Stewardship Reflection from Paul and Elizabeth Hostetter

Elizabeth:

Good morning – my name is Elizabeth Hostetter, and this is my husband Paul Hostetter. We came to St. Thomas with our two children, Vivian who is now 15, and Asha, who just turned 9, in September of 2015, and in many ways, it breathed so much fresh air into our spiritual lives. This is a place that really welcomes everyone, that sees us all as alike rather than as different; it’s a home that allows us to pray together; and we are a St. Thomas family that supports each other through the easy and difficult times that life brings. What a gift! Over the past 6 years we’ve been involved in many of the ministries here, from the choir and music program, to vestry, to the Men’s Group for Paul, to children and youth activities, to outreach – and all of it has contributed so much to our lives. Perhaps most importantly, we’ve developed lifelong friendships that mean the world to us – people we love dearly, who’ve mentored us, who’ve shaped our lives, and who continue to lift us in prayer – and we are so deeply grateful! This is why giving is easy – whether this means our time and talent, our prayer lives, or through financial giving, we feel blessed to support the work of St. Thomas. This church allows us to be closer to God in all we do by being closer to each of you.

Paul:

While St. Thomas has been so wonderful as part of our past, we are also truly excited for its future. Our video streaming is going to allow us to continue to reach more people locally and nationally than ever. Our outreach is going to continue to have a prominent impact on the lives of our neighbors and communities beyond our walls. We see St. Thomas becoming increasingly diverse in every way – what a blessing! We know our partnerships with our Muslim and Jewish neighbors will continue to deepen, and our existing ministries will also continue get better, richer, and more meaningful with the vision of our clergy, staff, and lay leaders – we know how their work positively impacts all we do! We hope you will join us in being involved where it feels right – that you’ll consider giving generously in every way you are able, and that you see St. Thomas as a place of joy, of welcome, of care, and of love – a place filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s light – coming through these windows as I speak!

Thank you very much for all you do!!