2027 Theme: (extra)Ordinary Saints

Dear Friend of WACC:

Imagine for a moment that you are asked to make a picture of your life. What does your picture look like? Do you take a selfie, maybe with family, friends, or coworkers? Does your picture include your past, your present, or your hopes and dreams for the future? Do you make a picture of the things that make you happy or maybe the things that weigh on your mind? Do you make a picture of the ordinary things, places, and people that make up your everyday life? Do we see your face in that picture, maybe reflected in the window glass or maybe in the eyes of another?

Now Imagine that you’re asked to make a picture of the church. What does that picture look like? Is it a collage of faces from the online directory? Is it a picture of the church building? Is it a picture of the work and ministry of this congregation being done in the name of Christ from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth? Is it a picture of this congregation’s past and present, a picture that changes to show its hopes and dreams and possibilities for the future? Is it all these things?

Recently, Pastor Nathan has mentioned Theo of Golden in The Spire. Many had already read the book, and more are reading it now. Allen Levi’s novel is a gentle and compelling story about seeing and being seen, about generosity, wonder, and the ways our lives become intertwined with the lives of others. Without revealing too much, the story centers on unexpected gifts that help people discover new ways of viewing themselves, their neighbors, and the community they share. In many ways, it invites us to ask what we see when we look at one another and what becomes possible when we receive our lives, and the lives of others, as gifts.

Consecration Sunday, November 1, 2026, is All Saints’ Day. We honor those that shared the pictures they imagined of the hopes and dreams and possibilities for the future for us. On that day, we will receive pledges for the coming year. We encourage you to bring your pledge card to the service, mail it to the church office, or complete the online form at waccelyria.org/commitment. After worship, we’ll gather for a celebratory brunch to enjoy fellowship and give thanks for God’s abundant blessings.

As we look ahead to 2027, we invite you to take part in making this picture of Washington Avenue Christian Church. Your gifts, all your gifts, are an important part of this picture. Sharing your financial gifts is an expression of gratitude, faithfulness, and care that enables us to increase our church’s witness and to grow and serve our community. Stewardship is one of the ways we practice discipleship together, recognizing God’s abundance and participating in God’s work in the world. Your commitment helps maintain our church, supports vital outreach programs, and allows us to remain a beacon of hope and love. It is a picture of a smile and an outstretched hand that says, “You are welcome and wanted here!”

In our own pictures, we may see ourselves as ordinary people doing ordinary things and living ordinary lives. However, when we weave our pictures together, the result is anything but ordinary. The things that we can do and become together are truly (extra)ordinary!

With thanks to you and to God,

The Stewardship Committee