Why Stewardship?

Talking about money is not a favorite topic among most church leaders (or parishioners, for that matter). Unfortunately, we live in a world where we need to meet financial obligations in order to survive as a congregation.

Here at St. Raphael’s, we have faced many challenges, particularly with Hurricane Ian in 2022. Although we have made great progress and are thrilled to be worshiping back in our church, we still need to come up with a reasonable budget that will allow us to continue our ministry. In order to do this, we need your help, financially and otherwise.

Purpose of Page

The purpose of the page is to provide you with information on our 2026 pledge campaign which began last August with the formation of a Stewardship Committee. This year’s committee consisted of Ellie Bunting, Grace Workman, Judy Haataja, and John Gee. 

The committee met in September and created a 2026 campaign timeline. We sent out our first stewardship letter from Father Michael last month. This month we plan to send out a second letter from the wardens. If necessary, a third letter may be sent out in December. The pledge cards are ready and are being sent out with the letters. We will also be sending notices out electronically for those who do not have a physical address on file with us.

2026 Theme

The theme for 2026 is Tell Out My Soul inspired by the need to share our journey with others. The Good News that fills our spirits with joy is about the radical abundance, abiding love, and healing power that Jesus shares with us when we respond to his call to follow him. All of the gifts that we have been given are ready to burst forth to serve our neighbors and share our love with a world in need.

Tell Out My Soul is a campaign designed to accentuate and elucidate our storytelling and our passion for ministry. We who gather week by week, year upon year, to support our congregation and its ministries with our gifts have deep connection and story in our community. The relationships we form, the milestones we celebrate, the crises we overcome, the programs we envision all provide us with the stuff of story.

We are people of the Book, people of the Good News. Yes, this is about the Gospel and the way we encounter it, make it alive in our daily endeavors; but it is also about the good news we have inside us, the transformative power of our faith and our action that translate our gifts into ministry, our intentions into mission.

Storytelling

What is your story to tell? We hope that the stories of the ways people have used their creativity, their art, their writing, their passions to inspire you to tell your story through the many gifts you share with your church. We have been sharing some of these stories in our weekly newsletter. 

Below you will find a video discussing the effects of storytelling on stewardship. We also include the links for stories from various church leaders across the country. It is our hope that you will connect with these reflections and perhaps create a story of your own to share with others.

How Can I Give?

Links to stories

Link to Stewardship Letters