Bishop's Welcome Letter

Dear Friends in Christ,

There is no one among us who is not called to be a disciple. Through the waters of Baptism, we entered into this new life of faith united with Christ and in solidarity with our fellow believers.

As authentic disciples, we regard all that we are and all that we possess as gifts and blessings, and realize the need to share these blessings with others for the sake of the kingdom of God. Each one of us, as baptized Christians, accepts personal responsibility for furthering the mission of Jesus by placing our gifts, our resources—ourselves—at God’s service in and through the Church. This stewardship of the Church is a fundamental expression of discipleship.

It is the link between these two realities, discipleship and stewardship, which we celebrate in the 2007 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, Disciples of Christ—Stewards of His Gifts. Our Diocese is blessed with many talented and faithful people who carry out the work of God every day. They can be found in the various Diocesan, parochial, educational and social service institutions. By giving to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal a proportionate return of the gifts God has entrusted to us, we are sharing in the ministries of prayer and worship, education and service, social concerns and works of charity being carried out throughout Middlesex, Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon counties.

Thank you for your continued generosity and for serving as living witnesses, disciples of Christ, and stewards of his gifts.

Sincerely in the Lord,

Most Reverend Paul G. Bootkoski
Bishop of Metuchen