Beloved St. Martin’s, 

What a full week it has been. Closing one fiscal year and opening another is a major undertaking in any non-profit, but it is especially interesting work in Churches, where this financial shift coincides with one of our most significant celebrations—Christmas! I’ll speak to that practical reality in a moment. 

But first, I want to speak to a more soulful reality. Folks in our church and school community have expressed to me just how hard this week has been, either because of what is going on in their personal lives, or because of what is going on in our national life, or both. I have asked a licensed therapist and wonderful human being, Teddi Bair, to speak to our Adult Formation group this Sunday. Teddi is a counselor, coach, speaker and teacher who practices at the Cathedral Counseling Center in Atlanta, GA. She is also my best friend who happens to be visiting. Teddi reads this E-pistle newsletter every week and hears me speak of you often. She cares about you because I care about you. So when I called her last night to ask if she could help me hold space for you at Adult Formation on Sunday, she said yes. Teddi will remind us of the truth that Jesus, whose birth we just celebrated, is called “Wonderful Counselor.” I hope you’ll join in the conversation this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall. 

And now, to the practical piece... we have so much to be thankful for. Friends, I am humbled by the generosity of our parish. If you add up the funds and pledges received for the Memorial Garden, the Endowment Fund and the 2026 Operating Budget, this parish has given or pledged over $955,000. That is huge! What a gift! We have so much to be thankful for! And I’m busy writing thank you letters now. 

Of the 122 households who pledged to the 2026 operating fund, 50% increased their pledge, 4% decreased their pledge, and 10% represent new pledges. This, too, is something to celebrate! 

And, thanks to your end-of-year generosity, we will not end 2025 with a deficit. We are still processing some December expenses, but we may just have a (very!) slight surplus. Thank you. 

It is also true that we are $100k short of the $850k goal we set for our 2026 operating fund pledge campaign. The finance committee met yesterday morning and cut the proposed budget back to what would amount to a $40k deficit for 2026. We are meeting again on Tuesday before sending a proposed budget to the vestry on Wednesday. The vestry will meet one week later to discuss and vote on an official budget for the year. 

Friends, we do not want to propose a $40k deficit budget. We are looking at ways to minimize that deficit further, which is hard to do when ~90% of our costs are fixed. We could cut our already minimal outreach budget, or we could choose not to support the youth pilgrimage. While I am committed to giving our staff a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment, as the leader of this organization, I am willing not to receive that same 3% COLA increase. 

I am sharing all of this with you, not to beg for more, but to name the truth of where we are. One of the core characteristics you prioritized in your search for a new rector was honesty. I will always strive to be honest with you. The truth is: We are doing amazing things. After 35 years, we finally have an Endowment Fund that can make a difference in the life of the church. After 47 years, we are appropriately caring for the sacred ground of our Memorial Garden. Every week we see new faces. The light of St. Martin’s shines so bright! And, in the coming weeks, our vestry will be tasked with deciding whether to cut ministry expenses or pass a deficit budget in hopes that the new life we see will address that deficit before year-end.  

God bless our vestry for their leadership. God bless you for your faithfulness. And God bless St. Martin’s for the generosity and joy we share in Christ Jesus. 

Amen. 

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Look at all these bright lights that came out Tuesday, January 6 to celebrate the feast of Epiphany! We burned greens, chose star words, made s’mores, drank hot apple cider, and prayed a short compline at our first Epiphany bonfire!