Serving our Communities During the Pandemic - Making an Impact Through Online Giving on Realm

Apr 20

Written By Steven Lee; Marsha Ra and Tim Dwyer

April 20, 2020

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40

Dear Congregation of St. Saviour Community,

The Cathedral Congregation is committed to doing all it can to support the health, safety and spiritual well bring of its members and community. In these stressful days, the Congregation has expanded the ways we are connecting with one another despite our Cathedral doors being closed.

Within the last few weeks, new paradigms of pastoral care, childcare, food distribution and digital programming have been quickly put into place to serve the needs of our Congregation and community.

The Sunday Soup Kitchen is open, serving bagged lunches to over 150 of our neighbors. The Vestry voted to donate $2500 to CCC for the food program.
The Vestry has donated $5000 to the Dean’s fund to continue to pay musicians and maintenance workers through June.
We have donated $2500 to the New York Food Bank to help feed the hungry.
A Pastoral Care Committee was formed to check-in with all Congregation members and address prayer requests and any immediate needs.
The Cathedral has offered its space and facilities to the community during this time, and we want to make sure that this continues to be possible.

Although we cannot know what the impact this COVID-19 epidemic will have, we know that the Cathedral community will find the strength to stand together for each other and each of you. Our work, inspired by our love of the mission of this great Cathedral, takes place on many fronts, and this is all made possible by your generous support.

But, what do we do when we cannot pass the offering plate? Our traditional ways of congregational giving are just one more of our paradigms of church affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

We are at a crossroads, and have concluded that we must increasingly rely on online giving – which is safe, secure and immediately impactful. We implemented online giving via Realm last year, which many of you have begun using. Helpfully, we have put together a quick video guide (see links below) to activate giving via Realm.

On behalf of the Stewardship Committee of the Congregation, we ask that you prayerfully examine your giving to the Congregation, as you are able to during this time, to continue the work of this unique Cathedral Congregation.

If you have any questions about signing up for online giving on Realm, please contact us, or Hope Chang in the Pastoral Care Office, and we will be happy to walk you through the steps.

Thank you for your continued support of the Congregation of St. Saviour!

In Christ,

Kevin de l’Aigle
Christopher Clowdus
Co-Chairs, Stewardship Committee