In this season of stewardship and fundraising, we have heard how St. Francis is a sanctuary for the lost and hurting, a place that fosters and honors commitment, encourages introspection, and cares for and includes people of all ages and walks of life. For my family and me, St. Francis is all that and more. It was our refuge, and a much-needed oasis after a long walk in the wilderness.
Jennifer and I needed to leave Mississippi; the stress of our jobs was slowly destroying our bodies. After the awfulness of COVID, we wanted to be close to one of our families, and Southern California was the better fit for us. St. Francis wasn’t on our radar; we were looking for a church in the Diocese of San Diego, and had started looking in the Diocese of Los Angeles, but in Orange County, as we wanted to be as close as possible to Jennifer’s family (they live in La Mesa). I was asked to look at St. Francis and Palos Verdes Estates, a place I’d never heard of before the summer of ’22.
When Jennifer and I visited in October of that year, we didn’t know what to expect. Whatever it was, it had to be right – it had to be worth moving across the country. We felt the palpable presence of the Holy Spirit when we stepped into the chancel, and the warmth of the vestry enveloped us when we met with them the first night.
We weren’t asked to prove ourselves or demonstrate why we were the right match for St. Francis. From the very beginning, we were allowed and encouraged to be ourselves, and we felt comfortable being ourselves. No one on the vestry felt the need to prove themselves or let us know how important they were; they were approachable, affable, and loving. Jennifer and I were ready to move – something neither of us enjoys but have both endured multiple times. We were overjoyed when we were asked to come to St. Francis. I remember saying to Holly Valiquette (the Senior Warden at the time) that I would have to expunge the “y’alls” from my speech, and she said, “Jason, we want you, y’alls and all.”
I have always been able to be myself at St. Francis, which is an incredible gift. Jennifer and the kids also have the privilege of always getting to be themselves; there is zero expectation that they dress or act a certain way. We’ve been able to rebuild ourselves and grow at St. Francis in ways we were not able to before arriving here. I continually tell people that, as beautiful as our church and grounds are, the people are better. We are a place where everyone can be themselves, a rarity in our world. We are a place where the sanctuary is truly that: a sacred place where we can be the people that God made us to be. That is an incredible gift.
Our church is funded entirely by the congregation; the cell tower and Town and Country each provide revenue streams, but only through the consent of the people. Our endowments were started and funded through gifts from parishioners, and nearly half of our budget comes from pledges. It’s this latter number that fluctuates the most – and the one that you control. Our church is beautiful, but it is not extravagant. I’m asking you to pledge for the first time, pledge again, and/or to raise your pledge, not for anything superficial, but to augment and improve what we are doing now. We are getting new people in church every Sunday (which is why I explain communion every Sunday), and at least a quarter of them are coming back.
While much of the work in the church is volunteer-driven and managed, we live in a day and age where we need to rely more and more on paid employees. We are the church that loves Jesus, and we don’t pretend to be anything else. There is no illusion that we are perfect, better, or without sin; we are ourselves, y’alls and all, and we invite everyone who joins us to be themselves. This is a gift worth supporting. I pray that you will make a mindful and generous pledge to St. Francis, not out of fear or begrudgingly, but out of gratitude. Every pledge is important, whether it is $52 dollars a year or five figures and up. As Jesus reminds us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is too.”
—The Rev. Jason Shelby, Rector