Building a Strong Foundation (2026 Stewardship Update)

When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments were stationed to praise the Lord with trumpets. 
  - Ezra 3:10a

Dear Church Family,

If you’re building a structure that is going to stand strong, one of the first things you have to do is to lay a strong foundation. 

A few years ago, I got really into researching Tower Cranes and how they work. These are the big cranes that build skyscrapers. One of the amazing facts I learned is that before they even bring in the crane parts, they pour a massive concrete foundation to support the equipment. You can’t even begin to build a skyscraper without creating a solid foundation for the tools.

The same is true of churches. In fact, that’s why there is a famous hymn entitled, The Church’s One Foundation. And that one foundation is, “Jesus Christ her Lord.” Jesus is our firm foundation. But after Jesus, we still need to shore things up to build a strong church.

I am happy to report that our 2026 stewardship campaign Go! Grateful Opportunities has built a strong foundation for our ministry in the new year. I am pleased to share that our projected pledge and offering income for 2026 is approximately $498,000. Church finances are never a perfect science, but after analyzing our giving history and the pledges we have received, they are confident we can make this goal. 

Here are some of the statistics from our campaign:
   86 Commitment Cards turned in for 2026
   22 were first time commitments 
   39 were increases

This was a great response and indicates your support of what is happening here at St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea! (By the way, it’s not too late to make your 2026 Commitment. You can do so by clicking on the button at the bottom of this message.)

Now, I will be honest with you: this does not close our budget gap. However, our Finance Team, Staff Parish Relations Committee, and Board of Trustees all believe that we must move forward with our ministry plans for 2026. Our church continues to grow in spirit and size, and we must plan for our future. Given that support, we will be seeking to hire a new part-time Director of Children’s Ministry. We will move forward with some of the desperately needed repairs to our facilities. And we will continue our denominational support through our Apportionments to the United Methodist Church.

Your Finance Team will be closely monitoring our income and expenses each month. We will be adjusting along the way. They intend to be good stewards of your gifts, and to use them to help people connect, grow, and serve. In connection with all our leadership teams, we will seek God’s counsel to make the wisest decisions for the deployment of resources. 

Your generosity over the last few years has helped to create some reserves that will allow us to stretch into this new season of ministry. They will use these wisely to help bridge the gaps when needed.

As your pastor, I want to offer my deep thanks and gratitude for your support in this work. I can feel God’s Spirit at work among us, and I look forward to stepping into this new season of ministry with you.

With God’s Peace,
Pastor Karl