This past Sunday, November 10, was Stewardship Sunday, the day when members of the congregation bring their pledge cards for their support of the next year’s budget and projects. We were blessed to have as our visiting pastor the Rev. Jametta Alston. Rev. Alston is a lawyer and was the former Child Advocate for the State of Rhode Island, former civil prosecutor with the Attorney General’s office, and former president of the Rhode Island Bar Association before she entered the ministry. Her sermon focused on the role of faith in finding the courage and strength to carry out God’s work. One of the Bible readings came from Mark 12:41-44: “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’ ”
The children in Sunday School focused on the power of faith in Stewardship as they visited our church’s Historic Properties Museum and learned about FCC Bristol’s historic Mite Box, dating from the mid-19th century.
The Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepard was the 10th pastor of the First Congregational Church in Bristol. He served from 1835-1865. It was during his pastorate, in 1856, that the third and current house of worship, the “Stone Church,” was erected. Among Dr. Shepard’s many efforts to carry out God’s Work, the building of our massive church and its promotion of the many missions this church has undertaken bears witness to the power of faith in our combined Stewardship contributions of time, talent and treasure. During Sunday School, the children decorated their own “Mite Boxes.” We are grateful for the faith that inspires our members and friends to contribute in the spirit of this Stewardship.
