Giving Beyond New Life
I was asked about the mission money I mentioned in a previous email. So, FYI.
As you know The United Methodist Church tries very hard to pattern the Bible. So that is my first point:
Jesus calls believers to be in community with each other, even with enemies and strangers.
Jesus pooled the resources of those present to meet needs around him.
Jesus challenged those with the scarcity mindset to entrust the little to God's abundance.
After Jesus' ascension the Apostle Paul continued the sharing practice among communities by asking the
Macedonians to help those in Jerusalem. There is no reason to believe this was the only opportunity.
For a Methodist we know Mr. Wesley wanted us to "earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can."
He modeled modest living and scarificial giving. He taught all Methodist that there is no holiness but
social holiness. In Methodist history Sunday School offerings were regularly take for outreach.
These modeled patterns and teachings were and are repeated around the world.
So, a Methodist is foremost a Bible practitioner and then a disciplined believer. New life is not just any church;
it is a United Methodist Church. It is part of the Northeast District, the North Alabama Annual Conference, the Southeast
Juridiction, the United States, and part of The World. The idea is that we each make up a whole. Sharing in giving
beyond New Life is what Methodist have historically done.
The United Methodsit Church is a connection of more than 42,000 local churches, which are made up of more than
11.5 million full members. The UMC has missions in 125 countries, 800 missionaries in 65 countries,
120,000 Volunteers in Mission, 100 community centers, 2000 projects, 152 retirement homes, 52 hospitals, 63 children
homes, 16 homes for people with disabilities, 113 colleges, and 26000 pastoral charges.
The United Methodist Church in the United States gave over $6 billion dollars in shared ministry, which is alittle over $117
million each Sunday. It helps Shared Ministry feel children in Zimbabwe and so many others places and people around the
globe. We are all facing challenges, but when disasters happen we continue to respond. We make flood buckets, health kits,
and send Volunteer In Mission teams monthly. We do what we can. However, each day people are depending on The
United Methodist Church's connectional giving. They face poverty, injustices, racism, illiteracy, hunger, disease, loneliness,
alienation, marginalization. In our connection New Life is invited to make the love of God real in these areas. We are
committed to education and healing. We are committed to recovery efforts after war and diseases ravage a country. We are
committed to making preacher in their own culture. We are committed to making Jesus real.
We come up with an apportioned amout first by sending New Life's Lay Member to the Annual Conference. The Annual
Conference sends a delegate to the General Conference (ever four years), the General Conference decides on what we will
do together during the next four years; they set a budget. The General Conference on Finance and Administration determines
a fair share percentage based on membership, finances, and demographics. The "fair share" is sent back to the Annual Confeence.
The Annual Conference Finance and Administration determines a "fair share" for each congregation based on membership, finances,
and demographics. The "fair share" is not a tax but the decision to put our money where our mouths are. We support what we
collectively accepted.
The average annual percentage breaks down this way. Of each dollar:
.84 cents stays at New Life
.13 cents goes to the North Alabama Annual Conference
.03 cents goes to the General Conference.
I will chat with Micky Cobb to see if these averages are correct.
WEBsites that will inform are: www.umcgiving.org
I hope this will help explain why we do what we do and why it is important to participate.
Blessings,
Tony G Campbell
United Methodist Pastor
United Methodist Pastor
New Life.
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