Led by co-chairs Kirsten Aiello and Jeff Rowbottom, this year’s campaign invites the congregation to sow seeds of faithfulness, generosity, and hope for the future.

“I am thrilled to work with Kirsten and Jeff,” says Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston. “They bring a wellspring of energy and a history of faithful service to Fifth Avenue.”

The theme, Sowing Abundance, draws on Saint Paul’s words to the church in Corinth: “The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Though it may be hard to imagine amid Midtown’s bustling streets and towering skyscrapers, most of New York City was once farmland. This year’s pledge campaign reminds us that the ground is still fertile. There are seeds to be sown.

Going back to our roots

When choosing the theme, Sowing Abundance, Kirsten and Jeff were inspired to look back. While our congregation has worshiped on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street since 1875, our roots stretch back to 1808, when the original worshiping community gathered on Cedar Street in lower Manhattan.

“Those twenty-six people who started down on Cedar Street—it’s a privilege to honor their legacy and be part of the future” says elder and pledge co-chair Kirsten Aiello. “Because they sowed generously, today, we reap abundantly.”

Every pledge helps sustain the many ministries of Fifth Avenue. Pledging provides vital resources to the vulnerable, nurtures our children and youth, supports the beautiful musical offerings of our choirs, maintains our historic Sanctuary and Curry Church House, ensures that staff are fairly compensated, and strengthens our faith community.

“More and more, I feel like over the years I know this is the best place to invest,” says trustee and pledge co-chair Jeff Rowbottom.

With courage and hope

Over the next five Sundays, during worship, the congregation will have the opportunity to hear several members describe how their time at Fifth Avenue has shaped them and why pledging matters.

On Sunday, November 23, we will gather for Commitment Sunday. During the 11:00 am worship service, members of the congregation will be invited to bring forward their completed pledge cards.

Pledges can also be made online, mailed to the church, or shared directly with our Director of Finance, Richard Schexnider.

“Pledging is more important than ever before,” says Johnston. “In a world that too often regards the future with fear and despair, the church is called to respond courageously. Sowing abundance today is an act of hope. We trust that the harvest of tomorrow will be bountiful.”