Gather - Grow - Celebrate

Watch Your Mailbox for an Invitation to GATHER, GROW, CELEBRATE

Arriving in your mail soon is Oak Knoll's invitation to participate in our 2026 generosity campaign.

Since 1932, this congregation has been building "a house where love can dwell and all can safely live."* As we approach our current facility's 30th anniversary in 2026, we celebrate this latest chapter in our congregation's nearly century-long story of faithful ministry.

As Christians, we know that generosity is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, a sign of God's presence in our life. This is why our 2026 campaign is called GATHER, GROW, CELEBRATE - it reflects how the Spirit works in and through us.

So as we look to God's work in 2026, we invite you to reflect on God's generosity and to receive this invitation to GATHER, GROW, and CELEBRATE our relationship with God, with this community, and with our neighbors.

Your Generosity Matters

Every ministry flourishes because faithful people say "yes" to God's call to generous living:

• Youth grow in their faith through Camp Christikon and Camp Luther Crest

• Ten students receive housing, food, and education at the Arcot Lutheran School in India

• Fresh produce from our community garden feeds neighbors through ICA food shelf

• Neighborhood meals welcome all to our table

• Pastoral care gives comfort and hope to those hospitalized, grieving, or homebound

• The Gathering Ministry serves those with memory care needs

• Vibrant worship shapes us and gives expression to our love for God

• And so much more

Your Part in the Story

When that envelope arrives, we encourage you to:

1. Receive it prayerfully – This letter is a sacred invitation to ministry

2. Read it carefully – Learn about how your giving makes ministry possible

3. Pray over it deeply – Ask God how you're being called to respond

4. Respond generously – Make your financial commitment for 2026

Your giving is partnership in ministry through which we live God's abundance and proclaim "All are welcome!"

Mark Your Calendar

Commitment Sunday is November 16th, 2025. We'll gather to celebrate our collective commitment to Christ's ministry at our worship service at 9:30am.

The Heart of It All

Here's the spiritual truth at the center of this invitation to generosity: Everything we have comes from God. When we give, we're simply returning a portion of what was never ours to keep.

Generous giving isn't a burden - it's liberation. It's how we practice trust in God's  promise to provide. It's how we say "thank you" for blessings received. And it's how we invest in the kingdom of God taking root in our neighborhood and around the world.

"Here the love of Christ shall end divisions" – through your generosity, we proclaim: "All are welcome in this place."*

*Marty Haugen, "All Are Welcome," Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Church Hymnal, 1994, p. 641. www.giamusic.com.