A Grateful Update

Dear friends in Christ,

Over the past couple of months, you have heard from me as well as other parish leaders about unexpected challenges meeting our 2025 budget. While the church is in excellent overall financial shape, our stewardship campaign was not as smooth as in the recent past for a variety of reasons. Consequently, it has taken longer to meet the needed revenue commitments to fund our robust and growing ministries in this calendar year. I am very grateful to report that because of the generosity of many of our members, including new commitments in the last few weeks, our vestry passed a revised budget of $8.9 million earlier this week. While conservatively lean, this revised budget represents an increase over 2024 and supports our key goals for the year.

On behalf of the entire vestry leadership, I want to express deep gratitude to all SJD members who have made a commitment or gift to support our ministries in 2025. I especially express great thanks to those who even increased their original pledge. While we have serious work to do inspiring more people to make a spiritually mature financial commitment to the church, we would not be blessed with the resources we have without the many who do make such commitments.

I often say that financial stewardship to the church is a tangible response of gratitude for all that our Lord has given to us. Giving to the local congregation is different from any other form of non-profit charity because, however imperfect we may be, SJD is Christ’s body to which we belong in this place and for this time. What a blessing to be invited to share in his life and love! Thanks be to Him and also to you!

In Christ,
Leigh

The Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill, Rector