September 29, 2022
Or through one of these other methods:
- By filling out a pledge card. Pledge cards are available to pick up at the church. Additional pledge cards have been mailed to current members.
- By contacting the office at office@bedesinthegrove.com or 503-357-5300.
- Through yourRealm account. After logging in, you may find the pledge form by clicking "Giving" > "+ Pledge" to make a pledge for our 2023 campaign.
Realm is our online directory and giving platform. If you do not have a Realm account and would like one, please contact us and we will help set you up.
Back to Basics
A Message from the Rev'd Marlene Mutchler, Vicar
Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38
Beloved Bedians:
We are beginning to explore this year’s academic theme, “Back to Basics.” For Christians
there may be nothing quite as basic as our baptismal covenant initiation into faith. Reflected
in these promises is the heart of our work as Christ’s Church. Basing our covenant in the
shared tenets of our faith we promise to continue the apostle’s teaching – in fellowship,
breaking bread, and prayer. We promise to resist evil, return and repent, proclaim the good
news, and respect the dignity of every human being among other things. We will focus
especially on the Baptismal Covenant this year during our Lenten Retreat because what we believe has profound impacts on our ethics and our participation in God's justice for all of humanity. Our “Becoming” intergenerational studies this year reflect our desire to live more fully our baptismal covenant.
Our catechism tells us that the mission of the church is to restore all people to God and with each other in Christ. With the aim of restoring a sense of relational unity we are studying what it means to be the Church in our “Becoming the People of God'' intergenerational conversations on Sunday morning. Our year long “Becoming Liturgists” program will provide relationship opportunities to study worship, the sacraments, and our liturgical traditions in exciting new ways as we emerge from pandemic and begin to re-engage with in-person, corporate worship. We will continue to find ways to worship, study, and learn how to love God and our neighbors as we “strive to know Christ more deeply and bring others to his redeeming love” this year. This is not the work of your priest or any one person but the work of God.
The BAC developed “Back to Basics” theme for the year is reflected in our three primary BAC goals. These included: liturgical renewal, youth program renewal, and a return to coffee hour fellowship as we had pre-pandemic. Thanks be to God, our Building and Grounds committee is yet overseeing much needed maintenance to ensure that our physical plant continues to be a resource for worship and community. We have definitely made good progress on these core goals.
In Anglicanism we have a saying that our praying shapes our belief. I invite us to pray and discern how we believe God may be calling us to financially support the work of becoming God’s Church this year at St. Bede’s. For the next four Sundays (October 9 - 30) you will hear about what St Bede’s presence has meant to some of our individual members. Let us listen with open hearts and contribute as the Spirit moves to becoming the Church together through our financial pledges. Please return the enclosed pledge card by October 30 to help us plan and respond to the call of becoming the people of God in the coming year.
Thank you for submitting yourself to the care and leading of the Holy One. I thank God for all of our Beloved Bedians who strive to live in love at home, work, school, in community, family, and here at church. May God’s grace bless us as we become more and more committed to keep the promises of our faith in Christ.
Every grace,
2023 Annual Stewardship Campaign
ST. BEDE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1609 Elm St. Forest Grove, OR
office@bedesinthegrove.com | 503-357-5300
St. Bede Episcopal Church ©