One of the blessings of being a congregational church is that no one tells us what to do or believe. No bishop passes down orders or demands that we hire a particular minister. We determine what our church, minister and faith will look like. We are in charge of the faith, the building and the finances. We celebrate this self-determination in a financial sense on our Stewardship Celebration Sunday at both services. In the service everyone is asked to come forward and place your pledge or pledge acknowledgement card in the offering plate signifying your full participation at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction. Additionally, if you’ve already returned your pledge, we have stocked the pews with pledge “tokens” (small papers) acknowledging your donation. Families may list their name(s) on these tokens so they have something tangible to deposit into the offering plate. Some people even dance on their way up since belonging is a joyful experience!