St Johns Episcopal Church

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Welcome to our website. It is our hope that by visiting us here you will get a feeling for who we are and choose to join us on our journey.
If you are searching for a community that will renew your faith in God's love, nurture your spirit, forgive your human faults, and celebrate your gifts, there's a place for you at St. John’s. We invite you to visit and worship with us. .

Gracious God, from you comes every good and healthful gift. Help us through our faithful Stewardship to acknowledge that all things come of you, and to learn that it is in giving that we receive. Give us grateful hearts and make us joyful and cheerful givers, as we put our trust in you. Guide us and strengthen us as we make our gifts to you through St. Johns for the spread of your Kingdom: In the name of your greatest gift, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

It is a fundamental Christian belief that all that we have our lives, time, talent and material resources - are a gracious gift from God, and that our faithful response to God can be measured by how we manage those gifts. Many of us affirm this basic belief each Sunday as we say, "All things come of thee O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee."
It is not enough, however, for us just to say that we believe those things. We know that if we dont act on that belief, we find ourselves owned and controlled by the gift, rather than being faithful people using the gift for the benefit of Gods Kingdom.
The tithe has always surfaced as the accepted standard for Christian giving in the Anglican tradition. I has been affirmed many times throughout the Anglican Communion. It was affirmed at our Diocesan convention in October and was extended to include both the congregations and the diocese. But it begins here, with us.
I dont know how many families at St. Johns are committed to the tithe as the minimum standard of given for the benefit of Gods Kingdom. It is a difficult level to achieve if you are not there. The Alabama Plan for Stewardship Education asks us to examine the level of giving in all areas of our life time, talent and treasure - and decide whether or not we want to move toward that level. It is best accomplished by increasing our giving gradually over a period of years according to our personal circumstances. How much time do you have available to participate in the various ministries of St. Johns? What God-given talents do you have? These things will vary from individual to individual. What about our treasures? There is a simple method for determining what treasures we have and how we can progress to the level of the tithe if we wish to do so. A simple and easy to use form is available in the Parish office. This form is personal to you and we will not ask you to return it to the Church or to share the information with anyone.
Pray faithfully and use the prayer above as you consider how you can respond to Gods gifts to you.