We give thanks!  We give thanks for the many ways you share financial resources with the congregation.  The church relies on the pledges made and honored that give to our regular operating budget.  We are grateful for the pledges that were made and honored for our Deep Roots campaign that we are in the final stages of completing.  We are also blessed to have a planned giving program.

Planned Giving allows you to plan for a special gift to the church.  Some people do this through their estate planning.  Other people choose to participate in planned giving while they are alive.

Recently I was approached by members of the church about planned giving.  The donors wanted to make a gift right now, while still living. Martin Burch, our Executive Pastor, and I met with them and learned their intent.  They did not have specific ideas about their gift but wanted it to go toward supporting and/or starting ministries, perhaps with an emphasis on children and youth.

Martin and I met many times with Kirk Anderson and Jennifer Snook to discuss this gift.  We prayed together, brainstormed, drafted idea lists, and finally came to some solid ideas.  We presented these ideas to the donors.  They were enthusiastic and shared $50,000 with the church to make these things happen.

This gift does not go to paying the regular bills, and in the coming weeks you’ll hear about our current budget reality, which is that we are behind.  It’s a place of tension to on one hand celebrate a generous gift, and on the other hand to stress that we are in a difficult place financially, but this is where we are.

In this moment though, I invite you to celebrate with me.  Celebrate this gift and the ways we plan to use it, listed below.

In Christ,

Catherine Neelly Burton

The $50,000 gift will allow us to:

• Send our High School Mission Trip to Puerto Rico. Talk to Kirk Anderson to learn more.
• Send seven families to Christian Family Camp. If this is something you want to learn more about, talk to Jennifer Snook.
• Buy a Story Bible for each pre-school child at Jacob’s Learning Ladder.
• Host a food packing event on January 2. (Look for more information soon!)
• Give bonuses to our staff.
• Help send youth to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium in 2022.

Jacob’s Learning Ladder and Grace host a Trunk or Treat Event in the Grace parking lot on Wednesday, October 27. Set up time is 5:15 pm with the event time from 6:15-7:15 pm. Sign up to park your car in one of the designated spots and hand out candy, prizes, stickers, etc. to all the children that pass by.

You may decorate your trunk – no scary themes please – or just sit and share treats! Candy donations are appreciated! Place donations in the tub by the coffee bar. Contact Jennifer Snook jennifer@mygpc.org for more information.

And if you can’t hand out candy, just come and enjoy a hot dog dinner!  We eat and enjoy fellowship and want you to be here!