~  PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS  ~ 
Foothills Pregnancy Care Center, The Golden Corner Food Bank, Our Daily Rest and The Helping Hands Store and Home.  
 Collection baskets are in the narthex and the Parish hall.      

Greetings and warm welcome to all.

Please join the 8:00'ers as they go out to breakfast after the early service or stay for coffee, refreshments and fellowship immediately following the 10:30 liturgy in the parish hall.

Please note that we continue our Stewardship ministry of our annual pledge for 2012.  Remember to turn in your pledge cards today or mail them in this week. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Loyalty Luncheon on Sunday November 6th All Saints Day.  All food will be provided by the Stewardship Committee and Senior Warden, Sid Bryson.  There will be one service at 10:30 am.

All Saints Sunday, November 6th we will pray for those who have gone before us. If you wish to openly express and include those names of your loved ones during the liturgy, please print their name on the sheet provided on the church bulletin board or contact the church office prior to November 1st.
I want to continue to share with you the second installment of a series of writings called “Feasting on Gratitude” published by the Episcopal Church on stewardship. The reflection is simple, but I believe profound in its message to all of us.

Blessings to you all!              
Deedie+

Feasting on Gratitude
Stewardship Reflection Series
Proper 23A v Matthew 22:1-14

Everything is ready,
come to the banquet...

As we grew in the church, as we grew older, and as we grew to be more independent, we found that we have more available to us. We also discovered that no matter what we gave--whether to the church, a charitable organization, disaster relief, or to someone who is just down on their luck--our charity has always been returned to us in some way. Even when we struggle over whether or not to give to a certain cause, once we make the decision, the return is almost immediate. The returns we have received have been many and varied, including good news about a family member, the end to a long and difficult struggle, or simply the warm and heartfelt thanks from the recipients, the most rewarding gift imaginable.         
                                 
My wife and I have never regretted a contribution nor have we regretted our pledge to the church. We have come to realize that we are blessed in many ways and what we have is not ours to keep. It is ours to share in the same way God shares with us, freely and unconditionally. We are only stewards of God’s gifts to us. Let go and more gifts will follow.

Jesus saw table fellowship as part of his divine task. He took his cue from a long line of prophets--who were often hungry and malnourished themselves--and pointed to the great feast as a sign of God’s generosity, goodness, and the promise of life abundant. In God’s Kingdom there is not just enough, there is more than enough.

When my wife and I were young and were asked by the stewardship committee to pledge to our church, we weren’t sure how to respond. Like many young couples, we lived paycheck to paycheck. We were so strapped for money that we carried a half-full bottle of Coke when we visited friends because we could not afford to purchase and bring along a full bottle. Now we were expected to make a pledge to our church and stretch our thin budget even thinner?

We did make a pledge and quickly found that our pledge just added to our struggles. When it came time to pay our pledge, there just wasn’t enough money to go around--that is until we decided to become firstfruit givers, giving to the church first before we paid the bills. With that simple decision, we found that the ends actually did meet. Not that we had money left over at the end of the month; we didn’t. But we did find that our financial commitments were taken care of. Bills got paid and we always had food on our table. Giving was no longer a struggle but a goal and, as we could, we would increase that goal. Within a few short years, we reached our tithing level.

Gary A. Chubb       Lay Leader
St. John’s Episcopal Church           The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas
Copyright © 2011 The Episcopal Church

Reflection Questions
1. How is giving a sign of trusting in God’s goodness and generosity?

2. When have you experienced joy in your giving?

3. How have you been blessed by sharing the gifts entrusted to you?

 ~ Ascension’s Mission Statement ~

“DISCIPLES OF CHRIST CALLED TO SERVE NEIGHBORS NEAR AND FAR”