As we approach this year’s stewardship campaign, I want to thank you for your faithful support, and bring you up-to-speed on where we are, and where we feel called to go.
WHAT WE ARE DOING: Each department has played and continues to play a vital role in our effort to fulfill our mission “to make disciples for Jesus Christ”. Thanks to you and your generous support of our ministries and thanks to our church leaders who have worked incessantly to control costs, lives are being changed.
Where The Money Goes: The largest portion of our church budget goes for Mission and Outreach. This includes not only local and global missions, but also includes temporary financial assistance for families who are in dire need. The second largest piece of our budget “pie” is for our Children and Youth ministries. We’ve begun to see many lives affected through our Children’s Church, camps and retreats, and our “Acts 29!” programs. Worship at CUMC is alive, vibrant, and relevant to everyday life. We spend about 16.6% of our annual budget on worship related expenses. The remainder goes for building maintenance, and administrative costs.
In addition to our weekly tithes and offerings, our church is blessed to receive from many of you monetary and tangible gifts, which are designated by the giver to a particular purpose. These special "over and above the pledge or tithe" gifts allow each designated department to expand planned ministries and establish new ministries which were not provided for in our initial budget.
WHERE WE ARE GOING: We have many exciting things planned for the coming year. There is an ever-increasing amount of new ways to reach out to the lost and the hurting people of our community and our world. But ministry often requires resources.
CONCLUSION: We understand that many of you are giving all you can, and we thank you for helping us achieve our calling. We also understand that making the jump to a full tithe can be difficult. But we believe that when we take a first step in a plan toward eventual tithing, that God will honor that plan, and bless us accordingly. We are encouraging you to take that initial step increasing your pledge by whatever amount the Lord would have you do for the calendar year 2010.
I pray that you will seek the Lord as to what God would have you do with regard to your giving for the coming year of exciting and meaningful ministry at Cleora United Methodist Church.
Again, thank you for your continuing generosity.
Sincerely,
Les Stanfield, Finance Chair and Rev. Rich Brasher, Pastor