December 09, 2025
Dear Friends,
The holidays is a time of memories as families will gather around the dinner table and exchange extraordinary stories. For us at Ascension and St. Agnes, the holidays also mark the start of Stewardship Season. Our theme this year, “Out of God’s gifts to us come our gifts to God” speaks to another type of memory: how our parish community has thrived and grown through this past year.
We see this in the way that our community offers practical help to each other, such as the 4,000 plus sandwiches distributed to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
We feel companionship in the affinity small groups (the Senior Champions, Newcomers, the Men’s Group, and the Young Adults Group, among others).
We are encouraged to grow in our faith, such as through the coffee hour chats which brought us practical conversations around topics ranging from mental health, the Syriac Odes of Solomon, confession, and contemplative prayer.
We find comfort in the liturgy, made even more unique by a music ministry that continues to add both more voices and new programs, such as the beautiful music we are about to experience over Advent.
Of course, none of this would be possible if we did not have the physical space of our church, which has its own regular upkeep needs. We had extensive termite damage that had to be addressed in the nave and choir loft. The women’s bathroom need renovation to address water damage, rust, and inaccessibility.
Our parish’s vision is clear: to be a thriving faith community that, with open doors and open hearts, expresses Christ’s love with each other, our neighborhood, and beyond. All of that which we have accomplished this year is only possible because of your faithful stewardship. And we need your help to continue this vision in 2026.
The hard financial reality is that in order to fund those activities which help us meet our vision, we are increasingly reliant on the endowment. Indeed, this past year, we withdrew 55% of our financial needs from the endowment. The difficulty with this approach is that while it may meet today’s needs, such reliance on the endowment risks our financial security in the future. As you can see from the attached charts, it hurts our church’s ability to have a growing endowment that can support us for a rainy day.
It is the priority for our church’s leadership that we take steps to reduce this reliance, which is where your support is needed. In order to take a meaningful step in 2026 towards financial stability, ASA’s Stewardship Campaign is seeking to raise $465,000 in pledges. We estimate that if every member pledges approximately $4,878, then we can meet this goal.
However, we also recognize this year has been hard for so many members. Like so many, I’ve spent a significant portion of this year unemployed with no income. The pledge itself is more important than the actual number given. It allows us to apply for grants and say, “100% of our members believe in the work of our parish, 100% give whatever they can.” Even a pledge of $1 makes meaningful progress towards this goal.
It is clear that the work of this past year is making a real difference: each Sunday the pews are filled with new faces seeking spiritual renewal and our other activities (such as the small groups) have created the spaces needed for genuine faith-based community that has transformed lives. You will have already heard a sample of these testimonies each Sunday during Stewardship Season. They are but a small window that shows how much good our Parish is bringing into an otherwise troubled world. This is something to believe in, and this is why we need your pledge, no matter the amount.
Another way in which you can engage this Stewardship Season is to consider planned giving through a bequest in your will or trust that designates the church as a beneficiary. If anyone is interested in this, please do not hesitate to reach out for a conversation for how we can help you with this process.
As for how to move your pledge forward, you can do so electronically by clicking here or by mailing a pledge card to the parish office at 1219 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005. Our goal is to have all pledges collected by January, but if you need more time, just contact a member of the Vestry or the parish office at [email protected]. We are here to support one other.
Thank you for your generosity, your care, your faith, and most importantly, your love. Together, we can continue to be a beacon of hope and light in the midst of a complex and troubled world.
Blessings,
Ayla Ybarra
Senior Warden
Dear Friends,
The holidays is a time of memories as families will gather around the dinner table and exchange extraordinary stories. For us at Ascension and St. Agnes, the holidays also mark the start of Stewardship Season. Our theme this year, “Out of God’s gifts to us come our gifts to God” speaks to another type of memory: how our parish community has thrived and grown through this past year.
We see this in the way that our community offers practical help to each other, such as the 4,000 plus sandwiches distributed to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
We feel companionship in the affinity small groups (the Senior Champions, Newcomers, the Men’s Group, and the Young Adults Group, among others).
We are encouraged to grow in our faith, such as through the coffee hour chats which brought us practical conversations around topics ranging from mental health, the Syriac Odes of Solomon, confession, and contemplative prayer.
We find comfort in the liturgy, made even more unique by a music ministry that continues to add both more voices and new programs, such as the beautiful music we are about to experience over Advent.
Of course, none of this would be possible if we did not have the physical space of our church, which has its own regular upkeep needs. We had extensive termite damage that had to be addressed in the nave and choir loft. The women’s bathroom need renovation to address water damage, rust, and inaccessibility.
Our parish’s vision is clear: to be a thriving faith community that, with open doors and open hearts, expresses Christ’s love with each other, our neighborhood, and beyond. All of that which we have accomplished this year is only possible because of your faithful stewardship. And we need your help to continue this vision in 2026.
The hard financial reality is that in order to fund those activities which help us meet our vision, we are increasingly reliant on the endowment. Indeed, this past year, we withdrew 55% of our financial needs from the endowment. The difficulty with this approach is that while it may meet today’s needs, such reliance on the endowment risks our financial security in the future. As you can see from the attached charts, it hurts our church’s ability to have a growing endowment that can support us for a rainy day.
It is the priority for our church’s leadership that we take steps to reduce this reliance, which is where your support is needed. In order to take a meaningful step in 2026 towards financial stability, ASA’s Stewardship Campaign is seeking to raise $465,000 in pledges. We estimate that if every member pledges approximately $4,878, then we can meet this goal.
However, we also recognize this year has been hard for so many members. Like so many, I’ve spent a significant portion of this year unemployed with no income. The pledge itself is more important than the actual number given. It allows us to apply for grants and say, “100% of our members believe in the work of our parish, 100% give whatever they can.” Even a pledge of $1 makes meaningful progress towards this goal.
It is clear that the work of this past year is making a real difference: each Sunday the pews are filled with new faces seeking spiritual renewal and our other activities (such as the small groups) have created the spaces needed for genuine faith-based community that has transformed lives. You will have already heard a sample of these testimonies each Sunday during Stewardship Season. They are but a small window that shows how much good our Parish is bringing into an otherwise troubled world. This is something to believe in, and this is why we need your pledge, no matter the amount.
Another way in which you can engage this Stewardship Season is to consider planned giving through a bequest in your will or trust that designates the church as a beneficiary. If anyone is interested in this, please do not hesitate to reach out for a conversation for how we can help you with this process.
As for how to move your pledge forward, you can do so electronically by clicking here or by mailing a pledge card to the parish office at 1219 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005. Our goal is to have all pledges collected by January, but if you need more time, just contact a member of the Vestry or the parish office at [email protected]. We are here to support one other.
Thank you for your generosity, your care, your faith, and most importantly, your love. Together, we can continue to be a beacon of hope and light in the midst of a complex and troubled world.
Blessings,
Ayla Ybarra
Senior Warden