“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV)
January 4, 2022
Dear Sibling in Christ,
Greetings and Happy New Year in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! If you’re like many, it is hard to believe that a new year has begun. ‘Pandemic Standard Time’ seems to move a bit differently than what we’re accustomed to. Yet, the calendar pages remind that it is indeed a new year – a new year of hope and promise! And while we were never quite able to place the terms COVID-19and pandemic in our rearview mirrors like we wanted to in 2021, we remain prayerfully optimistic as people of faith that 2022 will be a year of healing, health, and restoration. The referenced scripture from Homecoming 2021 reminds us to consistently holdfast to the commandments of God. First United Presbyterian Church has a rich legacy of faith, persevering in times of challenge. With God’s hand always leading us, we are assured that the best is yet to come!
This letter signals the beginning of our 2022 Stewardship Campaign. As we consider God’s favor, we remain in awe of the immense goodness and blessings that have been bestowed upon our ministry. Despite the challenges of the previous year, our church has been blessed in so many ways. Through our ongoing partnership with First Presbyterian Church, our ministry has had the opportunity to grow in ways previously unimagined. In addition, we have been blessed to continue our participation with the Cleansing Waters Shower Ministry and our ongoing partnerships with Roof Above, First Ward Elementary, and Niner United Campus Ministry. We look forward to the continuance of these ministries, as well as the development of new and exciting opportunities, in 2022.
Of course, for our ministries to continue to flourish and thrive, we need your help. We are asking each member to prayerfully consider your annual stewardship pledge for 2022. Many of you have already completed your pledge for our Legacy of Faith Capital Campaign. We thank you for your faithfulness and diligence, as our capital campaign will not be successful without the support of our entire membership. Is it now time, however, to focus our attention to the annual pledge. As in years past, this pledge enables us to prepare our annual operating budget for the year ahead.
We invite you to use either the form you received in the mail or the online form (drop down above) to submit your financial pledge for 2022. Regardless of the method chosen, you are requested to complete and return it to the church by January 16, 2022.
As you complete your pledge, we are asking that you consider the many ways God has blessed you, carefully discerning how much you are willing and able to give in response to God’s continued work at First United Presbyterian Church.
Thank you for your continuing support for the ministries of our church. Your contributions of time, talent and financial resources will allow First United to not only survive, but also thrive, as we build upon the “Legacy of Faith” spoken of during our 2021 Homecoming Celebration – to God be the Glory!
Yours in Christ,
Stewardship Ministry Team
