This week marks my six-month anniversary as the Stewardship and Development Director at Saint Gertrude Parish! Through God’s providence, many prayers, and tremendous support from this community, I am feeling more entrenched in the many ―nooks and crannies‖ that make up stewardship in the parish. At their first committee meeting held earlier this month (see photo below), the new stewardship representatives learned what was planned for the rest of this year and began the

process of mapping out ideas for 2012-2013. Working through the 50+ ministry leaders, we will seek innovative ways to foster an even better stewardship climate for our parish. Simultaneously, I will build a development committee to help us chart the course for where and how Saint Gertrude may grow in the future. This will be a far-reaching effort and will rely on some of you who are reading this today. I can’t wait for the next 6 months to get underway! ― Jeff Plate, Director of Stewardship and Development