St. Paul’s has been blessed by the stewardship of past members. Through their good planning, generosity and commitment, they were able to make bequests to the church upon their death. They understood there would be ongoing financial needs to carry out the ministries they so deeply cared about. They included St. Paul’s in their wills and estate planning. Their deep commitment to carrying out God’s ministry at St. Paul’s is inspiring and seems remarkable; but there are examples of this in the Bible. Genesis 41 describes a time early in Israel’s history when God used Joseph to cause the King of Egypt to order an unprecedented storage of grain against the coming seven years of famine. Through that endowment, the people through whom the Savior of the world was to come were kept from starvation.
St. Paul’s Vestry has been able to keep most of our bequest funds invested. The income from our bequests has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 20 years and, frankly, is in large part the reason St. Paul’s has been able to keep the doors open! For the past five years, we have used an average of $40,000 of the income generated by our bequest funds to help pay our day-to-day expenses (utilities, pantry supplies and church cleaning). It’s unclear if and what St. Paul’s would be today if not for income from our bequests; but certainly bequests funds kept us from starvation!
Some of the bequests were substantial ($150,000 or more) and some were much smaller. Remember Jesus’ teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem about the widow’s mite? (Luke 21:1-4) ALL the bequests were made by deeply committed members, giving to the best of their ability. ALL – no matter the size, were gifts of thanksgiving BACK to God, accumulated from a lifetime of blessings. As believers, we understand that God is the owner of everything.
Just as we can do great things when we come together as a congregation, so can bequests of any size empower St. Paul’s to carry out future ministry. Smaller bequests are within reach for most of us, and they add up. Ten bequests of $1,000 add $10,000 to our investment fund. Over 20 years, at a modest investment return of 5%, this would generate $20,000 in income. Because St. Paul’s vestry is committed to preserving the core of our bequests, the original gifts remain invested and continue generating income to fund ministry.
Do you have a will or estate plan? In estate planning, we are merely arranging to transfer stewardship responsibility, hopefully in a way that would please the One who has created and who owns all things. Estate planning affects literally everything we consider “ours”. Because of that, it is the single most important act of stewardship we will ever undertake. (Estate Planning resources will soon be available at St. Paul’s.) Please prayerfully consider including St. Paul’s in your estate planning.
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Angela Breeher, Sr. Warden

    Gloria Hartman was a beloved member of St. Paul’s church for over 60 years. It’s safe to say she served in almost every role a layperson could.  For over twenty years she served as church treasurer - which is probably one of the most time consuming and challenging roles there is!  Just ask Kim Boelling, our current treasurer, she’ll tell you.
     When Gloria died in July, her personal service to St. Paul’s ended. However, she left a lasting gift through a bequest of just under $200,000. This bequest is a tremendous blessing for St. Paul’s.
      A portion of this money was designated for installing solar panels on our flat roof. Another portion was given to install a sound system in the sanctuary.  For the timebeing, the bequest will be placed in our Diocesan Investment Trust (DIT). The income from the interest on our DIT funds already supports the parish $40,000 a year.  With the additional interest generated from this bequest, we may, by the end of 2020 be able to add another $3 - 5,000 to General Fund income.
I have two things to say about this:

1. If you are like me, when you hear that the church just got a big chunk of money, you will think, “Yay, now I don’t have to give to the church.”  I correct myself as I challenge you, this money is being invested so that it can give us interest income for the long haul. It’s a wonderful gift, but it won’t sustain St. Paul’s financially - we will.
2. St. Paul’s has  been living in deficit mode for many years to the tune of about $30K each year.  If we increase our pledges by $5,000 this year, we will be able to significantly decrease the deficit gap.  Combining the interest from Gloria Hartman’s bequest, and our increased pledges will accomplish this.  Together, we can do it!

     I am so grateful to Gloria for her commitment to this parish and her deep love for us as reflected in her generosity.  Let’s dream big, give big, and step forward in faith together!
                                                               -- Pastor Rebecca Ragland

Candidates for bishop (the episcopate) of the Diocese of Missouri have been named and introduced.  In the coming 6 weeks, we’ll learn more about each one, and evaluate them.  Then, on November 22 and 23, at Annual Diocesan Convention, delegates and clergy from each congregation, will elect one to be our next bishop.  
You might be wondering, besides wearing amazing outfits, what does a bishop do?

• Oversees the financial and spiritual well-being of parishes especially when there is a crisis, transition, or long-term need. Our bishop helps St Paul’s by sharing discretionary money for our budget among many other things.
• Identifies and ordains candidates for deacon and priest. The bishop has the power to help form the criteria and process by which our clergy are selected.
• Moderates or approves diocesan-wide events from clergy gatherings, to convention, to particular outreach programs and targeted activities for constituents (think youth lock-in at the cathedral)
• Serves as the executive in decision making and policy for the Diocese
• Is a spiritual role-model and mentor for the Diocese - especially the clergy
• The bishop incarnates the character of the Diocese. Visiting every parish in the Diocese on a rotation gives her/him the opportunity to get a sense of who we are together and where we, as a group, are being called by God.

I am so grateful to be an Episcopalian - the very name itself speaks to our identity as a church with Bishops.  The checks and balances that come from bishop, clergy and congregations sharing power together is beautiful and trustworthy. Join me in praying for our Diocesan community as we discern who our next bishop will be.
                            -- Pastor Rebecca Ragland