Stewardship

December 1, 2024

Autumn 2024 Stewardship Messages from Three Parishioners

The Journey of Stewardship

by Jan Donovan

Nov. 23, 2024

Dear Fellow Church Members,

My journey in the Episcopal church started as an infant in historic St. John’s, Church Hill where my family were members. My formative years were based in faith, liturgy and the Bible. When we moved to Caroline County, we continued to attend St. John’s for many years but eventually started attending Church in Montpelier. Later I moved to Radford for College and then to North Carolina for work. I found a home in St. Christopher’s in High Point and became very active in the church. I trained with Jerome Berryman to be a Godly Play teacher, sang in the vocal choir, participated in bell choir, helped to prepare integration of monthly services using the youth to present the sermon through drama, served on the vestry and represented my church at the annual conventions.

While living in North Carolina, I met an amazing man and priest who came from Baltimore to be interviewed for the position of Bishop of North Carolina. I learned much during the interviews with this man of God. I even asked him a very difficult question about his greatest achievement and his worst failure. He was very brave and answered me, and I was even more impressed. He became our Bishop and I continued to learn from him. One of the lessons I remember best is discipleship and stewardship. I was sad and happy to see him leave North Carolina and become the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Of course, I’m talking about the Most Rev’d Michael Curry. I was even a member of the statewide choir for his farewell. But he has remained in my heart and soul, and I have chatted with him from time to time since. Michael is very dear to me.

I left North Carolina and came back to Virginia and found my home in Fork Church. I had visited many times over the past 20 or so years as my Mother had moved her membership to Fork, and I would attend with her when I visited.

Recently I was asked to answer the call for the stewardship campaign. I felt it was also a call from God. In pondering what I might say to you, I thought over my journey of life and faith and had a vision of this journey on ships.

When we begin our journey of ships, we ride and sometimes steer. All the ships are intertwined, and we move back and forth between them. We start with Kinship and Relationships which tie us together with those we love and know. These people help us to build our foundation, beliefs and our moral and social compasses. The ties are strong and help us to navigate our continued journey in life and faith. Those ties remain, even as they stretch over time and distance. We grow in love, faith and knowledge as we become the people we are led to be. From there we move to Discipleship which can be as simple as letting someone know what a wonderful family we have in Fork Church or that we are all God’s children and he loves us. It also leads us to invite others to join us in worship with our church family or to share the comfort of the Lord with those who are in need or searching to find their way. We prayerfully move to Worship and Fellowship where we meet weekly for service in the name of the Lord which brings us closer to God and Jesus as we praise with words and song and find comfort in the Lord’s unconditional love. Some of us move to Leadership and help others on their journey of life and faith. Our next stage of the journey is Stewardship. We need to use our talents, gifts and resources to be good stewards of the church and our church family. Some are led to give their talents freely, sharing in the growth of the church and its members. Some give without realizing what they have contributed or the lives they have touched. We must also consider the financial well-being of Fork Church. Without the support of the members, the church cannot continue to do God’s work. Please join us on the continuing journey of Stewardship.

With prayer and respect, we are asking you to consider your pledge for the coming year. As the costs of everything continue to grow, the support needed for Fork Church also grows. Your pledge helps to pay for our programs, the lights, the bills and of course our priest. We have been fortunate in the generous giving of our members in the past which has allowed Fork Church to continue to serve us and the community. It is the only church left in St Martin’s parish as we approach our 300th anniversary. Please consider your pledge for the coming year and know it is needed and appreciated.

Christ’s Blessings,

Jan Donovan

More than a Sunday Morning Service

Katherine Forti-Vargas

Nov. 1, 2024

Dearest Fork Church Members,

I have been “visiting” Fork Church ever since my brother became the priest here. Before kids, many people will remember my beloved German Shepherd Dog Manny coming with me to the annual Halloween Party, Blessing of the Animals, and other outdoor events. At that time Ramon and I lived in downtown Richmond while he attended VCU. Driving to Fork was always fun because it felt like driving out to the country from the city.

During those many visits, I met and became friendly with many members of the church. The first time I visited Fork, I saw Austin Joy’s name on a card on Nik’s desk. I was surprised because Austin was the real estate agent for the building Ramon and I were living in. Austin met our 104-pound German Shepherd at church. Although he affectionally called Manny,“Kujo,” he told us that he loved our dog. He reassured us that we didn’t need to worry about finding a place to put him when they were showing the building. “Now that I know he won’t eat me,” Austin said, “I’ll just put him on the leash and have him walk beside me when potential buyers tour the place.”

After we had Jo and Ana, they were in the NICU because they were so premature. They were included in Fork’s prayers for the people and mentioned in the weekly e-newsletter. When I came for my daily visit to the hospital, one of our favorite nurses asked if we attended Fork Church. She said her mom was asked by her cousin if she was one of the nurses taking care of those Forti-Vargas twins. Apparently, the cousin was on Fork Church’s email list even though the family had moved away several years before. It was nice to make a connection and really showed how deep and far Fork Church’s roots stretch.

Jenny Smith and I bonded over our love of German Shepherd Dogs. In fact, it was Jenny who put me in touch with the specialist who helped us become pregnant with Ana and Jo. I always say Jenny is the reason I became pregnant with twins! She passed the magic twin dust to me. Boo and I got to know each other over Advent wreaths when I needed her guidance for restarting the Advent wreath workshop at St. Andrew’s, Oregon Hill. Boo showed me the ropes on what materials to buy and which suppliers to use. Boo also graciously allowed me to come and pick greens at Mount Olympus Farm for St. Andrew’s for many years. Melissa was (and continues to be) a great resource for me in all things parenting. She has always been just a text away to answer all my first time parenting questions. I also had a great time bumping into Jeanette at Goodwill one day. We discovered we both share a love of thrifting.

In 2020, COVID hit, I gave birth to Angelina, and my mom died. St. Andrew’s, along with the other Episcopal churches of the Diocese of Virginia, shut down. We watched the live-streamed services and attended coffee hour by Zoom. Angelina was baptized on my mom’s back porch, and it was live-streamed for members of St. Andrew’s to watch. Going into the spring of 2021, St. Andrew’s was still not gathering for worship, even outside. Then our priest got engaged and moved away. When church finally did open for St. Andrew’s it was only for Morning Prayer. My family was out of our rhythm, especially for Sundays. We attended St. Andrew’s for a few services and funerals but struggled to get back in the groove of regular attendance.

This was also the time my husband decided to make a major career change from being an engineer at the Naval Shipyard to joining the Fairfax County Fire Department. He attended Fire Academy, which meant for six months he was gone from Sunday afternoon until Friday evening. It was hard to think about bringing three young children to church by myself without a children’s program. Then during the summer of 2023, at the beach one morning, Nik suggested to me that I should consider interviewing for The Christian Education Director at Fork Church. I had helped in the nursery at St. Andrew’s before I had my kids and had also worked at a Montessori-based preschool when I was young. So he thought I might enjoy the job. I was intrigued but still hesitant. Would I be able to learn all the Godly Play stories? Would I be able to engage all the children? Could I handle the long drive from New Kent after getting my three kids and myself ready? Most of all though I worried about leaving my St. Andrew’s family. I was reassured by several of my St. Andrew’s friends that this would be a wonderful opportunity. God had put my family at the right place in the right time.

Since taking the position of Christian Education Director, I have felt such a sense of joy and comfort. It is such an honor getting reacquainted with many of you and meeting new Fork parishioners. The best part of all is seeing the relationships my children are making at Fork Church. Every time they see Paul they just giggle and giggle. Paul even sometimes lets them “help” with treasurer duties. Jenny brings them special rocks from her farm. If you ever need any advice on what to buy a seven-year-old for their birthday, make sure to ask Ellie and Justus. Jo and Ana were surprised that the Robletos knew exactly what they wanted. The older Hawks kids have been great to my girls, taking them to play and go on hikes around the churchyard after coffee hour. Chris Hawks always takes his time to answer my kids’ questions. Patty Skjei made sure all the children of Fork went off to school feeling the support of the church by giving each child an after-school snack bag and some extremely cool school supplies. My kids talked about this for weeks. I am sure that when they look back upon their school days they will never forget this special gift. What a great way to connect school life with church life!

Boo and Jim have really taken my kids under their wings. I don’t even have the words to describe how meaningful this is. They drove down to Chester to see my girls perform in The Latin Ballet of Virginia. They even came to the roller-skating rink for their birthday. Jo asked one time if Boo was her family. When I asked her why she was asking this, she said, “Because Boo treats us like family.” Lynda Wright let “Ana” help her all afternoon during the church clean up. Then Sid and Patty treated Ana to a special kids’ meal when they picked up lunch for everyone. All the volunteers for Godly Play: Faye Joy, Lou Ann Cave, Alexis Harris, Jane Donovan, Janet Taylor, and Mary Anne Pugh have been amazing! They bring so much knowledge, patience, and creativity each Sunday. I can only hope they realize the powerful impact their generosity is making on the children and on Fork Church as a whole. The Godly Play Volunteers really are a special group that is dedicated to the future of Fork Church.

The children of the church bring so much, too. As a parent I take so much joy in the friendships that all the kids at Fork have formed. I love hearing Issa (Elizabeth) say she wants to come to church to see her friends. It is also amazing to watch each of The Robleto children grow. Can you believe Juliette is already one and that Cami is now a part of Godly Play? I know I am not the only one to experience such happiness in watching the kids develop their own fellowship spot at coffee hour on the stage in the Parish Hall. I look forward to hearing about these memories when my children become adults.

As you can see, Fork Church is so much more than Sunday morning service. It is with your kind pledge of generosity to Fork Church that we are able to make all this happen. With your donation, you are not only serving the church in today’s needs but ensuring that the tradition of Fork continues in the future. As I think of the stewardship season, I think of the old adage, “Blessed are old people who plant trees knowing that they shall never sit in the shade of their foliage.” What you give to the church will have a lasting impact on spreading Christ’s love for generations to come. Please join us on Sunday, November 24, when we conclude our stewardship campaign during the service and following at the special Sunday lunch. I encourage you to look at this through the eyes of the future generation of Fork Church.

Oh, and those long car rides to Fork, they make a great time for the kids to practice their songs so they are able to participate in the choir “just like the adults!”

Fondly,

Katherine Forti-Vargas

Director of Christian Education for Children

If These Walls Could Talk

Mary Anne Pugh

Oct. 24, 2024

Dearest Fork Friends,

I often imagine the history that has transpired in our beloved sanctuary, but never, of course, do I daydream during one of Fr. Nik’s sermons. I do, though, think of the families across three centuries who came together to read the same liturgy we do to worship God as they celebrate their baptisms, mourn their dead, and find sustenance for their life circumstances. I wonder whose imagination designed the building and which skilled hands mixed the mortar and laid the brick? Coming to church would often have been a way to learn the news of the day. What would it have been like to be sitting in this very pew on Sunday, July 7, 1776 and hear what had happened that week in Philadelphia? Did worshipers on Sunday, April 2, 1865 know that Richmond was burning and being evacuated? On Sunday, December 7, 1941 no one at the service could have imagined the cloud that would hang over their lives by nightfall.

Over the years how many congregants looking through the clear glass windows, seeing snowflakes on the pines, a dogwood bloom peeping through the window, or colorful leaves fluttering through the air have marveled at God’s handiwork and experienced a sense of peace? How many lifelong, life-sustaining friendships were forged under this roof?

Over the years the focus of the ministries would have changed, but educating children in the knowledge and love of God is always a priority. I am grateful to hear the giggles of our Godly Play children in church and thankful they haven’t taken to carving on the pews as we see that previous mischievous generations did. It is difficult to think that the music of the past could equal that of our beloved choir, but at some point, our predecessors considered music important enough to provide our magnificent organ. As the definition and needs of community have broadened and changed, so has our outreach mission. Changes, yes, but the core remains.

During times of war, strife, pandemic, and the vagaries of everyday life, our faithful band of pilgrims has carried on, each generation, often in hard times, serving as stewards for the next. We have inherited a treasure, not just this precious structure, but the even longer tradition of loving God and serving our neighbor. Now is our time to be the stewards. This is our moment in the long history of the Church. We must each decide, understanding the manifold needs, how we best honor God and the sacrifices of our forbearers to pay it forward for the generations that will follow us.

Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we

possess: Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our

substance, and, remembering the account which we must one

day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty, through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—The Book of Common Prayer, page 827

Grace and Peace,

Mary Anne Pugh