Rooftops and Hallelujas

Almost exactly a year ago, I had my first conversation with our Rector Nancy Cox about joining the team at All Saints’. Her excitement was palpable, even over the phone, as she shared about this incredible capital campaign that was going to set All Saints’ free to serve. We’ve all heard a lot about “Set Free to Serve,” the incredible generosity of so many saints responding to the Holy Spirit, and how we blew past our initial target because God knew that we had deferred maintenance to address as well. We even had a rocking mortgage burning party.

I wanted to share another story, one maybe a little less glamorous. Over the past two weeks, the roof above the Education Wing has been fixed. There are a few last things that need to be addressed, but the work has proceeded smoothly and with minimal disturbance to our preschool. In fact, my guess is, the disturbance has been so minimal that many of you had no idea it was happening!

Why am I sharing this? Because we are paying the roofer entirely with funds from our Capital Reserve Account. NOT the operating budget!! Hallelujah! This is what your generosity and commitment to the mission and ministry of All Saints’ looks like. This is what being “Set Free to Serve” looks like. We are resolving critical maintenance issues without compromising funding for the work God has called us to. 

Your vestry remains fully committed to their promise to you: with our mortgage burned, every single dollar that comes in to fulfill our pledges to the capital campaign goes directly to the Capital Reserve Account. We will continue to be able to address our deferred maintenance issues, prioritizing the remainder of the roof, the parking lot, and the HVAC system, all while keeping our eyes on Jesus and our hands and feet in the world around us. We have been Set Free to Serve and Set Free to Grow. Praise God!

The Rev. Michael Whitnah