Introduction

We have worked together in 2023 to follow Jesus and impact lives. Thank you. You have helped us touch many “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” Again, thank you. Let us continue that work so that those we help and we ourselves “may be filled with all the fullness of God.” In short, there is more to be done. And The Time Is Now. That is our rallying cry for 2024.

Needs

The Time Is Now for Trinity to ensure that we engage worshipers, reach out to help people, and keep our finances strong. We title these initiatives Worship Engagement (Inspire), Program Reach (Impact), and Financial Strength (Invest). They make up our 2024 Stewardship Appeal.

Ministry Initiatives

Meeting these initiatives in 2024 requires us to grow our giving by $2,404 a week. Here’s what we plan to do:

For Worship Engagement, we look to INSPIRE people to engage in worship, both in person and online. Now is especially the time to do so because church attendance nationwide is still lower than pre-pandemic (Gallup survey, May 2023). Invitations to worship should be frequent and friendly. Messaging should be relevant. Sermons should be compelling. And music should be appealing. By inspiring people, we hope they will be motivated to engage in worship as we help them to experience God. This emphasis requires that we grow our giving by $481 each week for projects that may include, for example, innovations in worship, a refreshed website, and a user-friendly app. Click here to read more about this initiative.

For Program Reach, we will continue to IMPACT the lives of people, both near and far, through our many ministries. Wherever we can help, we are there: tutoring children, providing food for those who are hungry, making prayer shawls and quilts, donating to eradicate world hunger, supporting disaster relief, helping victims and survivors of domestic violence, caring for our own members, and more. Our volunteers, staff, and leadership stand ready to help. In 2024, we intend to expand our reach as we impact even more lives, such as those of refugees, veterans, folks who have recently lost their homes, and people in recovery. This expanded reach requires that we grow our giving by $1,154 each week. Click here to learn more about this initiative.

For Financial Strength, we will continue to INVEST in activities that ensure financial sustainability. For example, we should be good stewards of our building because it is the home from which we deliver God’s word and from where our work is based. Additional examples include continuing our environmental enterprise to save energy by using solar power, exploring social enterprises such as child care or office-sharing to benefit people in the community, and pursuing grants to fund other activities that make financial sense. This emphasis requires that we grow our giving by $769 each week. Click here to learn more about this initiative.

Invitation and Response

Please join your fellow Trinity members and friends now in supporting our 2024 initiatives. Your participation is critical. Appeal Sunday is November 19. During worship, you will be invited to bring forward your Commitment Card as an offering of your gifts to God. You may also mail your commitment card to the church office or fill out an online card. At worship on Sunday, December 3, we will announce the results of our The Time is Now appeal, including the number of commitments received and the amount of support they represent. After worship, we will celebrate the results together, and we invite you to celebrate with us. We appreciate you and your gifts, and we thank you for your support.