Fall, 2022
Thanks so much for your interest in St. Brigit’s!
After two challenging years dealing with the Covid pandemic and tension within our national culture, St. Brigit’s is facing quite a crossroad. Throughout 2022, we have been “overcomers.” We are growing. Several new members and families have joined the church. Our average Sunday attendance since September has seen more than a 20% growth as compared to the average attendance throughout 2021. Our children and youth opportunities are expanding. We are re-introducing events and opportunities to bring us together.
Just last month we celebrated surpassing our goal of 2,000 pounds of produce donated from our Brigit’s Bounty garden to local feeding programs. Our 2,060-lb. harvest brings us back to pre-pandemic production levels.
Unfortunately, we do have some serious challenges and are asking for your help to overcome some obstacles. With few reserves available, our church must re-examine the resources we have, collectively, as we work to respond to God’s dream for us. Early in the pandemic we discerned that we would call a full-time vicar to lead us forward – and God answered our prayers by sending a loving, inspiring Episcopal priest to answer that call. Now, the financial commitments made for the coming year by members of our faith community will determine our next steps: how will we honor our covenant with our clergy and community, or must we re-imagine how we live out God’s dream at St. Brigit’s Episcopal Church.
Gathering Together / Growing Stronger is the theme of our annual fall funding campaign for 2023.
- Gathering Together calls us to gather our people to build community and to gather up the many gifts, skills, assets, and resources that we can bring together to expand St. Brigit’s reach into the community.
- Growing Stronger tells the story of how that gathering allows St. Brigit’s to share strength and courage with one another, and share our hope with the wider community. Drawing on our knowledge, creativity, generosity, and mutual respect we will discern how to strengthen and grow St. Brigit’s, growing vital partnerships with our neighbors.
St. Brigit’s leadership – our ministry leaders, Bishop’s Committee Community, clergy, paid and unpaid staff – are asking our community of supporters to consider a gift to help fund St. Brigit’s ministry in the world. Will we discover new partners to strengthen our work? Will St. Brigit’s continue to flourish? Will we extend Christ’s love in new ways, to new friends?
On or before Dec. 21st, we are asking each household in our faith community to offer an estimate of giving for 2023. We have already done so within our church community, and are now inviting you, our wider community, to join us, both in offering support and in celebrating our community’s generosity.
You are encouraged to make a gift at any time online, at www.stbrigit.org. Or, if you choose, enclosed with this letter is an “estimate of giving” form and an FAQ sheet, addressing the questions that are most frequently asked about St. Brigit’s fall fund-raising campaign. If we haven’t addressed your question, please reach out to [email protected] / 720-208-0280 so that we can provide an answer.
Please take some time to consider how you might offer support to St. Brigit’s work. We are confident that your gifts alongside our faith community’s commitments and God’s hand will guide us in gathering and growing, stronger together.
With grateful hearts,
St. Brigit’s Financial Stewardship and Vision Team:
Laura Lewis, Sean McGaughey, Jeff Nieusma, Demi Prentiss, Jim Thoming, with Fr. Tim Backus, ex officio