The Call
November, 2025
A Message from the Rector
Dear Friends in Christ,
As I said in my sermon on All Saints’ Sunday, one of the great gifts of our faith is knowing that we never walk this journey alone. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, both the saints who have gone before us, whose prayers and faith still strengthen us today, and the saints on earth who walk beside us now. The communion of saints reminds us that the life of faith is a shared pilgrimage, with each generation building on the faith, love, and work of those who came before.
Today, as we celebrated the baptism of Isla Hooton and welcomed her into the Body of Christ, we were reminded again of that beautiful continuity. Every baptism is a sign that God’s story keeps unfolding, that the Church is alive and growing, and that this community of faith has been entrusted to our care. It is both a joyful celebration and a sacred reminder that our lives are woven together in Christ, past, present, and future.
This season of the year naturally invites us to gratitude. As we look around and see the changing of the seasons, the gathering of friends and family, and the steady rhythm of life in our parish, it is good to pause and give thanks. We give thanks for those who have built this community with their time, prayers, and generosity. We give thanks for one another, and for all the ways God’s grace continues to show up in our common life. And we give thanks for those who will carry this work forward after us, trusting that the same Spirit who has guided the Church through the ages will continue to lead us still.
May this season be a time of deep gratitude and renewed faith, as we remember the saints who have blessed our path and take our place among them in the ongoing story of God’s love.
With every blessing,
Fr. David
2026 Stewardship Campaign
By now you should have received a mailing from the Stewardship Committee. This link includes the letter from the mailing as well as a link to a Narrative Budget explaining the importance of each item, comparisons between the 2025 and 2026 budget amounts with explanations for changes.
Our pledge ingathering is Sunday, November 23, but you may also mail your card to the church, put it in the collection at any time, or use this link to submit your pledge on-line. As of November 3rd we are already 38% of our way towards our stewardship goal!
Your vestry met Tuesday, September 23, on-line.
We continue to work on the 2026 budget draft.
Fr. David reported that average Sunday attendance continues to exceed last year’s levels by a good margin. The Stewardship Committee has met twice and has set a timeline for the 2026 stewardship campaign.
Regina provided the results of the formation Survey. The overwhelming preference from the 21 people who responded was for weekly Zoom sessions, with some interest in a session after church.
The next vestry meeting will be in-person after church on Sunday, November 9.
Minutes from the August 5 meeting are at this link.
New Formation Opportunity
Fr. David will be teaching an Advent series on the Nicene Creed titled, “For Us and for Our Salvation”. This class will be presented in a hybrid format both in person and online at 7 PM on Wednesdays: November 19, December 3, 10 and 17. For those coming in person a light soup supper will be offered at 6:30.
Give, and You Shall Receive, from the IRS
The recent tax changes include a potential benefit for people who don’t itemize their deductions (currently 90% of taxpayers) and thus haven’t been able to get any tax breaks when they donate to charity. Starting with the 2026 tax year, those who take the standard deduction can also deduct up to $1,000 in charitable contributions for Singles ($2,000 for Married filing Jointly) in addition to the Standard Deduction.
And don’t forget two other ways to save on taxes through charitable donations which have been around for a few years: If you’re 70.5 or older you can make a donation directly from your IRA to a qualified charity (called a Qualified Charitable Distribution) without incurring taxes and without it increasing your Adjusted Gross income. If you’re 73 and making Required Minimum Distributions, any portion of your RMD which is donated directly to a qualified charity is also not taxed and does not add to your Adjusted Gross Income. St. Mary Magdalene does have a brokerage account to receive these donations.
As always, if you have questions about how this affects your individual situation, please consult a tax accountant.
You’ve got questions? We’ve got Answers!
Join us after the service on Sunday, November 23, for coffee and questions with Fr. David. Even if you don’t have questions you’re likely to learn some new things about our faith!
Dates to Remember in November and Beyond
Thursday, November 20: We are hosting the community Thanksgiving service at 7 PM. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. The collection, together with a food and coat drive, will all benefit Heart-n-Hand.
Sunday, November 23: Coffee and Questions after the service.
Sunday, November 30: Lunch and Greening the Church after the service
Saturday, December 6: Christmas crafts with Santa. Fliers will be handed out at Trunk or Treat.
You can view the current version of our Calendar any time at this link – or by Selecting “Calendar” from the drop-down menu under News and Events at the top of our web page.
You can also pick up a printed copy in the Narthex.
The New Spirit is published every two weeks. Read the latest issue here.
Annual Picnic
We had perfect weather for our picnic on October 5! And, as usual, everyone came through with a wonderful assortment of side dishes and desserts to supplement the burgers and hot dogs prepared by our hard-working grilling crew.
SingleMom KC Walk October 18
This was another day of perfect weather for an outdoor event! SingleMom KC is a faith-based organization that helps single mothers and their children. Their work includes workshops on topics such as financial literacy and recovering from trauma, a free clothing and necessities boutique, and referrals to community resources for legal help and job opportunities. This was their annual “No Mom walks alone” event. Speakers included Chiefs player Xavier Worthy’s mother- an eloquent, dynamic lady!
Women‘s Book Club
The next meeting will be November 3 at the home of Susan Petrakos (13204 Jefferson Ct, Kansas City, MO). We will be discussing The Cost of Free Land by Rebecca Claren. All women are welcome to attend. Please come anytime you see a book you would like to discuss. Dessert is always served.
The date of the Christmas luncheon in December will be announced soon.
November 21st
Join your friends at St. Mary Magdalene on Friday, November 21st at 6 p.m. for our monthly God & Guinness Night at Conroy’s, 12924 State Line Road in Leawood.
Single Mom KC needs clothing for women and full-size toiletries. They can be left in the bin marked for SingleMom KC in the narthex.
KC for Refugees Needs Household Items
A few years ago we opened up the basement of the House of Grace to KC for Refugees, an organization that provides support for newly-arrived refugees from war-torn countries. They’re in need of all the basic necessities. Here’s their most recent communication:
We need your help! Our Welcome Closet is nearly out of all supplies! We need lots of help to replenish our storehouse for the refugees arriving weekly to the KC Metro area!
Needed donations include: Towels, blankets, small kitchen appliances (rice cookers, electric tea pots, pressure cookers, etc), dishes, silverware, pots and pans (the bigger the better), diapers, sheets (twin and queen size) and hygiene and cleaning kits, diapers, maxi pads, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Our Amazon wishlist is available for easy donation! All items purchased are delivered to a KC for Refugees volunteer who delivers to our Welcome Closet.
Amazon Wish List Link
Or donations are always welcome in person! All donations should be new, or very gently used with lots of life left in them. They can be dropped off at the lower level of the House of Grace on Thursdays from 9-11am, or brought to church.
Thank you so much for your help! We cannot do this great work without your help and support!!!
Heart-n-Hand Ministries
Heart-N-Hand Ministries, right here in Belton, serves the homeless as well as others just needing a hand up. At their website, www.heartnhand.org, there is always a current list of donated items they are seeking.
Heart-N-Hand would also appreciate volunteers to assist in their Thrift Store, Monday-Saturday; the store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For for more information, please contact Alexis Butterfield, Executive Director, at 816-322-1133 or 417-551-2470. Her e-mail is alexisjbutterfield@gmail.com.
Here’s the latest list of items they need most. Donations can be left in the Narthex.
Canned meals like Chili, Ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, stew (pop top preferred)
Pancake Mix Eggs
Pork & beans Crackers
Refried beans Ready to eat Soup
Spaghetti sauce White rice
Boxed mashed potatoes Baking goods: Flour, Sugar, cooking oil
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly
Canned chicken, ham, or pork Canned fruit
Condiments Powdered milk
Fresh produce Meat ( ground beef, ground turkey)
Lunch meats Cheese
Juice Dressing
Baby wipes Dish soap
Toilet paper Paper towels
Household cleaning products Shampoo and conditioner
Tampons and pads Kleenex
Here is a link to items you can order from Amazon
Help Save Lives with Your Donation!
At our drive on August 20 we collected 9 units of blood. The need for blood products never stops! Please donate if you can.
Our next drive will be on Monday, November 10 from 2 to 6 PM. Your donation will be tested for a1c level- an important indicator of diabetes risk, and you will be provided with the results.
You’ll also receive a $20 gift card, redeemable at a variety of merchants.
