Your Memorial Committee at St. Paul's is actively working on the Special Gifts ministries. This letter is to update you and invite you to make a difference by using your gifts of thankfulness.We'll try to explain this as clearly as possible. First of all the "memorial Committee" is changing it's name to the "Memorials and Gifting Committee." You can give gifts in memory at the time of death, and also in thankfulness, or just to help a new ministry grow. As we expand our ministries at St. Paul's many new ministry opportunities will come up that can be funded by special gifts. We ask that all special gifts always be given over and above your regular offerings. The Committee and the Council will keep the most pressing list in front of you by brochures, newsletter and bulletin, and a special current "Memorial and Gifting Book." In the book you will see a page on each item describing what the item or fund is, how it will be used, the approximate cost, and even pictures if possible. The page will keep a running total of how close we are to funding it fully, and will list separately the names and occasion of the givers. As we fully fund all of the projects in one book, a new book will be started and the old ones will be kept in a special place where you can come in later years and see the gifts given.
We are also going to try to collect information to go back and make a picture book of gifts given in the past and by or for whom they were given, so that there is a permanent record.
This ministry of special gifts is all about thankfulness, and returning joy to the Lord. It is a beautiful thing because we can do more ministry! Instead of purchasing presents you can give a gift in honor of someone. Of course, you can always give an extra gift to the general fund as well, and that can be noted in the book too.
Now we will explain how it works:
1) Mission: the Mission of the Memorials and Gifting Committee will be to:
A)Develop a climate for special gift giving.
B)Recommend priority ministry needs to Council for special gifts.
C)Assist in the purchasing, where it's helpful, and
D)Make and update the Memorial and Gifting books.
2) Process: Suggestions for purchases for current or new ministries can be given to the Memorials and Gifting Committee or to the Church Council. The Committee will recommend a priority short list to the Council, and the council will be the ones to approve the current priority list for the congregation.
3) Priorities: The current priorities list for special gifts includes needs for both new ministries and existing ministries. There are large and small projects to be funded. There are also on-going categories like worship items, worship music, and organ fund. The National Youth Gathering fund will go to send our kids to the Gathering in the summer of 2009.
4) How to give: You or your family can give a gift at any time to fund part of a need or all of it. Everyone who gives will be lsited unless you request to remain anonymous.
You can give money in these way:
In honor of_________
In memory of_______
With Thankfulness for _________
In Celebration of baptisms or wedding anniversaries
For birthdays, Christmas, or any kind of Thankfulness
You will soon find forms in the pews with the current priorities to assist you.
In the past memorial money was often not designated. The Church Council will designate these funds to special gift categories from the current list.
All items purchased with these special gifts are received for the life of their usefulness to the church. If in years to come they are no longer needed and are still good, they will be offered first to the original gifters. All money given for special gifts will be used only for that purpose.
So we invite you to give prayerfully and generously in your regular offerings. And when special occasions arise, give special gifts!
To the Glory of God,
Memorials/Gifting Committee
