Reflections from the President  

Vision, Creativity & Transformative Stewardship

The month of March is Stewardship month at All Souls Church –  a time when we think about our Stewardship commitments for the year ahead, financial promises which are so important as we craft a responsible budget for the 2024-2025 church year.  It is easy to think about Stewardship as being solely about money.  But it is so much more!

A dictionary definition of Stewardship asks us to think more broadly about stewardship as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”  All Souls Church is currently entrusted to our care. What does this mean now and for the future?  What does it ask of each of us individually and as a  community?  

These questions bring me to thoughts of vision and creativity.  I am constantly amazed at the levels of creativity demonstrated and generously shared by All Souls members and friends.  We see this creativity in the crafting of services, the joyful sound of music, the beautiful art on our walls, the tasty contributions for hospitality, the bounty offered at our fairs and bazaars, the problem-solving as we fix, clean, repair, and document, our impact on the greater community, and the thoughtful insights and ideas shared at the many meetings conducted throughout the year.  

These are all creative acts.  None of these acts would occur without the vision of each creator — to offer something that had not previously existed — whether a song, work of art, or an idea.  The gifts of sharing our creativity and energy are acts of generosity and acts of love.  Love is at the center of our Unitarian Universalist values. We live out our values through our actions.  And in the giving and receiving of gifts we are transformed.

Our collective stewardship of All Souls Church is an opportunity for us to care for our faith community in the present and envision and plan for the future.   A key vision this year is expansion of ministry and the possibilities this offers for deeper connection with one another and stronger outreach for social justice. 

Souls Matters invites us to consider The Gift of Transformation during the month of March – a fitting theme for our Stewardship Campaign month.   The Stewardship Team invites members and friends to join in conversations that will occur at multiple gatherings when we can consider questions of transformation: 

• • • • What am I grateful for at All Souls Church?
      • What keeps me coming back?
      • Is there an area of church life that inspires my participation?
      • How can I make a difference?

Please join in one of these conversations — please share your thoughts and ideas.  Please fill out your Stewardship Commitment Form for 2024-2025.  Thank you for your vision, your creativity and your gifts to the All Souls community and our larger world.

With blessings, Leslie