Dear friends,
The “Gratitude” hanging in the nave has lifted our eyes upward in recent weeks, inviting us to ponder the Spirit’s moving in our midst even as the ribbons gently sway in the room. The bright lamps cast light downward along the ribbons and onto our uplifted faces. There is a sense of Presence in the space, made holy by the community’s gathering… by your presence, too, in-person and via livestream. One Body… Forward as Beloved Community. That’s the theme for this year’s stewardship appeal, and I am writing now to invite us all to frame this effort in the light of God’s claim on us as beloved and the gratitude such love evokes in us. 

Our Stewardship Ingathering is this coming Sunday, October 31, and we will present all the pledge cards at the altar during the morning services. If you have already submitted your pledge (regardless of format), your pledge card will be there. If you have not yet made your pledge, I hope you will. You can do so online at saintmarks.org/stewardship or by contacting Erik Donner in the church office by emailing edonner@saintmarks.org or calling 206.323.0300 ext. 217. He will include your pledge in those presented as blessings in this community as we engage our mission and ministries in the coming year. By presenting these at the altar, we consecrate them as gifts, as offerings of our life and labor. 
If Saint Mark’s Cathedral is a place of spiritual connection for you, this is a tangible way of giving thanks for that connection, and to take your place in this wonderful community that spans the generations. We are all invited to be part of this “One Body.”

I will include below some data about the pledges received as of Tuesday, October 26. Many more are still to come, but I share these numbers as a sign of the remarkable generosity, offered by so many, so that this cathedral will continue to serve as a house of prayer, a beacon of hope, and a sacred community engaged in the work of God’s justice and peace, all while proclaiming the reconciling good news of God in Christ to a broken, hurting world. I am so honored to have been called into this community with YOU, to serve among you all. Please know of my heartfelt gratitude for each of you. I am,

Your Brother in Christ,
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
Stewardship by the numbers, as of October 26, 2021

208 pledges received, totaling $864,790
 
118 pledges increased from prior year for total increase of $85,358
 
11 pledges decreased from prior year for total decrease of $20,240
 
63 pledges the same as last year for total of $240,758
 
16 new pledges this year for total of $30,274
 
208 pledges received thus far out of total of 500 pledges expected. 

If you have not yet submitted your pledge, please do so by Ingathering Sunday, October 31. Thank you.
Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral
1245 Tenth Ave. East
Seattle, WA 98102

206-323-0300
www.saintmarks.org