April 23rd marks the one year anniversary of my Installation Ceremony as East Shore’s Settled Minister. On this date, I am filled with gratitude for the Blessing of our Shared Ministry. We have shared many joyous moments, celebrated birthdays and Child Dedications, experienced Sunday worship services with inspiring messages and fabulous music, shared delicious potluck meals, participated in invigorating nature hikes, and welcomed visitors and new members to our vibrant community both via zoom and in person in our beautiful sanctuary. We have also shared sorrows and supported each other during challenging times. Ours is a relatively new and yet profoundly authentic and loving relationship. Every day I am grateful for and proud of our gorgeous campus, our excellent staff, our committed members of the Board, Committees, Ministry Teams, and Volunteers.
Together we have faced tough challenges including the devastating findings of the MFC about the previous minister and our ongoing financial struggles. While we are all committed to our continued communal healing from such a traumatic and unfortunate experience with the previous minister, the work to create a balanced and sustainable budget needs your support.
This past October, we held our annual fund drive to support the operations of our church community for the coming year. Unfortunately, we didn’t reach our goal and even with severe austerity measures, we now have a gap of about $200,000. We need your help.
If you have not sent in your pledge, please do so as soon as possible. If you have already sent in your pledge, thank you! And if you can, please consider sending an additional $1,400 to help us close the gap. If every pledging member gave $1,400 on top of what has already been received, we can close the $200,000 gap right now.
We understand that everyone’s situation is different. If you already gave and can send an additional $1,400 or more to cover for people who are not able to give at this time, we would be so grateful!
We encourage you to give an amount that feels generous to you.
Closing the gap means supporting East Shore’s mission, being able to continue offering Religious Exploration and Music programs, meaningful worship services, urgently needed social justice work to support our LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous communities, our environmental and reproductive rights justice work, and our continued support of Porchlight as we together create a path from homelessness to stable living. Closing the gap also means that we can continue to fairly compensate our staff, to adequately maintain our buildings, and to support our social justice work that extends to the Khasi Hills.
East Shore’s financial health is a responsibility all of us share. Gifts in any amount are welcomed and appreciated! And your gifts of yourself – your time, your energy, and your talent – are as welcome and as appreciated as your financial support. This community has been through difficult times together, and I hope and trust that you have found East Shore to be a supportive and sustaining community. We have accomplished a great deal together and we have much to look forward to. As a pledging member of East Shore, I hope that, like me, you too have had transformative experiences here that inspire you to join me in giving generously to support our East Shore community. Thank you for your generosity. Happy Anniversary!
by Rev. Dr. María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa