From the Rector

Dear Friends,

We are well into our 2026 Stewardship Campaign, with the theme “Many & One, in the Spirit.”  These words emphasize the wide open doors of inclusion for all and each unique person who comes among us, and also that the Spirit draws us close together in a community of mutual love, care and support to be interconnected in one parish family.  This dream is what we pledge to uphold with our gifts in the coming year.

I didn’t grow up in a church that emphasized pledging. In the faith tradition of my childhood and youth, giving was taught as an obligation — a rule to follow — more than a practice of the heart. Over the years, generosity has become deeply embedded in my spiritual life.  It’s not about meeting a requirement, but about opening our hearts and hands to God and to one another.

Before I ever thought about becoming a priest, I discovered what pledging could mean in community. As a new Episcopalian, nearly 20 years ago now, I was unexpectedly invited by my then-rector to help lead the annual stewardship campaign. It was during a time of deep conflict and loss for that faraway parish. I barely knew what pledging was.  Yet I witnessed how it became a source of healing and hope. The folks generously pledged, not because everything was perfect, but because they believed in what we shared and what God could rebuild among us. That experience taught me that pledging is a sign of trust and love—a way of saying yes to belonging, even in the midst of disrupted or uncertain circumstances.

For me now, pledging has become a way to live that openness in community. It’s both spiritual and practical. I joyfully pledge with you to uphold our common life.  Together, our collective generosity sustains the ministries, spaces, and staff that make St. Michael’s a place of welcome, worship, witness, and wellness. Our pledges allow us to respond when needs arise —to feed those who hunger, to fix what breaks, and to reach out in mission where the Spirit leads.

Pledging, at its best, is a spiritual practice that transforms us over the course of our lives—shaping us into people who trust that giving and belonging go hand in hand. Pledging, at our best, enables us to grow together as the Body of Christ.

I invite you to join me in pledging generously for 2026—more if you can, and less if you need to—to bless this life we find together.

Many, and, more and more, One, in the Spirit, with you,

Scott+

The Rev. R. Scott Painter, Rector

scottp@stmaa.org

Give and Share on the Feast of All Saints

Dear Friends,

On Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints.  On this pinnacle celebration of the Church year we remember, honor, and pray with all the saints—those officially recognized by the church and all the faithful departed.  This great cloud of witnesses urges us to work on behalf of the poor and the oppressed, challenges us to persist through all sorts of adversity and hardship, and cheers for us to keep the faith and muster hope as the heart of Christian community.

This week, many of the most vulnerable of our community face a potentially catastrophic expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds, which provide food benefits to low-income households.  We have heard directly from parishioners who are afraid and unsure how they will provide food for their families if SNAP does indeed remain unfunded.

After consulting with vestry, ministry leaders, and community partners, I urgently invite us to pull together as a parish family to create an emergency (and temporary) food pantry with essential staples and sanitary products for those of our community in need. This Sunday, please considering making an extra financial gift to the discretionary funds of the rector or associate rector (stmaa.org/giving) and/or bringing donations of bags of rice, dry beans, peanut butter, tortillas and bread, toilet paper, and menstrual care products with you to church on Sunday. On Sunday evening, our youth will work together to sort the donations and create care boxes/bags for easy distribution on Sundays.

These gifts will enable us to respond over the next days and possibly weeks to increased need.

As we continue in our 2026 Stewardship Campaign, “Many & One, in the Spirit,” this opportunity for extra generosity is a reminder of the community of care that we give to uphold through our annual pledges.  I am grateful for you and the myriad ways you show up for one another and for our neighbors during times of distress.  This is what it looks like to be church.

With you,

Scott+

The Rev. R. Scott Painter, Rector