a note from rev. sharon

​Dear St. John’s,

On this Sunday, and the first Sunday of each month, we collect special offerings for the clergy discretionary fund. These are funds that I may use at my discretion to address needs among congregation and community members – to apply them to “pious and charitable uses,” as the official church canons describe it.

This doesn’t mean I can use them for anything I choose. I can’t use the funds to make payments to benefit myself, for example, nor are the funds supposed to be applied to meeting operating expenses of St. John’s.
 
What I can do is help people in need. Perhaps someone has lost their job or dealing with a sudden medical crisis. The discretionary fund allows me to assist them during a difficult time. The amount of money in the discretionary fund helps determine how many people I can help and how much I can assist them. Last year, our Afghan Refugee Resettlement Fund benefited from charitable donations from other clergy’s discretionary funds.
 
I encourage you to contribute to the fund, as you are able. This is one way we can help our neighbors in need.
 
Rev. Sharon