Dear friends,
As I sat in the Sanctuary last Sunday, gazing over Rob’s shoulder toward the glorious autumn view beyond him, I was struck by how little that scene has changed in more than a century. The majestic trees and the stately stone wall that drew me in have watched over countless worshipers and ministers through seasons of joy, sorrow, celebration, and change. That window frames not only a landscape—it reveals God’s creation, God’s kingdom, and a living piece of our shared history.
Yet creation, community, and God’s kingdom echo within our walls as well. They come alive when we break bread at the table, when laughter rises during hospitality hour, when a child is baptized, a couple is married, or when prayers and compassion surround a grieving family. They shine through our mission work and our music. Our faith is timeless and it is alive both inside and outside our four walls.
“Like living stones,” Peter writes, “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.” We are called to be those living stones—to invest ourselves in the work of God’s kingdom through our stewardship. Each year, our pledges join the legacy of generations before us who believed that the little church at the corner of Talmadge Hill Road and Hollow Tree Ridge Road could be an incubator for God’s love in the world. Those early worshipers of the late 19th century could never have imagined us, yet they trusted the Holy Spirit to keep raising up generations to build God’s kingdom. Now it is our turn. Through our stewardship, we continue the sacred work of knowing God’s love and sharing it with generations we may never meet.
As you prayerfully consider your pledge for the coming year, remember that every gift is more than a contribution—it is an affirmation of faith and a declaration that this community matters to you and to the wider world. Your generosity keeps our mission alive and ensures that God’s love continues to take root here, in this place, for years to come.
May it be so.
With love,
Cheryl