Stewardship has always been a part of the life the Church of St. John the Evangelist, but as with every life, it has changed and developed with the passage of time. Up until 2005, St. John’s was the home of St. John’s Kitchen, which, in conjunction with the Kitchener Working Centre, served free hot meals to hundreds of people every weekday at noon. Eventually, the numbers of clients for this service exceeded our building’s physical capacities, and with our support, this service was moved to an especially designed location near-by.

Throughout the following year, the community of St. John’s organized and ran a series of meetings to discuss our sense of mission and develop a refreshed focus for our church. These conversations were open to all and were carefully recorded and reported to the entire parish. The most recent and comprehensive of these reports, entitled “Stepping Out In Faith”, is available for all to read. It lists five main areas of our parish life that we intend to work on together: Faith and Worship, Hospitality, Being an Inclusive Community, Ministering to Children and Youth, Using Our Building to Express Our Faith. Each of these areas includes many specific recommendations, and work began on them immediately in April, 2007.

At our Annual Vestry Meeting in February, 2008, it was evident that our vision would require a renewed commitment to stewardship by every member, and so a Stewardship Committee was organized. This committee, chaired by Frank Millerd and Jennifer Uttley, and including seven other members, developed a plan that would consist of a telephone call and a visit to every member of St. John’s by one of a group of specially commissioned Visitors. Every member has been asked to complete a commitment form indicating their intended offerings of time, talents and financial support. In particular, members were urged to use the pre-authorized giving option that is available to anyone who has a regular bank account. These commitment forms are to be completed by Commitment Sunday (June 1) and returned in sealed envelopes, to be presented at the Offering during the Worship Service on June 8 by the Visitors. During the following week, the Parish Administrator, Susan Hammer, will record this information.

This Stewardship programme emphasizes communication among all members of the parish and is as much concerned with listening to members as with informing them about the work of St. John’s. The information about interests, ideas, and talents that members send back to the committee will be carefully considered and followed up on a continuing basis. Members who indicate an interest in helping or initiating work in church ministries will be encouraged to make appropriate contacts and contributions of time and assistance Stewardship is an essential part of the exercise of our Faith. Everything blessing that we possess comes from God, and our offerings to the Church are an indication of our awareness of that and our gratitude.