EXTRA EDITION

The WE’RE ON A MISSION pledge cards went out in the mail yesterday and may start arriving in homes as soon as today, so I thought I’d do a resend of material that was in this month’s newsletter. Some of you have been through a lot of church stewardship campaigns; for others, it is a new experience. Here are things that may be helpful to know.

First: Please don’t confuse WE’RE ON A MISSION with the capital campaign that was launched in the spring of ’06. SHARING, GROWING, CHANGING LIVES is a three-year campaign for the sole purpose of debt reduction. WE’RE ON A MISSION is about funding our ministries for 2008, including programming, utilities, salaries, supplies—in short, everything BUT the mortgage.

Second: There’s nobody else to support this ministry; there’s just “us”—the members and friends of St. Andrew’s.

Third: An Annual Campaign is all about personal goal setting. Your giving is ultimately between you and God. The campaign gives leadership a ball-park idea
of the resources St. Andrew’s will have to work with in the new year, but if you find yourself over-extended, nobody’s going to come and put a lien on your house.

Fourth: While we’re sending pledge cards in the mail, you’re also offered an “on-line” pledging option that can be accessed through our website:
[ http://www.standrewsomaha.net/ ]www.standrewsomaha.net.

Fifth: On your pledge card, you’ll find an Automatic Withdrawal option. More and more people are opting for Automatic Withdrawal. Automatic Withdrawal
is a particular blessing for the church in that it levels out some of the seasonal gyrations in giving.

Sixth: We hope you’ll experience WE’RE ON A MISSION as something to be celebrated. The scripture is clear that God loves a cheerful giver. We’ve tried
to infuse this campaign with a heavy dose of cheer.

Seventh: The campaign culminates on Thanksgiving Sunday, November 18, when we’ll once again be inviting people to bring their pledges to the altar for dedication. If you’ve already made your pledge on line by then, maybe you’ll bring a card forward, saying I PLEDGED ON LINE, or something to that effect. Of course, if you want to bring a card, but can’t be here on the 18th, you can put it in the offering plate as early as this Sunday. Others may want to mail their card to the church. Choose whatever option works best for you.

Questions For Your Consideration: Are you practicing Gracious Generosity at St. Andrew’s? Put more bluntly: Are you contributing regularly? If not, will you consider being a gracious, regular giver, and committing yourself through a pledge? If you are currently among our pledged givers, but are not tithing, will you consider moving closer to 10%?

THE MISSION OF ST. ANDREW’S IS SHARING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST! Thanks for sharing the mission with us. BRD