“She explained that she writes a check every month for a set amount, but every Sunday, she adds whatever is left over from her wallet. It was my first introduction to pledging and giving weekly beyond one’s pledge.”

“With his words, I wonder when I last created simply because. When did my heart take joy and pride in putting pen to paper with no end goal? When did I bring forth beauty just because?”

“One of the most concerning consequences is that we not only are seeing declining attendance but also declining giving and volunteering which is undercutting our ability to reach out to our neighbors as we race into Advent 2021.”