St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

I’ve been amazed at how St. Barts has changed.

“I’ve never imagined that I would return to church,” said one person. Another recent member said, “It’s time for me to give back.” And another: “I am thankful to have a family.”

It’s official. We’ve started to grow again. The sense of mission, hope and expectation are real. And it has been because of your support.

You helped buy us a new water heater. You brought 20 computers for schoolchildren in Kenya. In Tanzania you sent 50 orphans to school. You funded the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless. You kept the lights on and sanctuary warm. You’ve offered the rector’s time to serve community boards such as the Westchester Housing Coalition and Meals on Wheels. You have helped make it easy for others who seek to volunteer to serve. You raked the leaves.

You help us worship. You teach young people a language for creating meaning. You encourage the prosperous to serve, and offer magnanimity to the lonely. We care for each other and for those who have no immediate connection to the church.

Admittedly, in times of scarcity, it’s easy for the church to look inward, to be self-serving, and to ignore the real spiritual and economic desperation in our midst. But the truth is clear: our bottom line helps far more people than is easily quantifiable.

We need your help. Will you?

We’ve struggled to invest both in mission and maintenance. Some have really gone the extra mile: donating both their extensive resources and their time. One brother of a member donated more than $10,000 worth of time to stop the water damage on the roof. And we were able to give him a gift from the resources that another parishioner provided. A small hundred dollar gift helped us one hundred fold.

Please consider an end-year gift to St. Bartholomew’s Church. We realize you have many places to give. At St Barts, your gift will immediately help us help others. It always does. It helps people you know. It helps people you don’t.

During this season, consider giving to a charity doing wonderful work, and on the verge of doing much more. Your gift will not merely help us finish the year strong, but be an investment for future growth. The excitement here is palpable.

You can mail your gift today in the enclosed envelope; you can go on line; you can drop it in the plate when you come to church. You can offer your donation during our December 24th Christmas eve services at 4pm or 11pm.

If you cannot give this year, just give us a call and let us know how you are doing. We strive to be here for each other in this increasingly fragmented society.

Again, thank you for your generosity. Thank you for making St. Barts the place it is called to be.