Category: Newsletter
A Stewardship Message from Pastor Will
GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!
What a gift we have in one another. Over the last few months, I have watched with joy and awe at the ways we have thoughtfully re-entered ministry spaces together both in-person and online—adapted to changes in our building, programming, and ways of gathering, and continued to identify new ways to reach people with the Good News of God’s love.
The energy of these last few months has been exciting and encouraging, and it makes all the more important this year’s stewardship campaign, Soul Food: Nourishing the Next Generation.
As we look to 2023, we are mindful that there are big questions; how can we best serve the needs of our community, from our corner, right now? How can we more radically welcome the people God is calling into our community of faith? What do we need to change—about who we are, how we gather, or what we’re doing—to more fully embody the values we profess as a congregation?
These questions are big, but when each of us brings our individual gifts of time, talent, and treasure to the table, God will be faithful to help us use them to make the next step. Our faithfulness and generosity today will help make sure that our congregation, in 2023 and beyond, will be able to continue responding to the needs of our community and world in ways that will build the radically inclusive, anti-racist, beloved community we call the kindom of God.
This year’s campaign goal is $600,000 in pledged giving, with an increase in giving units (individuals or families who give) from 267 to 290. Reaching this goal will help us make sure that we can sustainably:
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Invest in staff that will help continue our commitments to justice, and expand our capacity deepen discipleship for people of all ages, as well as provide our first cost-of-living increase for lay staff in four years.
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Grow in our capacity to offer radical hospitality—on Sunday mornings and throughout the week—so that people can connect and reconnect to God and one another.
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Develop new digital resources, which expand our ability to communicate the inclusive love of God to new people.
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Expand our ability to serve the needs of the most vulnerable in our community by deepening community partnerships and developing new ministries of mercy.
All these things are within our reach, if each of us is willing to bring to the table what God has entrusted to us
To put it into perspective: At our current level of 267 giving units, that is a goal of $2,247.19 per household in 2023
• That’s $187.26 per month
• $46.81 a week
• $6.68 a day
If 290 people gave $2,001 a year, that would hit the goal
• That’s $172.41 a month
• $41 a week
• $5.75 a month
If 100 people gave $6,000 a year, that would hit the goal
• That’s $500 a month
• $125 a week
• $17.85 a day
Regardless of how much you can give, we encourage to pledge what you believe you can faithfully share, to help
us continue building upon the momentum of 150 years of ministry together, so that we might set a feast which will
nourish not just the work we’re doing now, but the work that we hope will continue for another 150 years.
All gifts will be celebrated and consecrated on Sunday, November 20 at 10 a.m., followed by a Soul Food potluck, where we’ll connect and re-connect with the community that makes this faithful ministry we do possible.
Friends, for 150 years faithful followers of Jesus have offered their witness, generosity, and work to build the faith community we call Silver Spring United Methodist Church. We are inheritors of their faith, nourished by their
witness, and supported by their work. Their legacy reminds us that when we bring what we have to offer to the table, God is faithful to make of that offering more than we could ever imagine possible. Let us then, as those who feast upon their faithful work, bring our own gifts to the table, setting a feast for those who will follow us.
Much Peace,
Pastor Wil
BSA Troop 209 Pumpkin Patch! October 15-27
Find all your Halloween and fall festival needs – jumbo, large, medium, and small pumpkins, beautiful mums, some specialty pumpkins – local apples, too!
Payment: Credit Card, Paypal, check to “Friends of Troop 209”, or cash.
NEW THIS YEAR…pay for pumpkins ahead of time ONLINE: https://secure.givelively.org/event/friends-of-troop-209-incorporated/troop-209-pumpkin-patch
World Communion Celebration
You are invited to help us celebrate World Communion Sunday on October 2nd, 2022 by bringing bread that represents your ethnic or cultural heritage for worship, as well as by wearing clothing which represents your ethnic or cultural heritage. You can sign up to bring bread here.
Pastor’s Appeal
As we move into the Fall, we’re excited to expand the ways we are offering radical hospitality on Sunday mornings, including a Fellowship Hour in our newly renovated Parlor. That space will include wiggle room for children, a new coffee bar and storage for weekly coffee hour, and a refreshed nursing space for mothers.
In order to help fund this exciting ministry move, you’re invited to make a one-time gift between now and Sept. 25th to help us increase our capacity for vibrant fellowship and community by giving online to our Pastor’s Appeal or sending a check marked Pastor’s Appeal to the Church Office. In addition to helping support this shift, 10% of all gifts given will go to support our ministry partner, Shepherd’s Table, as they too do the work of hospitality for our neighbors. If you have additional questions, please email Pastor Will at wgreen@silverspringumcp.org.
Worship Ministry Teams Forming Now
Have you ever wondered about how worship planning happens at SSUMC? Interested in learning more about how you can participate in supporting ministries like our Altar Guild, Scripture Readers, and more? Curious about lending your creativity as we think about our worship series? Join Pastor Will and Mary Ann Willow for an interest meeting for our newly forming Worship Ministries Team on Sunday, August 28th at 12:45PM in the Parlor. For more information, email wgreen@silverspringumcp.org.
Staff Changes FAQ
Learn about staff changes ahead for SSUMC!