From the Office of the Pastor
November 13, 2020

Dear St. John the Baptist Parishioner,

Thank you for being active members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School! Last year we invited you in to pray with us, to grow in union with Jesus Christ, and to invest in our wonderful parish. And you did! Thank you for your generous ongoing support and commitment!

Our parish theme this year is United in the Holy Spirit. In this time of great challenges for so many, one sure guide for our parish and for each of us is the Holy Spirit—the Counselor, the Principle of our Unity. Our fall campaign is thus entitled Core Commitment 2021: United in the Holy Spirit.

Together let us commit to supporting our parish by living out the core values:
• Relying on prayer and allowing our hearts to be conformed to Christ’s heart by the Holy Spirit
• Being willing to grow and letting the Holy Spirit fill our minds with the wisdom of God
• Living out of a generous spirit and uniting our will to Christ’s will which allows the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ in the world.

Throughout 2020 so many of our parishioners have demonstrated their unity to St. John the Baptist with a real commitment to our core values! With our Core Commitment campaign, we are now asking our parishioners to recommit to living out our core values, which includes sustaining giving at their 2020 level so that we are able to continue our vital ministries in the year ahead.

As always, we are closely monitoring our expenses, and because of the pandemic, we have encountered unforeseen costs. With the new challenges, we are adjusting our resources to serve our parishioners accordingly as well as reach out to others by investing in technology. We have learned that by using technology well, we have more capabilities to help people come to know the lifesaving message of Jesus Christ. We are seeking ways to continue the tremendous growth in our school and retain our new students. I hope you will respond generously to this year’s Core Commitment campaign. Please complete the Core Commitment Pledge Form and return it on Commitment Weekend (November 21/22), mail it in, or place it in the collection basket on another upcoming Sunday. You can also complete the form online. Thank you for your tremendous support!

As the Father loves me, so I also love you!
Fr. Paul Shovelain
Pastor