A couple of weeks ago, we announced that our long-time youth minister, John O’Sullivan, has been hired to promote his brainchild (or rather, heartchild), Extreme Faith Camp (EFC), to parishes across the archdiocese. For those who don’t know, EFC is a wild, week-long Catholic summer camp that brings middle-schoolers to a deep encounter with the love of Jesus through fun and fellowship, small groups, prayer, and the sacraments.
Aside from making Mass a priority in our own lives, EFC was t
he single best thing Jodi and I did for our kids to engage them in the faith. Where else do tweens and teens enjoy a parent-free week with their friends and come back saying their favorite part was Adoration? (Incidentally, registration is now open for this summer’s camp.)
EFC is just one of the many reasons we are blessed to have been here in St. Michael for the past 20+ years. This parish’s strong support of marriage and family life is another, not to mention our beautiful church, our stellar parish school…the list goes on. We are a growing Catholic community because we have something for everyone—every person and family, at every stage.
Despite these blessings, my bride and I have not always been the most generous of givers. At times we’ve been too busy, too distracted, or too comfortable. At times we thought we had too many bills or too much debt. And for many years, we never had a budget or a plan: We would give what we had in our pockets at the time, and volunteer when required or when it was awkward to say no.
In more recent years, however, we’ve gotten more intentional with giving. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) was a big part of our conversion in generosity, helping us to get control of our spending, to dig out of debt, and to give something to God first and without fail.
I’ve said this before, but it’s worth sharing again: In the years since FPU, I have taken multiple pay cuts, first to work for the church, and then as a freelancer. Despite this, we are nearly debt-free and are traveling and giving more than ever before.
Let me say that more simply: We are making less money, giving more away, and still living more comfortably.
It doesn’t add up. God has done this, not us. It is one more blessing in a long list.
Our parish is currently trying to pay off its debt and grow its operating budget to keep pace with costs and growth. Father Park is hoping to for 1,000 pledges by December 31. In a parish our size, 1,000 pledges might not seem like much, but although we’re more than halfway there, we have only a few short weeks left.
It doesn’t take much. A dollar a day adds up to more than $1,000 over the three-year period of your pledge. Any amount is great; the point is that we give generously and intentionally, in gratitude to the One who gives us everything.
Please, take a moment this Advent to consider how blessed we are to be here. Then take a moment to give a little back. God will bless your generosity, your trust, your sacrifice, because in these things you become who you were made to be: another image of Christ. Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!
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To support our debt reduction and offertory campaign in any amount, pick up and turn in a pledge card in the gathering space or pledge online. Pictured: St. Michael native and St. Michael Catholic School alumnus Deacon Ryan Sustacek brings Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to middle-schoolers at Extreme Faith Camp 2023. Deacon Sustacek expects to be ordained a priest this spring.