The good news first: pledges for 2014 have surpassed the $1 million mark. Thank you to all who have helped get us to this point!

Now the yellow line in the red heart that we see in the bulletin every Sunday has slowed down, leaving us tantalizingly close to our goal. We are nearing the end of the first quarter of 2014 and it's time to close the book on this year's Stewardship Campaign.

Holy Comforter's practice is to use the pledges received during this year's campaign as the basis of its budget. In 2013 the Vestry reluctantly approved a deficit budget and we reached into our reserves to make up the difference. We made significant reductions in funding for maintenance and deep cuts in the Mission & Evangelism budget. Thanks to careful spending on the part of the staff, at the end of 2013 our deficit was less than expected and funds were made available to Mission & Evangelism.

The stewardship goal set by the Vestry for 2014 is $1,300,000. In December the Vestry approved a 2014 budget of $1,100,000 in case the optimistic stewardship goal could not be reached. We restored money to the Mission & Evangelism budgets and to the Capital Replacement account (our long-term maintenance account). We currently have $1,016,796 in actual pledges from 344 of our households and for these we are truly thankful. However, it would not be responsible to continue to dip into savings to make up our budget deficits.

Failing that, we will have to decide where to cut. The easy targets, unfortunately, are the same every year: Mission & Evangelism and Capital Replacement. We understand the consequences: if we reduce Mission & Evangelism, we cannot continue with the work that Christ has given us to do. If we deplete the Capital Replacement Fund, we may in the future face a rainy day with no money to repair the roof. We need $85,000 in additional pledges. The Vestry is beginning a line-by-line review of the budget to see where savings may be possible. But what else can we do? Here are a couple of suggestions:

• If you haven't pledged or renewed your pledge for 2014, do it now. Remember, your pledge reflects your intention based on what you prayerfully think you can give.

• If the unforeseen happens, the amount can be modified in either direction easily and privately. Lost your pledge card? Send a message to Peggy Miller and ask to have one sent to you. Or follow this link for the online version here. If you've ever thought, "I wish I could give more," maybe you can. If every pledging unit increased their pledge by only $5 per week or an additional $260 per year, we could substantially fund our program year and avoid a disruption to what we have always done well as a parish. We are that close, but we need your help.

• Pray about it. Let's all pray that, working as a Christian community, we can provide the means to do more good in the world.

Margy Collom, Sr. Warden

Phil Allard, Jr. Warden