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Please contact Carol Hughes, St. Paul’s bookkeeper, to discuss either a one-time or regularly scheduled donation. Thank you! October 2011: Every Member Commitment (EMC) Quick Links Please join the EMC team for a ... Celebration Sunday Brunch
Dear St. Paul’s Family, God did it again! When there is a need, St. Paul’s is faithful and responds. Last year, during our Every Member Commitment (EMC), we asked members to step out in faith and do a little more so our church could do a lot in God’s name. We asked that everyone increase their giving by 3–5%. You took that step: Financial promises increased about 3% last year. More importantly, actual giving in 2011 increased about 6%. You acted in faith and this past year we saw how God always multiplies a little into a lot.
In fact, your increased giving in the past 10 years has permitted God’s work in ways that have surprised us all. Praise God! Our building is now debt free; by year end, we may be able to meet our denomination’s missional share, called apportionments (for the first time in 3 years); plus many more blessings. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you…” Lately, we have been working toward a long-range plan. We have prayed, and spent a great deal of time talking to many members, asking hard questions, discussing key issues and even arguing a bit. All for one very important outcome: Discerning God’s Plans for us to follow. We now have a five-year plan and must faithfully live into this plan. No doubt, it will bring challenges over the next five years that only God knows about. The first may be financial in nature. And this is where each of us is needed to pray for our church, our plan and our ministry here together. Per our Finance Committee, we expect our budget will need to grow by 3-5% this year. It is a small increase, but we live in uncertain economic times. Still ... we have seen how God has provided. And we trust again that God will provide when we step forward in faith. The world tells us to give ’til it hurts, or to pay it ahead, do acts of random kindness, or to do our part and give back. But when we as Christians make a financial commitment to St. Paul’s, we do all of those things and more because we are responding in faith to the Plans God has for us. Please join Linda and me in completing an Estimate of Giving Card (enclosed in this letter). And thanks in advance for your generous, faith-filled response. Centered in God’s Plan,
Click on the names above to download an audio file! Oct. 10, 2011 Witness of Faith: Jeanne Gable “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 It is scary to try and speak to something like this because it might reveal things about me that I would be more comfortable leaving unrevealed! I sometimes feel as though I am one of those Christians who is “out of the fold.” I have NOT had a specific moment to which I can attest to having clearly “heard” God’s voice in my life. Whenever I have been in groups where this kind of conversation is taking place, it is easy to feel as though there is something “wrong” with the Christian I am, because such experiences have not come to me as they have to others. Maybe I speak for others; maybe not. What I can say is that, as my faith journey has evolved and continues to evolve, it is alive! I KNOW of God’s constant presence in abiding and powerful ways in my life. And when life has “whopped me upside the head” now and again, it isn’t abandonment from God I have felt, but rather a heightened, indefinable and comforting closeness. I have come to a profound sense that God’s will for me is not about life specifics per se, like, “Jeanne, I want you to be a doctor,” or “marry Michael,” or “give to that charity,” or “serve on this committee,” etc., so I no longer pursue such journeys. While I marvel at those who feel blessed in having specifically heard God’s call for their lives, I have long-since needed to move to places of different kinds of discernments. For me, God’s will, God’s plan for my life, is all about what Jesus repeatedly taught. “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind, and love others with the same, accepting, unconditional love with which I love you.” When I have learned to live this way, I have been transformed and sense that I am achieving God’s plan for my life. I am no longer worrying if I am pleasing God with every decision I make or action I take. For me, when God is central to who I am and what I do, the essentials of God’s plan for my life all fall in to place. I can no longer feel and be and say and do things I might have done from the depths of my humanity previously. I have been freed to build my relationship with God, as Jesus teaches us to do. In this way, the Biblically recorded mandate I have referenced here is such that its toehold in my life directs me step by step: Not voices from afar, necessarily, but a spiritual unity with God. Because of an inner and established relationship with the Presence of the Holy Spirit within me, my ability to be a light-bringer and love-bearer on behalf of God and God’s realm in the here and now is fueled endlessly. In my view, this is God’s plan for my life. It is my sense that when we are intentional about living in what I call a tithing spirit and mindset, or living in a “God First in All Aspects of My Life” way, that is when God speaks to us, through us and from within us. Our lives become God’s presence on Earth, and the body of Christ becomes evident for all to see and enter. And that is what God having a plan for my life means to me. ~ Jeanne Gable Oct. 16, 2011 Witness of Faith: Ray Doerr Click on the name above to download an audio file!
My mother deserves credit for dragging me to church (albeit a Presbyterian one) at a tender age. I sat in the pew for years and did not understand the whole church thing; that all changed at age 15. I visited my grandparents one December morning and, as I walked in, I saw hundreds of wrapped Christmas presents. I searched for gifts for me and the rest of my cousins, but did not recognize any names on the gifts. I later learned that the gifts were for the children of some of my grandparents’ 1,000 employees who were struggling to provide a good Christmas for their families. A few years later, I recounted this story with my grandpa, who told me to always be generous because God showers us with even more generosity. As he once heard from some minister, “You can’t out-give God.” This incident shaped my worldview about giving. Throughout high school, college, and beyond, I strived to be the first to open my wallet to give where needed. Although I am not as blessed in pure dollar terms as my grandparents were, I have tried to supplement my monetary giving with the gift of time. When I came to St. Paul’s 3+ years ago, I resolved to volunteer with the high school youth group. My own youth group experience had been positive and I relished the opportunity to volunteer to impart my “wisdom” and share my own faith. I do not have children, have no knowledge about how to relate to kids, am not cool, hip or “fresh,” and certainly do not “go with the flow.” However, I prayed that if I just showed up, God would make it work. He did, if not in the way I expected. My favorite Christian musician, Mark Schultz, frequently talks about working as a youth minister for a Tennessee church. He marvels, “I learned more about God from those kids than they ever learned from me.” I concur. I volunteer my time with the youth group but God gives back to me in far greater measure than I give, teaching me far more about Him from the youth in this church than they will ever learn from me. Whether it is money, time, talent or other treasure, my own experience tells me that, when given to God, it comes back in greater measure. I should not be surprised. My grandpa told me: “You can’t out-give God.” ~ Zac Eskau
Oct. 23, 2011 Witness of Faith: Jenna Niewiadomski Click on the name above to download an audio file!
When I was asked to write this Every Member Commitment (EMC) column, I thought about what specific events in my life have led me to Christ and to St. Paul’s. Then came the instructions that I had to write about Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you…” Whoa! Wait a minute! Someone thinks that I actually let God plan my life for me? They don’t know me very well! I like to have all my plans made and then adjust as necessary as we go along. But then I read on. The later part of the verse says, “… plans to give you hope and a future.” Okay, I thought. We’re back on track. I do like positive endings and what better ending than to let God make those plans all along and to give me hope and a future. As I look back to all the planning I have done in my life and examine what has become of my life more closely, I can see where God has led me to the career I have today, my church home and so many other things. I went to X-ray tech. school because I had a co-op job in high school and the head of the department where I worked looked favorably on people who did that. I have seen that man only once since leaving that co-op job, but I chose my profession to please him! After I began working at Beaumont and got a job at their new Troy facility, my boss asked if anyone wanted to learn ultrasound so that the other ultrasound technician could go on vacation. I shrugged my shoulders and said okay. Now, 37 years later, I am so thankful for the enjoyment I still get out of my job in the field of medicine. I learn new things all the time and get to help patients feel more comfortable with their testing. I really don’t want to retire, but when that time comes along, God will have something better in store for me. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” THANK YOU God, for your wonderful plans. ~ Karen Reynolds
Click on the name above to download an audio file!
Frequently Asked Questions about EMC 2011 Q: What is EMC? A: EMC stands for Every Member Commitment. Each fall, we ask all members of the St. Paul’s community to complete an Estimate of Giving Card – no matter the amount. That enables our Finance Committee to make effective plans for our ministry, and allows us to be better stewards of your gift. Plus, completing a card helps each of us remember our commitment to the work of the Church through St. Paul’s. Q: What if I have not completed an Estimate of Giving Card before? A: Any amount, yearly, quarterly or monthly, blesses us with your commitment to our collective ministry. Even if you cannot make a weekly or monthly contribution, please consider offering something quarterly. That still helps us plan and deliver on our commitments. Q: How many people complete an Estimate of Giving Card? A: Last year, 455 people/families completed Estimate of Giving Cards. We would like to see everyone submit a card, no matter the amount. It is an act of courage and charity to be counted among the giving. Q: How much do people give? A: The lowest Estimate of Giving Cards are for around $5/week, although some children pledge to give 25¢ a week. The highest we have seen is $400/week. The median is $50/week. Q: Do small contributions really matter? A: A gift of any proportion is a joyful thing and a powerful reminder of God’s love. Even a small contribution or increase, when multiplied by the size of our congregation, means greater service by St. Paul’s to our community and the world. Q: What is our financial situation at St. Paul’s? A: St. Paul’s congregation has always been generous. In the last several years, the economy has taken its toll, but in 2011, the financial support has been extraordinary. In a time of greater need all around us, God’s grace has moved our congregation to greater giving. As a result:
Q: What are apportionments? A: As St. Paul directs us, “we are to bear one another’s burdens, and in this way, fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2). The United Methodist Church is connected with formal ties to a global Church and its ministries. Apportionments are the amount the United Methodist Church Council has requested that St. Paul’s contribute to this global effort to provide for clergy, schools and ministry throughout the world. It is our sacred trust to provide support to the more than 42,000 United Methodist Churches in the U.S., Africa, Europe and the Philippines. For more about apportionments and their use, please visit Sharing God’s Gifts. Q: Are there any extraordinary expenses foreseen or planned? A: Our church buildings’ maintenance is substantial, and we have periodic repairs and upgrades that await funding, including:
The Trustees established a Capital Budget to help cover long-term expenses (like roofing and the parking lot) that would otherwise overburden a single year’s budget. In addition, we anticipate that Our Plan, a new five-year plan for St. Paul’s, may add to our budget as we pursue new ways to reach out for Christ and bolster membership. Q: How much does St. Paul’s give in total? A: Our total operating budget is around $1.3 million. In addition, Special Offerings are earmarked for their dedicated cause and not intermingled. These include:
Q: How do we spend our Operating Budget? A: It divides approximately like this: 15% Apportionments Q: How do we determine our budget? A: The Finance Committee establishes a budget based on the Estimate of Giving cards we receive during the EMC campaign. In addition, the goals of Our Plan have led the Finance Committee to recommend a 3-5% increase in giving. Typically, 93% of our revenues come from the Estimate of Giving cards; the rest is from interest, and Sunday and special offerings. Q: If we exceed our financial goals, what would we do? A: First, we would praise God for His blessing. Second, we would expand our ministry to the community and the world. The spirit of EMC is to place our faith in the Lord’s provenance. We will receive what we are meant to receive and we must be good stewards of our bounty.
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