December Newsletter - Year End Report and Year End Giving

Friends of Shalom, 

As we come to the end of 2025, I am truly amazed and so grateful for all that our Lord has done and continues to do in our church. The best way to describe this year for me would be “holistic growth.” We’ve seen this in terms of new folks checking out Shalom (many new to faith), we’ve grown deeper in Christ as a church, and we’ve grown as a community in our relationships with one another. 

Merry Christmas!

Here are some highlights from 2025.

• Three adult baptisms.
• We regularly have people new to Christianity or who haven't been to church in years join us on Sunday.
• Two catechism classes with a total of twelve adults.
• Inside giving growth by almost $2,000 a month.
• Our average Sunday Attendance has grown from 30 to 45. 
• We collectively gave $1,500 for our lenten offering to Scarlet Road (a local non-profit that works with survivors of sexual exploitation). And we volunteered to help with several projects as well.
• Two weddings and Two engagements!
• We had our first confirmation in September with sixteen adults and one youth! 
• We have two lay preachers serving regularly.

As we head into 2026 our focus is to continue being a welcoming community formed in the way of Jesus for the Shalom of Kitsap to our community. There is a simplicity in our mission that works here as we offer word and sacrament each week to those who are new to faith and to those who are coming back to church. In the new year we also hope to launch monthly Table Groups which will be a chance for us to gather in homes for dinner and compline each month. We also hope to start an Advisory Council to help pray, plan, and think through next steps for our church. Further, we hope to have more opportunities for classes, book discussions, and fellowship.

When it comes to our finances, first I want thank you so much for praying and giving to Shalom this last year! If all goes well, we’ll end the year covering our 2025 budget with at least a month of operating costs in savings. As we head into the new year I have two asks for you to consider. 

1 Consider giving monthly to Shalom for 2026.

In our monthly budget for 2026 we have $1,300 shortfall that we’ll need to make up each month. This need has been placed before the church, but I also wanted to ask those of you who are supporting us from the outside to consider a monthly gift of $50 or $100 for 2026. We also have a few church partners and I am happy to meet with any vestry, elder board, or missions committee who would like to learn more about what that could look like. 

As a church plant we are still very much a mission and not quite ready to be fully self supporting. I am incredibly encouraged where we are financially, but it’s common for church plants to need support from the outside for the first 3-5 years.

2 Consider giving to our year end gift. 

Just like last year, our goal for our year end gift is $12,000. As a two year old church plant we depend on the extra giving in the year end gift. Below you’ll see where we’d like this money to go. Anything raised above this amount will go into a benevolence fund. 

Painting the Sanctuary ($6,000): We have been asked to partner with All Saints Academy (the owners of the Church) to paint the inside of the sanctuary which is in desperate need. The total cost to paint it is $12,000 and so they’ve asked to cover half of the costs. This is a wonderful opportunity to join together with All Saints and make our worship space more beautiful. 

Paying our Music Ministers ($6,000): We have been richly blessed to have two music ministers serving our church the last two years for free! We’d like to begin giving them a monthly stipend. 

How to Give

1. You can give online at www.shalomanglican.org/give. In the giving box click the “select fund” box to choose “general” for monthly giving and “2025 year end giving” for anything you’d like to go to the year end gift. 
2. You can give in our offering box by check or cash. Please note on the check or envelope “general” or “year end gift.” 
3. Mail a check to: Shalom Anglican | PO Box 2464 | Bremerton WA, 98310.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions. Again, thank you for being a part of Shalom Anglican this last year. I’ll continue the monthly Newsletter in 2026. Thanks for all your support and prayers! I’m looking forward to all God has for us in 2026. 

For the Shalom of Kitsap,

Father Rob Steinbach