Agents of God's Holy Call

Hello Emmanuel,

Our space is getting used.  And when I say ‘used’, I mean more than just on Sundays.  Every so often I will get a regular attender who just happens to drive by the church during the week and tells me, ‘I drove by the church on [pick your day] and the parking lot was near full!!  Did I miss something?’

The quick answer is ‘yes’.  When the merge between 1^st UMC and Olive Branch UMC happened, I’m not sure what discussions took place regarding the use of the new and renovated space.  However, I am confident that the visionaries that pictured who and what Emmanuel would be used for would be pleased.  The open-door policy for non-profit organizations has developed a very positive picture of the church in the community’s eyes.  People are coming and people are experiencing God’s presence in many different ways.  Add the 9 community groups that use the space with the many events that Emmanuel organizes and it is safe to say that the space is not going to waste.  It’s a good thing.  I think it is a God thing.  The result is that we do make disciples of Christ. 

We continue to allow non-profits to use the space, although now the challenge is scheduling….. something that we have managed well so far (though the pastor has recurring nightmares about unforeseen scheduling conflicts).  But please understand.  There is a price to be paid.  There are risks to be taken with such a policy.

The upkeep of the space is ultimately the role of the Trustees.  There is cost to overseeing the sacred space of which God has put us in charge.  I bring this up because the end of May marks a significant point in time regarding the sacred space.

Since the new building was put up, there has been a drive to help pay for the cost of the building.  There has been pledge periods grouped in 3 years each.  Every 3 years members have been asked to pledge an amount of giving over the next 3 years to reach a certain goal.  The past 3-year pledge period has raised about $90,000.  It has helped us stay true to our responsibility as stewards of God’s space.

Staring June 1^st, another pledge period begins and will run through May of 2018.  Our goal is to raise $100,000 over the next 3 years.  If everyone who is currently giving pledges the same amount for the next 3 years, we will already have over $80,000 of our goal (keep in mind that this is separate than the regular tithe).

So you are going to hear me talk about money at some point in May.  But you are also going to hear from people who are thankful that Emmanuel is an outreaching and inviting church to the community.  You are also going to hear about how opening our doors started the process of opening people’s hearts to God.  You are also going to hear, once again, the story of the church who went from being hopeful, to being excited, to being agents of God’s holy Call.

I invite you to consider making a pledge to our Building Hope campaign.  If you would like to or if you have any quesitons, email me at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com or call me at 833-5219. 

God is Good,

Pastor Joe