• All the beautiful Masses I have attended here, the weddings, memorial services, baptisms, Christmas, Easter, and regular Sunday services;
• My years in the choir singing beautiful Anglican church music;
• Coffee hour fellowship, the many festive receptions, occasions, and celebratory gatherings;
• Study and discussion groups;
• The foyer dinner program (which I hope to reestablish soon);
• Outreach activities like Christ House, the Christmas Giving Tree, collecting food for the Food Bank, and selling pies for Food & Friends;
• And, of course, times that were difficult and required working through.

These memories make me realize the importance of community. Without community we are lone individuals. We may have family and friends, but we need a larger group in which to share our thoughts and ideas with the chance to expand them through exposure to others. Community supports and strengthens us by allowing us to use what we learn from each other to examine our individual concerns and opinions. Community inspires us to reach out to our neighbors and city with energy and care. We are truly blessed by our community at All Souls.

We express our support of this community by our annual pledges. On an obvious level, we need to keep the lights on (and heat!) and maintain the building where we gather. On a deeper level, we give to preserve our community and to thank God for all that God has given us.

You can follow the progress of the current Stewardship campaign on the thermometer graphic downstairs. I encourage you to move the thermometer line up by making your pledge today.

Thank you for your membership in and your generosity to this community.
-Sheila Arbury