Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

​Putting things in their proper order in this life is part of the faith journey, part of what it means to be a Christian.  One of the Ten Commandments is all about priorities: “You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20l :3 ). The direction from this commandment is clear: God needs to come first in our lives. From the New Testament, and from a hymn we sing frequently, we hear it this way: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Thus we are pleased to announce the theme for this year’s  Every Member Pledge Campaign, Putting God First, which draws directly upon this emphasis.
 
There are many competing demands in our lives — especially in challenging times — which would draw us away from this bedrock element of our faith. One of the clearest ways we can examine where our priorities really lie is to pay attention to how we expend our resources.  
 
The Every Member Pledge Campaign is our annual stewardship initiative at Immanuel, where we invite all who love and care about this parish and our life together to make a pledge in thanksgiving for the many blessings God has given us towards our parish life for the next year.   Immanuel’s Every Member Pledge campaign runs this year from November 2-23, 2025. Commitment Sunday, on November 23, will be a time to celebrate both the gifts we can give back to God and our promise to support with our financial pledge the strong and vibrant life, ministry, and joys of Christian fellowship of our parish life together. 
 
Your financial pledge is incredibly important, and we invite you to give generously to support our life and ministry together. Your pledge is vital because it allows Immanuel’s vestry to prepare a realistic financial plan and budget that supports our work and ministry in our parish community and throughout the world. 
 
The impact of your financial pledge is manifold. We serve our children, youth, and teens in their Christian formation; we study God’s Holy Word and pray together; we offer adults of all ages formation programs for living a life worthy of our God-given gifts. We support our staff and clergy and Christian witness through our remarkable music and worship and in buildings worthy of our praise to God. We welcome our many newcomers into the joys of fellowship at Immanuel, sharing the good news of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.  
 
Together, we make a difference by putting God first, and by giving back to God’s great purposes.  This very much includes our beloved parish church and the Christian worship, witness, outreach, and fellowship we share here. 
 
Please use the QR code at the bottom of this letter or the enclosed pledge card as you make a pledge and prayerfully and intentionally give thanks for God’s many gifts to you. This is a great opportunity to give back to God from all we have been given, to a community that we love and which needs and deserves our support. 
 Please make a commitment to take your place and deepen your level of giving back to God and Immanuel this year.  
 
Blessings to you all, and thanks be to God! 
 
Yours in Christ,
 
The Rev. J. Randolph Alexander, Jr., Rector
Amy Thomas, Senior Warden
Caroline Bergmark, Junior Warden for Buildings and Grounds
Peter Kent, Junior Warden for Administration

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