I Found my Home
A “Why I Give” Testimonial
by Katrina Thomas, October 2023
In 2019, I was desperately searching for a church community that I could call home. I longed for one that cared about and lived out what Jesus said was the core of the gospel—to love God and love people. I was so disillusioned from my evangelical background that I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in a Christian community, but I still wanted to follow Jesus.
One day I was listening to Pete Buttigieg, and I knew that he was part of the LGBTQ community. He spoke so eloquently about Christian values and Jesus, and I wanted THAT kind of community. Guess what I found—he belonged to an Episcopal church! So I visited Good Samaritan and never left.
The Good Sam community was so inviting, and real current social issues were discussed in light of how we should respond as followers of Jesus. I felt a kinship, even though the liturgy was so different than what I had come from. I found a place that passionately wanted to respond to the world in the way that Jesus would. I found my home.
An Unwarranted Measure of Grace
A “Why I Give” Testimonial
by David C. McKee, October 2023
Gratitude is the theme that most resonates with me when I think of stewardship. It comes in response to the grace we receive from God through Jesus Christ in this place we call Good Samaritan Church.
Susan and I discovered Good Sam shortly after migrating to San Diego in 1976. While in attendance, we have experienced the many stages of both our personal and the Church’s family life. As I look back over the years, I can’t help but feel blessed to have found this place that has given us such a sense of “home”!
I feel like we have received an unwarranted measure of grace—God’s undeserved and unmerited favor—and my response to that feeling is to try to give back, knowing it will never come close to being enough!
Something Bigger Than Myself
A “Why I Give” Testimonial
by Rebekah Diaz Pons, October 2023
I started coming to Good Sam shortly after COVID restrictions were lifted. I hadn’t found a place to be my church “home,” so I started looking outside of my own neighborhood. Good Sam was on my radar because I used to drive past it on my way to-and-from work at UCSD. After checking out the website and seeing how much of an emphasis there is on being the hands and feet of Christ—and a first visit—I knew I didn’t need to look any further.
I haven’t always been a regular “giver,” but I’ve come to realize that for me it is part of how I act out my faith: investing in the people and ministries that drew me to this community in the first place, with not only my time but also my resources. Being able to so easily be a part of something bigger than myself, I know this is the place for me.
Grace Upon Grace
A “Why I Give” Testimonial
by the Rev. Martha Anderson, October 2023
My own conviction for pledging lies in John 1:16: “From [Jesus’] fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” How amazing is that?! Grace upon grace! I shake my head in wonder at the power of those three words. I give out of gratitude for God’s abundance and generosity in giving us a Savior, and God’s ongoing and steadfast faithfulness to us.
You, the people of Good Samaritan, reflect God’s generosity in what you say and do, and equally important to me, HOW you say and do the work of God. You do it with joyful hearts and open minds. You embody the grace that grows from living into the grace of those who came before, by supporting God’s ever-expanding vision for this place in the present, and in providing a strong foundation for future generations.
Grace upon grace … I hope my pledge adds to the grace at Good Sam so we can continue to grow in God’s love and be Christ’s presence in the world.