ou should be receiving the annual stewardship appeal letter and pledge card, sent by our Stewardship Director, Elizabeth G. If you have not received it yet, you may read the text of the letter below.
The pledge card was inadvertently omitted from some of the envelopes that were mailed. If you did not receive one, you may print one out to pray over, then complete it bring it with you on Commitment Sunday, Nov. 20. You can find the pledge card by clicking here. Pledge cards will also be available in each order of worship on Commitment Sunday, Nov. 20. If you are not able to join us on Sunday, you may pledge on line. To learn more click here.
As Elizabeth said to us when we opened this Stewardship season, “We are more comfortable at church talking about the giving of our time and talent. I want us to also be able to talk about what we do with our treasure. At least for a few weeks each year. Because our God is God over all of our lives.” As well, our collective giving always determines how much ministry our church can undertake… Please pray over your generosity.
Dear Old First Member,
Old First UCC is a pretty amazing place! My husband and I decided to make this our church home because we believe that this place is making a difference in the world.
I am sure you are aware that what you see here extends beyond Sunday morning. Our worship life together, the fellowship we experience, and the ways we are encouraged to grow in our walk with Jesus do not happen by accident. They are planned and prepared by leadership and staff who are deeply committed to our becoming who it is God is calling us to be. The ministry and mission of our church take place because of spiritual and financial gifts our members choose to offer. These are the resources that fuel our mission.
I want to invite you to consider making a decision to invest financially in Old First in a regular way in 2017. The practice of stewardship is a spiritual discipline and a way to grow our faith. There is joy to be found in practicing generosity and it begins with simple steps and the commitment to contribute.
Our pledges, combined together, make up the proposed budget possibilities for the coming year. The total number of people pledging at Old First has dropped in recent years. If you have never pledged before, please take some time to seriously consider how the discipline of pledging might help you by serving as an on-going reminder of your decision to be part of this community of faith. If you have pledged before, please consider increasing your pledge this year to silently help someone else who might be struggling financially.
The decision to give a gift is a choice, and to do so may mean to choose not to do something else. It may mean choosing, as Julie suggested in her stewardship talk, to not buy a fancy coffee, or deciding to carry a sack lunch into the office once a week instead of buying lunch. The amount may seem insignificant, but a gift of just $5 per week, that’s just $260 a year, can keep the heat on in the Social Hall for our shelter guests for two weeks, or provide Sunday School materials for the year. Your gift matters – It matters to you as the giver, and to the church which utilizes it as a resource for mission.
On Commitment Sunday, November 20th, we will collect the pledge cards during Worship, and bless them. This is the culmination of our Stewardship season, the witness talks we’ve heard in the past three weeks. Please bring with you the completed pledge card included in this mailing. I pray that you will be with us on the 20th, to celebrate our commitment to Old First and each other. If at any time you have questions about how we utilize the financial gifts we receive, please don’t hesitate to call me.
Thank you for making Old First UCC your place for worship. I am glad to share the path of discipleship with you as together we seek to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.
Blessings,
Elizabeth G.
Stewardship Director
