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| 725 Pine St. Winnetka, Illinois 60093 847-441-3400 |
To Walk Together in All God’s Ways Loyalty Pledge Drive 2008
Dear Fellow Traveler, To "Walk Together in All God’s Ways" is our new theme for the 2008 loyalty pledge drive. This year’s theme is definitely a call to action. As the Pledge Drive Committee begins to call on our Members to renew financial support of the Church, we suspect Joseph will call on us to renew and strengthen our commitment to one another as well as challenge us to expand the ways in which we do or accept God’s Will. So, dig out those hiking boots, apply some spiritual sunscreen, and grab a water bottle as we set out "To Walk Together in All God’s Ways." What it Means To Walk Together. Can the whole ever be greater than the sum of its parts? It can if you are talking about WCC. Each member on his or her own gives and accomplishes so much in traveling a Christian path. But, when we walk that path together, we are strengthened beyond our own abilities and are able to accomplish so much more. If one stumbles, another lends a steadying hand. One blazes a new trail, while another repairs a well-worn one. More things are made possible as part of the greater whole we call WCC. All God’s Ways. How does God manifest himself to you? How are you inspired to do God’s Will? These are questions that each WCC soul will answer differently. But when you are ready to embark on your faith journey, you will not be alone. Though each of us might march to the beat of a different drummer, we can do so hand in hand, together. Preparing for the journey. Pledging to WCC is like investing in the supplies you’ll need to make this spiritual trip. Your Loyalty Pledge Drive contribution goes toward things like: • Worship – to put a song in your heart and a spring in your step each week • Church school materials – to give young hikers spiritual equipment to begin their own journey • Adult Enrichment – to stretch us to look for new paths and inspirations • Staff – to guide us when paths cross or become unclear • Building Maintenance – to keep our tent leak free and give us a place to find emotional shelter • Mission Trips – to enable members to build bridges to international travelers • Mission Giving (usually 10% of all collected) – to help less fortunate travelers find a smoother path Call to Action. Please step up to this annual Loyalty Pledge Drive. This year’s goal is to reach $1 million. We are very fortunate to receive individual pledges of over $5,000 (a leadership level), but all contributions are not only welcome, they are critical. Our hope is that most members can at least meet $2,500. Importantly, our other goal has been and always will be to reach 100% participation. It has never been done before. Let’s do it this year. We want everyone to join hands in this journey. We will be wrapping everything up by November 11th. Here are a few ways you can support this effort: 1) use the enclosed pledge card, 2) click on "pledge" on our web site at www.wcc-joinus.org to register your pledge, 3) use our automatic withdrawal system to arrange periodic withdrawals from your bank account, or new this year 4) contact Barb Kearney to pledge by credit card (it is suggested each pledge be increased by 3% to cover the cost to the church for this service). All are confidential and secure. See the back of the pledge card for the complete list of ways to give. Through October, you’ll be hearing more about what it means to walk together and how we can find inspiration and strength to do God’s Will. We hope you’ll look into your hearts and answer our call to action as you join us in this journey. Walk with us, David Blake, John Blix and Sally Tomlinson
Common Canvass Questions… Answered. How do I give? Place your pledge card in the box in the Narthex, mail it to the church, pledge on line (form available at the top of his page) or pick up a form in the office to set up automatic withdrawal. When do I give? We ask you to pledge by November 11th to help us plan, but you can choose how to break up that payment – lump sum, monthly, quarterly, or weekly. Placing money in the offering each week is wonderful. However, it doesn’t allow the budget committee to thoughtfully and appropriately plan for the new year. Why pledge every year? Each year, the Church builds a budget based on the pledges it receives and the interest from WCC’s general fund (CIR). These funds cover all the daily operating costs of the church such as salaries, buildings and grounds maintenance (vs. improvements), outreach efforts, and supplies (bibles, church school materials, etc.). A talented staff, imaginative programming, meaningful outreach and a balanced budget are a result of annual generous giving. |
