May 21, 2009
Dear Colleagues in Christ,
Annual Conference is drawing near and I have a request of each of you and of each United Methodist Church in Louisiana.
Earlier this spring it became apparent we were in need of some significant funds that will help further and strengthen our efforts at starting new churches in Louisiana. Our three newest churches – The Well UMC in Hammond; Faith Crossing UMC in Walker; and New Song UMC in Prairieville are doing very well. The Well has just broken ground for a new building. Faith Crossing is looking for permanent land on which to build their first unit; and New Song is working hard to get a building on their land.
The biggest obstacle they are facing is the lack of funds to do some of the necessary work to get them established so they can “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” And we desperately need to start more churches that will carry the same message to other parts of our Conference. That’s where my request comes in. |
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I have asked Betty Backstrom, our Director of Communications, to prepare a beautiful poster that will show several of the doors of the United Methodist Churches in our state. My vision is that this poster will grace the building of EVERY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN LOUISIANA! It will be a visual statement of our united effort to fund new churches so that we can reach new people with the gospel story of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
We have just over 500 United Methodist churches in Louisiana. If EVERY church will pay $100 for this poster we will quickly raise $50,000 to help our newest churches get better established. It is a minimal effort to say the least, but it will be a united effort.
So, I am asking that you come to Annual Conference prepared to buy AT LEAST ONE poster at the cost of $100 for your church. I then want you to take it home, frame it, and place it in a visible place in your church building for all to see. It will be the visible sign of a connected grace we all share in creating “new places for new faces.”
For those churches that may be able to purchase more than one poster, I encourage you to purchase additional ones to hang in different parts of your building, or to share with a sister church. I want to see that poster in EVERY CHURCH, just like we are now able to see road signs that identify the location of our United Methodist Churches in every community in the state.
Will you do that? I believe you will. I believe we can raise the $50,000 and more with this simple project. I plan to buy the first one to hang in the Bishop’s Office. I’ll see you at the Poster Table at Annual Conference!
In Christ’s love,
Bill Hutchinson
