What does a Blue Java banana tree have to do with stewardship? Quite a lot, as it turns out.
The Blue Java banana — a small, cold-tolerant tree that bears striking blue fruit with a creamy, vanilla-like flavor — was at the heart of Mahlon Collins’s opening Stewardship talk for 2025. He spoke with passion about his dream of nurturing a Blue Java banana tree here in New England — tending it faithfully until, one day, their angelic daughter Summer will be able to pick a banana from its branches.
Mahlon described how he cares for the tree every day, making sure it receives the right nutrients, warmth, and light. He even brought in some of the special food he uses to help it grow.
Stewardship, he reminded us, is tending what matters — patiently, purposefully, and with faith in a greater harvest. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. But we keep giving, hoping, and trusting in what God will bring forth.
Just as Mahlon nurtures his young banana tree, we are called to nurture our Church — still, as he put it, “in the state of the mustard seed.” We need more people to join us, yet we already have the time, treasure, and talent to meet the needs of those we serve in diaper depot, grandma’s pantry, and other ministries.
Mahlon’s message was clear–growth comes through faithful tending. Together, we can cultivate a thriving parish community that bears fruit in abundance.
Listen to his inspiring talk below.
Stewardship Message–Mahlon Collins
https://youtu.be/suXIu-JzKlM?si=eU8bC6bWMkLJLRFv
Read the Rector’s Stewardship letter below and scan the QR code to pledge!
Bearing Fruit: Restoration and Renewal
Dear Friends,
When the Stewardship Committee asked me to write this year’s letter, my thoughts turned immediately to our sunflower garden. At first, it looked uncertain — a few fragile stems struggling to take root. But with patient care and steady attention, the garden came to life and burst into radiant bloom.
That is what growth and renewal look like– nurturing what already exists and helping it flourish once more. Scripture reminds us, “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” As a parish, we too are called to renew our strength — our energy, our purpose, and our shared commitment to spreading Christ’s love in the world.
Over the past five years, we have faced many challenges. Yet through your faithfulness, we have turned those challenges into opportunities for transformation. We hosted our second International Dinner, installed a beautiful new sign, welcomed new families, and launched new ministries. Our church has become a home not only for our own congregation but for others as well—Spirit Life Chapel, the Missionary Church, and our sister church, St. Peter’s. We open our doors to recovery groups such as AA, Al-Anon, and Narcotics Anonymous, and we serve our neighbors through the Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Diaper Depot, and Grandma’s Pantry.
This is what it means to be a church that matters — a church alive and at work in its community. Through your Sacred Generosity, we have supported missions near and far, bringing light and hope where it is most needed. Truly, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
And yet, renewal never ends. Like a growing plant, our parish must keep reaching upward and outward. This year’s Stewardship theme — Bearing Fruit: Restoration and Renewal — invites us to do exactly that.
The journey has not been easy, but already we can see the fruits of our labor. To keep that growth alive, we must all take part. Are you in?
I need you in. Nearly one-third of our income comes from those who rent space in our church, another third from our endowment, and only one-third from parish pledges. For our future to be sustainable, we need renewed commitment to stewardship. Christ Church is our shared home — and like any home, it depends on our care, commitment, and love to thrive.
I invite each of us to step forward and become one of the pillars on which this parish will stand. Your generosity ensures that those who are hurting or alone continue to find hope here. Your gifts — of time, talent, and treasure — are the seeds God uses to bless others. Together, we can build a stronger foundation for our children, our neighbors, and all who seek God’s presence among us.
Our story is one of faith renewed, year after year. Now it is our turn to nurture what has been entrusted to us — and to bear new fruit for the future.
Your pledge — in time, talent, and treasure — sustains our shared mission: to love God, serve our neighbors, and shape a vibrant future for generations to come. When we give together, we grow together. Christ Church exists because you have chosen to be Christ’s hands and heart in Waltham.
So get involved — God is counting on you, and so am I.
With gratitude and joy,
Rev. Kapya Kaoma
Rector, Christ Church
Please fully fill out your pledge Card and return it by December 7, 2025. We encourage even young ones to pledge even if it means time or talent only.
Sunday
From the E-Crier of November 13, 2025. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter.