Friends,

 

What an exciting summer we've had already! We've hosted a smashing success of a VBS. We've served more than two hundred meals on average every week through our Community Meals ministry. We housed and fed Ozark Mission Project campers who went out into our community and made a huge difference. We're launching a Back to School mission with our Good Sam families at Asbell Elementary, and we're already gearing up for an amazing fall schedule. We continue to share the good news with our community that "Jesus loves you, it's not complicated."

 

As you know, summer is often a challenging time for churches financially.  At Central, I'm confident it's not a matter of generosity but opportunity.  I'm writing this letter with a special financial request from you, as your role is crucial in our mission. It's time for us to make our final tithe payment to the Arkansas Annual Conference for their fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2024. Your contributions, along with those of others, are what enable us to maintain our connection to the United Methodist Church and fund mission and outreach in the name of Jesus Christ in Arkansas and around the globe. The global witness of the United Methodist Church makes me proud to "Be UMC," and I hope it does you too. As we look at making our final payment of this fiscal year,  our finance team has set a goal to raise $100,000 through second mile giving by August 31. Meeting this goal will help enable us to share our tithes without drawing on our line of credit in the process. Central has faithfully tithed to the Annual Conference in support of their ministries, and we have benefited from the support of the connection as well. If you're able to contribute a second mile gift to this effort, please mark your gift "Be UMC." I'm proud to partner in the work of Christ with each and every one of you.

 

Thank you for your generosity and your faithfulness,