A Letter from Lindy May 4

Hi Pilgrims,

This Sunday will be Ashtyn's last worship with Pilgrim and will be sad to not have her presence with us, as she’s become such an integral part of our team in a very short time. I celebrate that our journey together has reshaped her understanding of the possibilities of ministry and how they may unfold in her life. I hope you will join with me in wishing her well as she takes this next step from graduation.

Last week I named the myriad of items that I could place in your hands and heart to hold with care. So that I don’t add to the feeling of our flooded gates, I want to do so with intention and prudence. This week I want to share a situation near and dear to my heart–-Pilgrim’s Pastor’s Account which has been reimagined by the church’s Council as Pilgrim’s Benevolence Fund, so as to align our desire to help those in need with the compliance required for such assistance through a religious organization. We now have a simple, clear policy and process; a Committee and an intake form to help us discern how to best respond to those in need.

One of the ways we have been administering support for the past year (plus) through this account (in both of its iterations) has been to purchase monthly Walmart and gas cards (a monthly total of $220) to be gifted to folks who come to Pilgrim’s campus seeking help. We offer the cards beginning the 1st of each month until they are gone, which is often within the first two hours of the day. The need, of course, is great and our ability, limited.

This past month, our Treasurer shared that the Benevolence Fund has been depleted to the point that we cannot sustain even this small gesture through the end of the year, let alone help anyone else who might have unexpected needs. Unfortunately, as this account has not needed replenishment for the past few years, the Board of Christian Service did not include it in their 2025 budget allocations, directing their benevolence to other organizations also doing important work of supporting the vulnerable in our community.

This confluence of events leaves us in a quandary of how to proceed. After April’s Council meeting where this was brought to our attention, I agreed to share this unfortunate situation with you to see if anyone might feel a special tug to support this ministry. I ask gently, knowing Pilgrim responds to many needs and many people. And I do not want to pause this nascent ministry until the 2026 budget cycle without offering us an opportunity to keep it going.

with hope and understanding.

🙏 Pastor Lindy

(she/her) why pronouns matter

Bulletin Art: "God is Love"

Acrylic paints on paper, gel ink.

Sue Carroll, Art2liftspirits.com