2020 Stewardship Campaign
To our fellow First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia friends and members!
Luke Buchanan and I are your 2020 Stewardship co-chairs, and before you read any further, please keep us and First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia in your prayers.
Luke Buchanan and I are your 2020 Stewardship co-chairs, and before you read any further, please keep us and First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia in your prayers.
Wow, 2020!
The easiest part of this letter is to list the challenges we face: Our search for a new Senior Minister, a global pandemic, rising civil unrest, a hyper-partisan election cycle, the overall decline in the Christian church, and an inability to come together in person. Stewardship campaigns typically announce “this campaign will be the most difficult campaign in our church’s history” for various reasons other than that Stewardship is always difficult. While in 2020 FPC Gastonia can also, indeed, claim the “most difficult” of all Stewardship campaigns award, let us also claim a different kind of honor: “MOST SUCCESSFUL.”
During World War II, Winston Churchill famously confronted those who had lost hope during a time of fear, chaos, and uncertainty, stating that this period of time will be looked back upon as “their finest hour.” Those words were later echoed during the Apollo 13 mission, when an outside-the-box, seat-of-the-pants solution to an oxygen tank explosion galvanized the world during NASA’s “finest hour.” The shared message is that in times of fear, chaos, and dire need, we will not only survive, but flourish, with a full measure of divine help, comradeship, and generosity. We have no doubt First Presbyterian Church will also look back on 2020 as “Our Finest Hour.”
We truly believe that our church is primed to grow stronger than ever, and to embrace a new normal: welcoming a new Minister and bursting into 2021 with strength, enthusiasm, and the ability to help our community and our world recover from 2020.
To accomplish that goal, we are providing a unique, unorthodox, and critically important campaign. We cannot easily communicate. We cannot gather in our beautiful building. We cannot shake hands or hug each other. So, we are asking you to feel the weight of Jesus’ hands on your shoulders and his wishes for us in your thoughts and prayers. We will be sending new electronic requests in addition to our traditional letters, asking you to sincerely consider not only pledging as you would, but to reaching deep and increasing your pledge by more than you may have ever done before. Your church needs you! The electronic request will allow you to reply instantly, so please remember our thoughtful request of immediacy. The traditional letters and return envelopes are still a viable option.
Please pray for guidance on how you can help our church and our community. Be on the lookout for our innovative communications, and we truly thank you for everything you have done in the past. A special thanks to our amazing staff for supporting us during this trying time, as they have gone above and beyond providing opportunities for worship, communications, and fellowship. These are but a few reasons why Stewardship in 2020 is so important. Please join me in saying “Thank You” to a fabulous staff, and welcome to Fred Lyon! We trust you will support us during “Our Finest Hour.”
Grady Kennington
Co-Chair of Stewardship Ministry
Co-Chair of Stewardship Ministry
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Affiliated with: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Presbytery of Western North Carolina
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