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September 13, 2022 Dear Friends – As we reflect on the past year, we rejoice in the fruitfulness of the life-changing ministry at our church. Through us, God has made an incredible impact on us, our church, our community, and our world. Together, we have celebrated baptisms, received new members, served children in our church, community, and world, sent out people in local, national, and global mission, and welcomed people of all ages for weekly worship. These are just a few of the fruitful ways we have been in ministry together. Regardless of the ways in which you have engaged in the life of this faith community, we hope you can feel the movement of the Holy Spirit here. Your tithes and offerings have an impact for our church, for our community, and for the work of the kingdom of God. Through your gifts, we sustain, grow, and pursue excellence in worship, Christian education, and missions. Additionally, your gifts enable us to maintain our facility, which is not only a blessing to our congregation, but also to the community at large. Most importantly, through your generosity, people come to know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and learn to follow him as disciples. As we approach a new year, I want to ask you to prayerfully consider your financial investment in the impactful work of our church. Our church has ministered faithfully for more than 175 years – not because members have given year after year out of duty, obligation, guilt, or fear, but because generations and generations of members have counted themselves blessed and have faithfully supported its mission with generous gifts of gratitude and joy. Now it’s up to us. Your pledge is the best way to let our church leadership know how much financial support the church is likely to see next year. We appreciate your commitment and rely on the tithes and offerings of every member of this congregation to ensure the success of our mission and ministry, both for ourselves, and for generations yet to come. We must ensure that our facilities are well maintained, our staff is well-supported, our children and youth ministries are strengthened, and our missions and outreach programs increase. I believe, like the apostle Paul, that there is a power at work within us, as God’s people, to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. I take God at God’s word, and I give thanks for you. I am grateful for what you have already done and now we invite you to consider an increase of your financial commitment to Bunker Hill UMC’s mission and ministry for the coming year. For as Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Here are some suggestions that may be of help as you pray about your response: • If you are not already tithing, prayerfully consider achieving the biblical model of tithing. (See Genesis 14:19–20; 28:20–22; Leviticus 27:30; Proverbs 3:9; Malachi 3:10; Hebrews 7:1–10) • Assess your giving as a percentage of your annual adjusted gross income and consider increasing your gift by 1% of your income — or whatever percentage seems appropriate and right for you. (See 2 Corinthians 9:7) • Consider increasing your monthly giving by $250.00; or • Consider increasing your weekly giving by $100.00; or • Consider increasing your weekly/monthly giving by any amount you have been prayerfully led to contribute towards the Lord’s work here at Bunker Hill United Methodist Church. Included with this mailing is a pledge card for 2022. Please join others in our congregation by making a financial pledge by October 2, 2022. As always, please know that a pledge is a statement for your planned giving, not an immutable contract. We hope that you will first give it some thought and spend some time in prayer about it. We will celebrate the gathering of our planned offerings on Commitment Sunday, October 2, 2022. You can bring your pledge to worship for that celebration or return it to the church office any time before October 2, 2022. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further making a financial pledge, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Between now and October 2, 2022, please be especially mindful to be in prayer for God’s work within the Bunker Hill UMC faith community and within your lives as you discern the role you will play in support of this ministry. May our Lord richly bless you in all your endeavors. 
P.S. As 2022 comes to a close, it is not too late to still make a difference in 2022 through your
generous support of the ongoing ministries of our church family. I invite you to prayerfully consider what God might be able to do through you at this time of year. Please consider a one-time bonus gift in addition to your regular giving to help us end the year strong as we prepare for another year of ministry together. |
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