John's Epistle           

Drum Roll, Please ...

The formal campaign has come to a close, many of our members have pledged their financial support and offered their time and talent, and the numbers are being totaled. And I'm pleased to tell you that the total pledged giving toward the "On the Verge" capital renovation campaign is ...

Something you'll have to come to worship on Sunday to hear! J You know me by now: I'll do whatever it takes to make you want to be with us on Sunday morning. So I'm not going to give out the information this easily!

We have worked hard over the past couple of years to reach this point, and soon you'll be seeing the signs-literally-of work about to be done that will change the face of our ministry at BUMC. I couldn't be more excited about what we will accomplish together over the next couple of years and I greatly appreciate all the support you have offered to make sure it happens.

My guess is that we will still receive some pledges from some of our members, and that some more support will come after we begin the actual renovations and others get excited about what is happening. That's why it means so much to me that so many of you stepped forward as the "pioneers" to pledge your financial support and gifts of time in the form of "sweat equity," as well as your prayers, to make sure that the future investment we are making is a great success. Without your leadership, we simply wouldn't be able to start!

All of this aside, however, I am most excited about what is behind all of the talk of facility renovation: Ministry that makes a difference in people's lives. I wish that every one of you had been able to be present last Saturday as about 100 of us gathered to unload the truck that supplied our annual Pumpkin Patch. It was simply a great and joyous day!

Yes, the majority of the people assembled were members of our congregation. But, there were dozens of others-friends, family, and guests-who joined us. The north lawn of the church was absolutely alive with activity as we worked hard and dozens of children helped and, of course, played.

I was particularly impressed by one family that showed up and worked really hard with us. There were many others, but I happened to be working side by side with the mother and father of one of our students at Buckingham United Methodist Preschool. They had been invited by our Preschool staff and showed up ready to lend a hand. It was the perfect example of how it is our church is reaching out as we continue to seek opportunities for connection in all aspects of our lives.

These efforts pay off, even if it sometimes takes years for us to see the results. In just a week and a half, on October 23^rd, we will be hosting hundreds of guests for our annual "Lord's Acre" Fall Festival, all of whom will be able to see what's happening here at Buckingham. We have worked very hard to make sure that LAFF is even more an outreach event than it is a fundraiser-and we expect it to be a very successful fundraiser. They'll be able to see the community we have together, to experience our hospitality, and to know that we are here for them.

And, yes, we'll be able to proudly display that we are doing what we need to do to make our buildings more welcoming to them. This is a really exciting time to be a "Buckhead!"

I'll see you Sunday for the big announcement! Drum roll please ....

Grace and peace,

Pastor John