Stewardship Weekend Preview

Dear parishioners and friends, grace and peace be to you in Christ Jesus.
 
Saturday and Sunday is Stewardship Weekend, our annual opportunity to reflect on the considerable gifts we’ve been given, individually and collectively, and how we are being invited to cultivate those gifts for God’s good purposes.
 
The theme for this year’s Stewardship Weekend is “Answering the Call,” drawn directly from our new parish mission statement. Indeed, our mission here at Nativity of Our Lord is to help “each person answer the call of Jesus Christ to serve as his disciple.”

God has called each one of us — personally — to follow him as his disciple.  No one is exempt or left out!
 
This is a great gift, and also a great responsibility. This weekend, I invite you to reflect and pray together with your family, friends, and fellow parishioners on how God is inviting you to follow him here and now.

I also invite you to discern how you can help Nativity of Our Lord best live out our mission, so beautifully articulated in our new mission statement.
 
Then, at Mass, I will invite you to make a commitment to answer Our Lord’s call here at Nativity. In particular, I’ll invite you to make a financial commitment to help our parish carry out our mission in the coming calendar year.
 
At this time, however, I would like to highlight some of our parishioners who have exemplified stewardship — of time, talent, and treasure — this past year, namely the leadership team of the 45th Nativity County Fair.
 
What a fair it was! I’m so grateful to the 2019 chairs, Mary and Tom Ek and Bridget McConville and Matt Mundy, as well as the rest of the steering committee: Joe and Megan Jacobson, Mary Jo and Steve Katras, Patrick and Rebecca Martin, Claire and Steve Noble, Andy and Jamie Omann, Connie and Jeff Shea, Mark and Sheryl Sheehan, Esther Sobocinski, and Casey and Tom Stephens. Thank you for answering the call!
 
To all of the hundreds of volunteers taking on roles and responsibilities big and small, thank you! Thank you to all who gave of time, talent, and treasure to create this truly indispensable opportunity to witness to the community, build lasting relationships, and support our students at Nativity School. And thank you to all who came and had fun!  May God reward you all.
 
Finally, thank you to all who came to our two open parish discussions this past week. I echo the sentiments of our talented facilitator (and parishioner), June Klaphake, that there was much wisdom shared. It gives me much hope for the future! Stay tuned for more from the One Nativity 2035 committee.
 
May God bless your week.
— Fr. Patrick Hipwell, pastor
 
A previous version appeared in the November 3 parish bulletin.