Analogies are Funny Things Stewardship 2024 - Bee Generous Campaign

By Lilah Greene

Sometimes analogies fit right in with the message you are conveying and sometimes they have a limited fit. Sometimes an analogy communicates in more ways than one. I feel that is what’s happening with this year’s Bee Generous campaign.

I have written previously that the benefits of our community are like honey produced by our St. John’s hive. We ask you to support St. John’s with your pledge contribution so that we can continue to produce that wonderful honey. Our honey benefits our core community and beyond. St. John’s is a vital participant and presence in Montclair, Oakland, the Episcopal Church, and the world at large.

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The analogy of Bee Generous honey has yet another place in this conversation. In our world, which runs largely on money in every sphere, we can be tempted to think of our personal capital as our personal honey and, like the bees, we may resist sharing our sweet harvest. And that is why, as you may have seen, I wore a bee suit when the pledge campaign was launched on Sunday, September 24.

So many demands compete for our personal money/honey. The St. John’s community is full of generous people who spread their bounty to support different needs. During past stewardship campaigns, we have invited you to list the various organizations you support. The composite list is long! Occasionally, parishioners have told me that they choose to support other organizations in a particular year. While not disparaging individual choices, I’m here to remind you that you never know when you will need St. Johns for that unique, surprising, particular time of life and, in that spirit, I continue to call on you:

Bee Generous with your spiritual home, so that your spiritual home/hive will be able to support you when you need her. Pledge Sundays are November 5 and 12 – 2024 goal $600,000

Pledge Sundays are November 5 and 12 – 2024 goal $600,000​​