Sunday night, at the Growing Together campaign dinner, I was looking at some of the pictures from last summer’s steeple raising party. Remember that day? We had all gathered in the parking lot to watch the giant crane hoist the new steeple – with the old cross on top – up to the very top of our roof. It’s funny how we come in and out under that steeple every day now, and hardly think a thing about it (though someone did notice how shiny it sill looks!) One of my favorite pictures from that day last August is the one where we’re all standing in front of the new steeple before it got lifted up. Ed Wagoner is there, and Lib Murray, who were around when the first steeple went up. There were folks who’ve been around the church for decades and members who just joined last year. My daughter was there (my son was, too, technically, though he had not yet made an appearance on the scene), and several other kids. Looking at that picture, I was reminded—not for the first time—just how blessed we are to be part of this faith community.

As you know, we’re now in the second phase of the Growing Together campaign, and we’re all being asked to extend our commitments or make a new gift so we can finish the final project: a new portico outside the front door and a renovated entrance and gathering space outside the sanctuary. Our entryway needs a facelift. It is, frankly, a little dated. (Another church member used the word “historic” to describe our entryway, which was kind of her.) Thandiwe said Sunday that when you walk in our front door, you don’t really get a sense of who we are: a generous, loving, laughing, friendly, multi-generational, creative, enthusiastic, compassionate, hard-working, dedicated group of people doing our best to love one another as God has loved us.

The $225,000 we need to raise is no small amount of money. But we can do this. I know that we can, because I’ve been witness to your generosity before. I’ve been witness to this congregation doing things we never thought we could do. I’ve seen how you care about each other and care about this church.

I hope you’ll join me and my family in making a pledge to this phase of the campaign. I can only imagine the party we’ll have when the work is done.