I am so excited about the next couple of years of ministry at our church! Every week I get reports of how God works through our church to touch people’s lives!
Summer is always a tough time for churches. Giving and attendance dips while people take badly needed vacations and breaks from the rapid pace of life. With changing staff, this summer is also one of transition for us. I ask you to give an EXTRA EMBRACE to Christ’s work through our church by joining us in a special endeavor.
Some needs have arisen which could make our normal “summer slump” even “slumpier,” so we ask you to join us in a special summer giving and prayer venture called EXTRA EMBRACE. We ask you to give to Christ and our church an EXTRA EMBRACE through prayer and giving. Between now and September 6 (Labor Day weekend) we are asking you to pray about and give towards helping meet the following needs:
1. New children’s safety check-in system for Sunday mornings – To insure the safety of our kids, we need to purchase a state of the art check-in and check-out system. Your giving can help make this a reality by Fall.
2. Pastoral Search expenses (Children’s and/or Youth)
3. Now that it appears that God is sending us a Pastor to oversee our Embrace People disciple-making strategy, there is a data base tool that will make developing and monitoring this ministry much more efficient and helpful. It’s just a tool, but it is an important tool that we need! Your gifts can help us have this here by the time the new pastor arrives!
4. Increase our Missions giving – Our missions fund needs an EXTRA EMBRACE, especially as we add the Fernihoughs’ support beginning September 1. Your gifts can help us “catch up” with our Missions giving.
These items were not able to be included in our regular budget, so we need your help immediately. Here’s how you can help.
First, pray for our church as we embark upon an exciting new season of ministry. Plan to attend one or both special prayer meetings on July 20 and August 17 in the Venue at 7:00 p.m. Most of our time will be spent in prayer; but at each meeting, Pastor Larry will provide information updates and answer questions. Join us.
Second, consider making a special gift or two above and beyond your normal giving to this EXTRA EMBRACE offering. You can use the enclosed envelope or click here to give. (Please select the "Extra Embrace" option if you choose to make an online gift.) There will also be envelopes in all the seats of the Celebration Center during this time. The Elders are praying for an EXTRA EMBRACE of $50,000 during these two months, and I believe God is going to help us achieve that together.
Some of you are in no economic condition to give more, but you can pray. Many of you are in a position to give an extra $200 or $1000 or more during these two months. A few of you could do something much more generous. I hope you will. Remember, in a family, when one member is hurting, others step up to fill the gap. I have given to many summer mission trips, but I plan to give as generously as I can to this need. I hope you will as well.
In Christ,
Pastor Larry
