Dear friends,
This past month at The Table we’ve been working on lots of new stuff. We recently baptized and/or confirmed 21 people (!!) Click the picture below to check out some photos of a memorable day:
We are also in the midst of creating new structures for church leadership as our church grows, and we’ve been working on our budget for 2019.
We’re writing today to ask you to take time this month to sincerely pray about making a pledge to give to The Table over the next year.
Many of you already give faithfully and we are so grateful for your partnership in the work God is doing through our community. Many of you have stories of redemption and transformation you’ve told us about what God has done while we’ve been together as a community.
We’ve seen estranged relationships restored, spiritual and emotional healing for past wounds, and ordinary people learning to join God on mission every day. Our retreat last weekend was a beautiful time of connection and formation in Christ, and we have been amazed at what God is doing.
We started The Table three years ago because we saw a need for a different kind of church in Indianapolis:
- In a politically polarized world, we’re cultivating a robust “Third Way” Christianity that’s able to navigate life on mission in the 21st century and make faith possible for our children.
- In a world obsessed with short-term results, we’re focusing on deep discipleship and leadership development to see generations multiplied over the long haul.
- In a culture fawning over the latest fads, we’re cultivating a strong, ancient spirituality grounded in the Celtic roots of the Anglican tradition.
- In a world where patriarchy has silenced and oppressed women (and men!), we’re seeking to be a repenting church where women are fully empowered to lead with every gift the Spirit has given them in mutual submission alongside men.
As we participate in this mission together, it changes us. We become more and more the kind of community God is calling us to be as we practice welcoming one another in love, listening to each other with grace and truth, proclaiming good news to one another and our neighbors, and going toward the marginalized and oppressed in the name of Jesus.
The result is that our community is growing, spiritually and numerically:
- By the end of this year we will have baptized 12 children and confirmed 14 adults and teenagers.
- We are discipling 32 people in 5 DNA Groups, with 5 people learning to disciple and lead others.
- We are already incubating our first church plant, training and preparing Spencer and Mallory Ruark to plant a new expression of The Table in the Bates-Hendricks/Fountain Square area in the next few years.
Each and every child and adult that God sends our way we consider a gift from God, given to help our Body grow into mature love. Through our worship gatherings, discipleship groups, and meals together in neighborhood groups, God’s mission is going forward.
None of this happens without your generosity
The unique work that we are doing at The Table is funded primarily by financial partners and donations. The truth is without the generosity of your time and money we are unable to do what God has called us to do. We make every effort to steward resources wisely, to make the biggest possible impact for the sake of the whole gospel.
Please pray about how God is calling you to give
We started this church three years ago because we sensed a need for a church like this to exist, and now you’re a part of a community that comes from all over the Indianapolis area to worship, serve, and grow together.
So if you are already giving, please continue to do so (and THANK YOU!). If you have not been a consistent financial partner at The Table, and you sense God’s call to be part of the work here, please take time this month to pray about what amount of time and money God may be calling you to give in 2019 (Jan – Dec). If you are married, pray with your spouse about this decision. We strongly believe that God leads couples to make important decisions in agreement.
If you have questions about how giving works at The Table, check out our Frequently Asked Church Giving Questions page.
Make your pledge by December 2nd
Please make your pledge by December 2nd (the first Sunday of Advent). If you received a pledge card in the mail from us, you can fill it out and send it back in the reply envelope, or drop it in the offering basket on Sunday.
Or you can go make your pledge online right now! During the month of November, our leadership team will tally your pledges and use it to set our budget for 2019. Your pledge helps us be realistic and plan. 🙂
We want to end by saying thank you. We are so thankful for what God is doing in our little church, and you’re a big part of that. Thank you for your partnership with us in the gospel!
Grace and peace,
Ben Sternke and Matt Tebbe, Co-pastors
P.S. Sometimes people outside our church are inspired to support our work. If you know someone who might be interested in giving, have them visit us online at thetableindy.org/give
