budget and our ministry efforts next year.
This is your opportunity to see if these strategies resonate with you, and to ask your questions. Building strategy is an interactive process and we will be improving all three over time as we work to meet the needs of our community.
Strategy 1 Building hope and community through acts of service.
Our idea is to identify a series of focus areas while maintaining ongoing activities. We’re proposing to start with an emphasis on hunger, recognizing the number of families and children in our community that face chronic food insecurity. Our long-standing work with Habitat for Humanity, Newborns in Need, preparing meals for the medical workers at the VA hospital and other similar outreach activities will continue as part of this strategy.
Strategy 2 Deepen our spiritual journey through collaborative learning experiences. We noted that during the pandemic many were thrust into situations where they were isolated and stressed. When we come together to discuss common challenges we find our faith renewed and deepened. We are proposing a series of learning events exploring the needs of the community and congregation. Each might be led by someone from the congregation or an external speaker. For example, we might have sessions on caring for aging parents, or learning about hunger or homelessness in the area.
Strategy 3 Continuously improve the operations of our congregation. This is an area where we could improve the way we engage our membership and improve how we operate. Using our time, talents, and treasures more effectively will allow us to invest more in the service outreach and spiritual ministries described in Strategy 1 and 2.
The goal of sharing this with you today is to familiarize you with our thinking and hear your reactions. At the January congregational meeting we will structure the 2022 budget around these strategies. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to contact Council President Chuck Yount at [email protected].
Stewardship Update: 2022 Pledging and 2021 Giving
We act as stewards of God’s kingdom three ways: giving of our precious time, putting our talents to work for others, and sharing our financial resources. Pursuing our three strategies will involve dedicating time and talent to the work, but our gifts of treasure are equally critical.
This year our goal was to inspire 60 pledges of financial support from members of the Esperanza community, up from the 56 pledges received for 2021. To date, the community has made 33 pledges for 2022.
We strongly encourage you to step up and turn in your pledge as soon as possible so that we can finalize the budget for 2022. You may pledge online at www.myesperanza.org/pledge or by contacting the church office at 480-759-1515.
If you have not fulfilled your 2021 pledge, please understand that the church was counting on your support this year. We made spending decisions based on your gift. Please prayerfully consider honoring your commitment.
We thank those who have generously fulfilled their pledges for 2021, and we ask that you consider making an additional gift this calendar year.
We are more than a beautiful landmark at the corner of Ray and Thunderhill. We are a source of hope to a community with aching needs. Please give some thought to our goals and strategy, and the role you play in our work. Then help us move ahead as God’s hands and feet in the world.