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March 2014
Year-Round Stewardship
Sharing Ideas That Work
roscoeworship
 
Greetings!

 

At the heart of Christian stewardship is relationship - our relationship with God and our relationship with one another.

  • All we have and all we are - are gifts from a generous, gracious God.
  • God loves us and wants us to have all that we need to live joyful, productive lives.
  • We are God's hands and feet and wallets in this world.

We hope you will find these ideas helpful as you encourage Christian stewardship beyond the weekly offering.

 

 

SAVE THE DATE!

Annual Stewardship Conference
Saturday, August 23 
at
Barrington UMC
 

 

The Foundation has new planned giving resources! 
for a preview
 


This is 
Rev. Mike Slaughter's
More Year-Round

 
 

Download this free

LENTEN DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

 offered by United Methodist Communications

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


  
  
  
  

Sharing Time...

 

 Changing Lives in Africa and in Northern Illinois

 

Trinity UMC in Wilmette learned about the Senegal Mission Project of the United Methodist Church in 2000 when their missionaries itinerated in Northern Illinois and made Trinity their home base. Since then Trinity has been actively involved in the ministry of the  Eglise Methodiste Unie au Senegal, sending funds, a container of supplies, and several mission teams.  This year two other UMCs - Chicago: El Redentor del Calvario and Park Ridge: First - join Team Senegal for this spring's trip.

 

Volunteers meet monthly to prepare and reflect on their call to be disciples in mission. They organize a monthly sale of home-baked bread to include other Trinity members in the Senegal Project. Proceeds from this and a community concert will become part a love gift for the Senegal Mission food pantry. 

 

Several volunteers return to the Mission in subsequent years, eager to serve and to be inspired and transformed by the Senegalese people.

  

 

....and Sharing Talents 

 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors 

 

Alden, Illinois is a rural community located in the Elgin District. Members of Alden UMC recently launched Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community-based mission project to assist with routine home repair and maintenance. 

 

Residents may request various types of assistance for simple projects which they are unable to accomplish on their own.  Church members are matched with requests based on their skills and availability.  Some recent projects have  included exterior property maintenance and clean-up, repair of fencing, replacement of electrical switches or broken windows and painting. 

 

Donating time and using their talents, Alden UMC members have discovered the joy of service as they help keep residents safe and in their homes.

 

  

The United Methodist Foundation is pleased to help support this program through its Grants Program.
Enjoy a Good Read 
 
Bounty: Ten Ways to Increase Giving at Your Church  by Kristine Miller and Scott McKenzie

 

We often struggle with issues related to financial giving, especially within the church. Some pastors are reluctant to preach about money, and often lay and clergy don't even like to think about it. Bounty begins by exploring the critical spiritual component of stewardship development. In ten do-able and transformative steps, the authors describe how to lead congregations to grow in generosity. Laid out with sound rationale and the wisdom of real-church experience, Bounty equips leaders to shift their congregants' hearts as well as their pocketbooks.

 

Kristine and Scott will lead our 2014 Stewardship Conference! 

See sidebar for more details.

  

 

Our FREE Offer

 

Foundation staff will preach at your church!  Because we paid by the Foundation for this service there is no charge to your congregation.

 

Our request is that our sermon topic will be on issues related to faith and money.  And we will briefly share the Foundation's mission and how we can partner with you in ministry.    

Please call Harry for more details or to request a date.
Did you know...
The Foundation has a stewardship library with copies of more than 30 different stewardship campaign materials.  Contact us for more details or to make arrangements to preview them.