One Body, Many Gifts:
Joined in God's Grace
Stewardship 2026
Dear St. James’ Family,
This year’s stewardship theme really captures the essence of who we are: “ONE BODY, MANY GIFTS: Joined in God’s Grace.” For 213 years now, the Holy Spirit has woven together thousands of lives in our parish family and served as a beacon of hope and love for all.
Today, it is clear that the Spirit continues to be alive and active, moving in our community of faith and touching the lives of many people. Over the past year, our membership, ministries, and staff have experienced tremendous growth. In fact, since 2022, we have welcomed 216 new members!
However, think how many more lives can be changed for the better and how, together, we may welcome, serve, and share God’s love with those in Loudoun County and beyond in the year to come.
This year, we have an ambitious goal of $1.1 million for the annual fund to continue God’s work through our many ministries. Equally important, we are seeking to engage more of our parishioners in the pledge campaign. The goals we have set for both numbers are an increase over this current year, and meeting these goals will ensure St. James has a balanced and sustainable budget for 2026 and a strong foundation on which to build for future years.
Like you, I want to see our church stay strong, continue to grow, and honor all who have gone before us. I also believe that pledging is an outward and visible sign of our commitment to our spiritual home.
Therefore, I invite you to join me by making your financial contribution today, remembering that we are one body with many gifts, and have all been blessed by God’s grace.
Blessings,
Fr. Chad+
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Stewardship FAQs
Q. What is Stewardship? A. Stewardship means wisely caring for something that belongs to someone else. The Bible calls us stewards of God’s creation. Everything belongs to God, not us. Q. What is a pledge? A. An annual pledge is a commitment made in faith on what you will give to the church’s annual operating budget in the coming year. Q. Why is the church leadership asking members to increase their pledge? A. We estimate that our 2024 ministry budget will increase by approximately 20%. It is amazing to see God doing great things in our church, but it also means we need to act in faith with our finances. Q. When I make a pledge, how will the money be used? A. These gifts go towards the church’s operating budget. This includes all the expenses of day-to-day ministry at St. James’ including worship expenses, local outreach, utilities, maintenance of our historical campus, and staff salaries. Q. How much should I give? A. This is a decision for each household to reach prayerfully. Our goal is to see each member giving in faith and in love. Q. What if I need to change my pledge during the year? A. A pledge is not a binding contract, but rather a promise of intention. If life circumstances change, please contact the church office. All conversations are confidential and pastoral support is always available. Q. Why is St. James’ talking about money? Isn’t that personal? A. We believe everything belongs to God, so for Christians money is not secret or “off limits.” Jesus talked about it a lot. We don’t do high-pressure talks but we always want to be transparent and open about how our members’ giving supports the ministry of our church and the surrounding community.
2026 Stewardship Committee
Carolyn Briles, Chair
Stephanie Meeks
Bridget Penberthy
Sara Bauer
Sandy Wilson
Mary Lou Leipheimer
Stacy Cleveland, Treasurer
Submitting your pledge online is safe, easy, environmentally friendly, and confidential. Please consider submitting your pledge online via the form below.
If you do not wish to submit your pledge online, pledge cards will be made available to our membership in Fall 2025. Printing your pledge card is a good option for those making their pledge later than November 2025 or for out-of-town members. You can mail your completed card to 8 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg VA, 20176.