Each year, I write a letter to accompany our stewardship materials. This year I received this letter from one of our parishioners, and wanted to share her words with you instead. —Brenda

The January forum on the budget was a real eye-opener. I hadn’t realized how much we have to celebrate since we moved back into our renovated and renewed church and Parish House (was it really four years ago?). In our beautiful new space our parish is growing at all levels, and I know we have a host of new and bigger programs, from new mission projects and "The Way” to expanded education and fellowship offerings for people of every age.

What stunned me is that we are doing all of this on a budget that, adjusted for inflation, is a half million dollars less than we were spending a decade ago. Moreover, we are on the cusp of eliminating our operating deficit.

Just as eye opening was how we have accomplished all of this. We’ve achieved these results by everyone pulling together. Our clergy and staff have gone without merit pay increases for years. Our parish manager, John Scibilia, has run a phenomenally effective cost-reduction program. And parishioners' pledges grew a record 28% in 2007—nearly half a million dollars more than in the previous year.

I had long thought that eliminating our deficit was years away. It’s not. It’s just around the corner. As we continue to grow in numbers and giving, a zero deficit could be the capstone of our Bicentennial celebration in 2010. And what wonderful possibilities that would open for us! Our endowment income would be freed up to support the programs we cherish and dream of in mission, clergy development (our very own “Lilly Fellow” program!) and new ways to reach our community with the love and healing of the Christian message. 

So I sit in the church now with even greater pride and joy in what we do. And I find myself thinking about my 2008 pledge in a whole new light. Pushing the number higher than I had planned seems a good way to usher in the Bicentennial and help open the door to all those wonderful possibilities

Sincerely,

Diane Lansing
Parishioner

Read other parishsioners' essays in What Do I Love About St. James'? Download Grow in Grace, our 2008 stewardship brochure and a pledge card.
For more information on stewardship and planned giving at St. James', contact Robin Young.

St. James' Church  865 Madison Avenue  New York,   NY  10021   (212) 288-4100   fax (212) 650-0304   www.stjames.org