Stewardship
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Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for He Himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)
Dear Beloved Brother & Sisters,
When Christ cleansed the ten lepers, He was troubled that only one returned to offer thanks for the great gift of healing. He asks, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18). Offering gratitude and thanksgiving to God is an ancient practice that never grows old. In the Old Testament, we see Israel offered what the Lord commanded, they were only returning to Him what was His in the first place. The same is true of our offerings in the Church. St. Athanasios the Great reminds us: “When we make a return we give nothing of our own, but those things which we have before received from Christ, this being especially of His grace, that He should require, as from us, His own gifts.”
As our Ascension Parish celebrates its Silver Anniversary in 2023, please take a moment to reflect on the blessings God has bestowed on us and our Parish. Become a steward today and give thanks to our Lord by supporting the mission of the Church, especially in this present day when our world is in dire need of her Light and Life.
On behalf of our entire Ascension Family, I offer my gratitude for your dedication to our Parish and your participation in Christ’s work of salvation.
In Christ,
Rev. Fr. Sotirios P. Malamis
Parish Priest
Download and print the 2023 Stewardship Pledge card, HERE.
There is still time to fulfill your 2022 Stewardship Pledge. Click HERE for more information.
A Stewardship Prayer
Gracious God, giver of all we have and hold as stewards;
grant the people of this church a deep and abiding awareness that all things come from you –
our health, our incomes, our jobs, our talents and our generous impulse.
Send your Holy Spirit to help us as we swim against the rising tides of materialism, envy, individualism and greed in our culture.
When we are tempted to think of money as a private matter, remind us that you have asked for part of what we are given,
to be returned to you as a symbol of our awareness that you give all we have.
And further, help us to help each other in this grace of giving,
for you are the lover of our souls and call us to nothing less than transformation in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Thank you for your support as we help our parish build strong momentum going into 2023! To learn more about Stewardship within our Ascension community, contact our Stewardship Committee Chair, Harold Anagnos by email at hanagnos90@icloud.com, or by calling the church office at 847.482.1200.
