Have you ever kept an eye on a neighbor’s house while they were out of town? Water the tomatoes, bring in the mail, make sure the back door stays locked. Easy. And yet, it feels strange to walk into someone else’s home with their key. You could look inside all the closets! (You probably shouldn’t do that). You could cook a full meal! (But then you’d need to triple check the oven is off before you leave). You’ve been entrusted with keeping things maintained, so mostly, you’re trying to keep the plants alive.

This year, our stewardship emphasis is Entrusted, which feels just right for the year we’re in. As Southminster wraps up its 70^th anniversary, it’s good to remember that for more than seven decades people have been entrusted with this place, and preparing it for whoever came next. Most of the people who pledged, built, taught Sunday school, sat through long Session meetings, and kept the lights on never met the rest of us. They entrusted us with it anyway.

For four weeks, worship will stay close to that idea.

• On October 4 we’ll read about the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8–16), who is down to her last bit of flour and oil when Elijah shows up and asks her to feed him first. That’s a lot to ask of someone in a drought. We’ll learn what it is to be Entrusted with Enough.
• On October 10 (Sabbath Weekend) we’re in Exodus 32, with the golden calf. The Israelites have just walked out of slavery, and almost the first thing they do with their freedom is take off their gold earrings and build something to worship. Before we get too smug, we might ask what we would’ve built. After all, we’re Entrusted with Freedom.
• On October 18 we’ll hear Jesus asked about paying taxes to the emperor (Matthew 22:15–22). He asks for a coin and wants to know whose picture is on it. If Caesar’s face means the coin belongs to Caesar, it’s fair to wonder what it means that people have been Entrusted with God’s Image.
• And on October 25 we’ll close with the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34–40): love God, love your neighbor. Jesus says everything else hangs on those two. I’d count our 2027 church budget in that “everything else.”  We’re Entrusted with Love.

Each week we will also hear from someone in the congregation about what this place means to them.

Faithful stewardship is an important way for living out the calling to which we’ve been entrusted as a congregation. When we give, we are not simply keeping the lights on or maintaining a building—we are making ministry possible. We are nurturing children in faith, comforting the grieving, standing in solidarity with the marginalized, creating beautiful worship, deepening discipleship, and proclaiming that every person is a beloved child of God.

Your pledge makes a real difference. It helps us plan responsibly, grow wisely, and dream boldly. It is a tangible expression of your gratitude to God and your investment in a community that is trying to live the gospel with integrity and love.

This October, as you reflect on your financial commitment to Southminster, you’re invited to think about the feeling of holding holding the keys to a neighbor’s house in your hands. That feeling of being entrusted to keep things alive? Seventy years of people did that for us. Now the key is in our hands, and the tomatoes still need watering. How has this church shaped your life, your faith, your hope? How might your generosity help someone else experience that same sense of welcome, purpose, and transformation?

Pledge and commitment cards can be placed in the stewardship box in the narthex at any time during October. You can also submit your pledge online with the links below.

We know that everyone’s circumstances are different, and every gift matters. What we ask is simply this: that you pray, listen, and respond with faith.

With gratitude,
The Session of Southminster Presbyterian Church

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