Dear Friends,

You have heard me speak and write about the offering of a tithe. “Tithe” is one of those church words that some are quite familiar with and others know little about. It’s a word with biblical roots. In various places throughout the Hebrew scriptures, we hear about the practice of tithing – the  invitation to offer to God one tenth of one’s income and produce as an act of thanksgiving.  In the Christian tradition, tithing has long been held up as a spiritual discipline, not only as an act of thanksgiving, but also as an acknowledgement that all that we have and earn ultimately belongs to God.

At their July meeting, the vestry voted to commit our parish to a form of tithing.  Whenever we have a general church fundraiser, such as the Harvest Fair, we will now commit 10% – or a tithe – of all that we raise to supporting mission work beyond our local church. We know how important it is to raise the funds we need for the ongoing work of our parish. The vestry also recognizes that a central part of our life together is discovering how it is that God is inviting us to give our gifts, and ourselves to others.  We’ll provide specific information about the kinds of mission work we will be supporting as we approach the Harvest Fair or other events.

I am grateful the vestry is adopting this biblical principal of stewadrship, and I encourage you to talk to vestry members if you have questions or thoughts about how we will spend the mission tithe. And I am hopeful that as we commit to this endeavor, it will inform and bless our individual decisions about giving to God in gratitude for all that we receive.

Faithfully,

Tom

PS – You can find a photo and names of current vestry members on the bulletin board by the ramp leading from the Parish House room to the church.