GIVING AND SHARING ...

This week we continue a series of guest blog posts by parishioners at the Episcopal Church of St. Margaret in Plainview, N.Y. Bloggers are reflecting on what stewardship means to them, and how God the Giver has been a part of their lives. Our guest post this week is from parishioner Mike H.

In this latest season of stewardship, I reflect on the things that I can do to give back to the Episcopal Church that has provided me many fond memories; camps, dances and youth groups, just to name a few. I’ll share one memory. There was a point when I was a kid, growing up in Shelby, N.C. (Church of the Redeemer), that my father was out of work for an extended period of time. Mom and Dad were always active members in church (they later went on to found an Episcopal Church in Mooresville, N.C. – St. Patrick’s Mission). They had good friends through church, and participated in many activities. Deep into that employment transition for my Dad, the church vestry apparently decided to use a portion of the discretionary funds available to cut a check to them, to help pay for our expenses. I’ll never forget the tears that rolled down my Dad’s face when he accepted it.

However, stewardship isn’t just about money. It’s about what you can give back to the church through use of your talents – fundraising, maintenance work, etc. My family certainly doesn’t pledge a tremendous amount of money annually to the church. We can’t afford to. What we can – and do – do is give of our time; Mari serves on the Altar and Flower Guilds and teaches Sunday school; I am on Vestry and the Stewardship/Fundraising Committee. I firmly believe this parish has the potential to be great - to grow back into one of the more prominent Episcopal churches on Long Island. We have lots of activities available, and are starting new ones all the time. What we need now is to use that positive momentum to drive growth forward. The “Town Hall” meeting this Sunday felt like another step forward. Let’s continue that forward push, together.

Thank you all for everything you already do to make St. Margaret’s a great place to call my church home.

Respectfully, Michael H.