Testimonials delivered in 2021 as part of the 2022 Every Member Pledge Campaign.

Follow the Saints

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Accepting the Challenge of God’s Call
​– Why I Pledge

​by Dodd Sims, M.D.

On All Saints Sunday, what better topic to meditate on than the saints of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill. Yes, there are saints among us. I have known some of them. They led me to this place.

Let me explain why we came to Immanuel, why we stayed, and why each year we prayerfully make a pledge of financial support to honor these saints and to return to God a small portion of the blessings God has bestowed on us.

Ten years ago, Phyllis and I were looking for a new church. We visited more than a few: several denominations, a variety of worship styles, some more welcoming than others. Finally, we showed up at Immanuel.

I first heard about Immanuel from patients who were long-standing parishioners. They seemed to be especially kind people. There were the three Bills: Bill Dols, Bill Kilpatrick and especially Bill Frye. And then there was the one and only Andy Biache.
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Good Morning, Church!

​by Doug Onley

Good morning, Church!

When I was in East Africa several years ago, that is how every priest or layperson in every Anglican church I visited – “Good morning, Church” – addressed their congregation, with “church” added at the end. Last week, you might have noticed that Randy welcomed us to worship with that very phrase. The word “church” is from the Old English cirice, [Seer-a-see] meaning “the body of Christian believers, Christians collectively.” 

“Good morning church” always strikes me as embracing those attending worship in an immediate togetherness, inviting us at the front end of our experience into relationship with God and with each other, welcoming us into a group home of sorts. As I reflected about Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill’s pledge campaign for 2021 – “God is with you wherever you go” – the greeting I heard in Africa … the invitation I heard from our rector just last week … returned to me over and over.
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My Testimonial

by Caroline Bergmark

This Stewardship Minute has three themes:
My relationship with God
My relationship with Immanuel
And why we pledge 
 
-- Life can be complicated. I often ask God for guidance. 
Life has hard days. My favorite prayer is simple “Lord, Help me to remember that nothing is going to happen today, that together we can’t handle.” And I thank God for the joy and beauty of this world. I marvel at sunsets; God has the best crayon box. 
 
-- We chose Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill for the sermons. The weekly lessons are informative, often citing resources outside the Bible to deepen the thinking. Plus, I see the good that our church does in our Outreach programs. And Immanuel’s fellowship folds you into a loving community. 
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by Kathryn Jackson Haskin

I’m Kathryn Jackson Haskin, and Matt and I came to Immanuel as newlyweds. We feel blessed to be growing in our faith here and raising our daughter in this community. There are several important reasons we chose The Episcopal Church as a faith home, even before Immanuel – we were both welcomed at the table for Communion, all genders can participate in lay and ordained ministry, LGBTQ siblings in Christ are fully welcomed, affirmed, and can serve in all aspects.

Immanuel more than checked these boxes right up front for us, but the reason this is our home are some of the elements I would have described previously as the intangibles. The feeling of community. An honest and real embrace of kids – and the sounds they bring to church services. The legit acceptance and valuing of questions from adults as an integral way to deepen faith. A lived commitment to service to others. I wasn’t sure how to measure these elements, but I knew they would hook us to a church home. These are the intangibles that I now see as tangible. 
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My Offering to Immanuel

by Lauren Whitman

My family and I have always been looking for a place where we feel welcomed and at home. Immanuel is just that.

Previously we had been in a larger church community. There, the kids were separated from their parents, and I was even separated from my sister. Something I knew I wasn’t comfortable with.

At Immanuel, I was recognized as a contributor to the church even at a young age. It allowed me space to grow and now I’m going through confirmation. For me, confirmation isn’t only about your relationship with God, but is also about your relationship with the church you are about to become an adult member of.
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