2012 Stewardship Drive
December 28, 2011
Dear Members and Friends of First Christian Church:
First Christian Church is a Congregation on the Move! In a few short weeks we will be leaving the hallowed halls we’ve known since 1954 and moving into a new building, the SpringHouse Ministry Center at 28th and Garfield Avenue South (610 West 28th St., Minneapolis, MN 55408, one block east of Lyndale Ave. S.), joining Salem English Lutheran and Lyndale United Church of Christ in property partnership and some shared ministries.
The purpose of this letter is two-fold: We want to a) Let you know what our moving and opening activities are, and b) To remind you that our move means that the church now has an opportunity to grow in new ways, and that such ways also require continued investment in time, talents, and resources for God’s life to continue to flourish.
Our moving process begins on January 15. On that Sunday we will begin our services at the “old” First Christian then, following a prayer of farewell, proceed over to the “new” First Christian at SpringHouse for communion, worshiping in the Garden Level Sanctuary from then on. January 22 will be our Stewardship Commitment Sunday, and January 29 will be our Annual Meeting Sunday. Saturday, February 4, will be the day of our three-congregation Open House to the broader community, and we will have formal dedication of the building on Sunday, March 25. We encourage you to be a part of things as we move, and then vacate our current building over the next six months.
It is also that time of year where we consider our commitments in stewardship for the coming year, our giving in time, and talents, and resources that are the elements of the ministries we do as the body of Christ. The time and the talents are as important as the resources; money is a spiritual tool to help pay for the work of the church, but the time and the talents are our expressions of what it is to be a community of faith! As mentioned above, our Commitment Sunday will be our first full Sunday in the new building, and we are asking you to prayerfully consider what you will give financially, but just as importantly, what you wish to give of yourself. What talent that the rest of us might not know about is something you might be willing to share? What sort of new initiatives would you like to see the church work on, and what part could you play? Please think about these things, and pray about these things, as we approach this new stage in the life of First Christian Church.
If you would like to make a commitment you can fill out the pledge form below, or contact the church office for a pledge card. Please feel free to mail it in if you cannot be with us on January 22nd, but we sure would like to see you there!
In Christ,
Skip Wolverton Robert Brite
FCC Finance Chair Transitional Pastor
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