2026: Rooted in Faith, Growing in Grace
Annual stewardship campaign
In his remarks to the church in Colossae, Paul reminds them: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
2025 was a year full of blessings at Holy Trinity: new families, growing ministries, growing groups, and beautiful worship! As we approach 2026, we are celebrating a parish that is truly Rooted in Faith and Growing in Grace.
You may have noticed the new energy around the church recently. Because of the generosity of this community, this past year has been one of extraordinary vitality. We aren't just maintaining a building; we are participating in the work of God! Look at what has been happening:
A Growing Family: We continue to welcome new members into our church family and have provided a number of new affinity groups for women, Tolkien fans, and fantasy sports aficionados.
Vibrant Ministry & Leadership: We celebrated the addition of our Deacon to the ministry team, whose presence has strengthened our liturgical life, pastoral care, and service to our community.
Stewardship of Place: Your giving allowed us to complete and begin new property updates—needed repairs to our physical plant and planning for central air on the parish hall side of the church—ensuring our space remains a useful and welcoming place for fellowship, community, and service.
Serving the Community: We have continued to be a hub for town-wide activities, increasing the use of the space and community engagement with the parish. From the Girl Scouts to Rutgers Reading Program, Alcoholics Anonymous to Wenonah Seniors Group—Holy Trinity is a place alive not only with the Gospel but with opportunities to connect throughout the community.
If you are new to Holy Trinity, or simply haven't pledged before, you might wonder how we accomplish all of this. Unlike some institutions, we receive no outside funding. Every light bulb, every Sunday School lesson, and every outreach meal is funded by the “stewardship” of families like yours. To sustain this momentum and meet our goals for 2026—including a plan to update the undercroft for better fellowship space—our Vestry has set a budget goal of $217,600. This will allow us to:
Raise Up Leaders: Identifying and training new leaders for service and ministry at Holy Trinity.
Build Stronger Connections: Increasing affinity groups to further connect everyone to our shared life in Christ—focusing especially on the men of the parish and all our young families.
Growing Opportunities: Identify and implement a long-range plan to update the undercroft to provide more opportunities for fellowship, community, and growth.
Sustain Tradition: Continue offering high-quality, spiritually enriching, relevant worship and formation through liturgy, study, and small groups.
To reach our goal together, the Vestry has calculated a Shared Giving Request. If we divide our total budget need by our 70 giving households, we arrive at a figure of $3,100 per household for the year. This breaks down to approximately: $260 per month or $60 per week.
I share this number to offer a transparent look at what it costs to be the church together. We understand that for those pledging for the first time, this number may be a leap. Our invitation is simple: start anywhere! We invite you to prayerfully consider two things for 2026:
1. Make a financial pledge: Whether it is $10 a week or striving toward the "Shared Giving" amount, every pledge helps us plan responsibly for the year ahead.
2. Share your Time and Talents: Connection is the heartbeat of our church. Enclosed is a survey where you can let us know how you might like to get more involved, from reading on Sundays to helping with property projects.
I invite you to join us for Ingathering Sunday on January 25, as we lay our commitments on the altar with grateful hearts. Your presence is a gift to us. We hope you will join us in being Rooted in Faith and Growing in Grace in the year to come.
Would you prayerfully consider a pledge to Holy Trinity’s annual campaign? If yes, please fill out and return the pledge card (or fill out our online pledge form) before January 23, 2025. If you have any questions about pledging to our campaign, please contact me at rector@holytrinitywenonah.org.