October 11, 2026

Dear Resurrection Family,

Grace and peace to you. It is time for our 2027 stewardship drive. Before I ask anything of you, I
want take a moment to thank you for last year.

A week or two after Father Dave announced his departure, I woke up in the middle of the night
in a cold sweat. It hit me how much our financial health matters to everything we do here. I felt
like the weight of keeping the budget balanced landed on my shoulders, and I felt troubled.

Then you gave me a great comfort. Your pledges came in timely and very close to our 2025
pledges. That solid commitment held firm, even as we headed into the great unknown. Thanks to
you, we kept a balanced budget. I slept a lot better, and I very much thank you for that.

As you know, Reverend Lo has accepted our call to be the next Rector of the Episcopal Church
of the Resurrection. She expects to begin her ministry with us in early December. Her new role
will bring plenty of challenges and, quite frankly, some new stress for her. One of those stresses
we can easily eliminate. We can hand her a balanced budget for 2027. That will free her focus on
her new calling here.

Here, then, is my request. Please pledge at least what you pledged last year. If you can increase it
slightly, we can get back to our 2025 budget, and that would be amazing. Your 2027 pledge card
is enclosed. We ask that pledges be submitted by October 26. You may return your card in
person, mail it, pledge through our website (resurrectionlongwood.org), or indicate your pledge
amount by email to Jill Chester at jchester@resurrectionlongwood.org.

Thank you for joining me in the knowledge that we have lifted that weight off her shoulders.
Your steadfast support of this church will be a warm and comforting welcome to our new Rector.

Faithfully,

Mark R. Ahrens
Senior Warden