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Churches using ingenuity to fulfill pledge commitments
Written: 3/20/2009 By Sue Dondlinger During the summer of 2008, we went on to set up budgets based on how individuals and churches indicated they would pay their pledges. It had been the express wishes of the Kansas West Focus Team that money is distributed to ministry areas as soon as it was received, so we needed to predict the cash flow through 2008. Based on pledges, we projected income at the end of 2008 to be $1,248,405. We had cause for great celebration when we ended 2008 with receipts of $1,273,625! Prayer, dedication and abundant generosity again have combined with God’s help to make this possible. Bridges funds have already been distributed to Camp Lakeside, Camp Horizon, the Center for Small Membership Churches and campus ministries at Fort Hays State, Kansas State and Emporia State universities. At the March Focus Team meeting, decisions will be made about distributions for Pittsburg State University campus ministry, Camp Lakeside, Camp Horizon and Hispanic Ministries. New church development will receive funds later this year. Local churches are using different methods to raise the funds for their Bridges commitment. The Belleville United Methodist Church Fellowship Team hosted the “Campus Challenge Tailgate” street fair cookout. Alumni from many of the state universities in Kansas set up tents decorated with their school colors and mascots and stocked them with goodies. Attendees voted on the tents through donations. Pastor Lennie Maxwell said he thinks the University of Kansas won because of a local doctor and pharmacist. Asbury UMC in Wichita committed much of their substantial Bridges pledge to Church Growth and Development/ Revitalization. Thus, their funds have been raised through offerings at their main campus, their new west campus near Goddard and their new Asbury West campus in the Linwood neighborhood. First UMC in Great Bend had a soup supper after a Saturday night worship service, with all monies donated to Bridges. They also took money from their general budget to complete their tithe-goal pledge. The church pastor, Rev. Gary Brooks, said his congregation is excited about what is happening with camping and campus ministries because the congregation likes to help youth in tangible ways. “It helps to have the pastor pledging and paying his fair share as well,” Brooks said. Aulne UMC had a fund-raising auction. All auction items were donated and ranged from an apple pie made by the pastor to hunting or fishing trips, oil changes and odd items people found around their houses. “Aulne realized that contributing to this was not so much about helping the conference but about building the future church,” said Pastor Bethann Black. WaKeeney, Prairie Home, Attica and Tribune UMCs all made the decision to pay their pledges either from normal weekly offerings or from funds they had on hand. Tribune pastor Rev. Les Ellis said God had blessed their church financially, and the people wanted to give to this campaign. WaKeeney Pastor Glenn Krebs said if they are unable to pay their pledge from their offerings, they will likely have a fundraiser involving music. At Mt. Vernon UMC in Wichita, a church member did a yearly challenge pledge to encourage the church. Besides a special offering during the summer, they designated funds from a talent show and the proceeds from their February bierock sale to Bridges. In addition, they took a special offering. “The Bridges funds have come at the right time for several of our campus-ministry sites to purchase property and buildings that were desperately needed, said Rev. Glenn Tombaugh. “Others have used Bridges funds to tackle deferred maintenance problems and upgrade their facilities. Had it not been for the Bridges funds, these opportunities would have been lost.” Maize UMC has been able to fund their pledge through stewardship messages and pledges. Pastor Don Wharton said some parishioners consider this to be their tithe to the Lord and the conference. Wharton also wants us to all remember how blessed the small churches are to have funding for revitalization from Bridges money. The ingenuity of United Methodists in the Kansas West Conference is being utilized to make the goals of the Bridges campaign reality.
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