Sharing of an except from Adam Hamilton's 3/24/2006 e-notes Newsletter
Adam Hamilton is pastor of Church of the Resurrection which is located in suburban Kansas City, Kansas. This except from his e-letter is shared with us by James Finger, treasurer of the Memphis Annual Conference. Finger says: “I thought you might find the attached apportionment philosophy a refreshing change from what we hear . . . so often.”
We've had a terrific start to the year here at Church of the Resurrection. I want to thank you for your faithfulness in worship attendance - we've had weekends in the last six weeks where worship attendance has been up as much as 20% over the same time last year. We had one of the largest joining groups ever in January. Offerings are running above projections so far. We've had a lot of new visitors. Our Children's Ministries and Student Ministries continue to soar. I am told we now have 130 youth who have signed up to serve on one of seven leadership teams in Student Ministries, and that is exciting! On this past Wednesday night alone the building was filled with more than 2,000 people who were coming for Bible studies, Lenten Academy, choir, support groups, and youth group. It is amazing just to walk the halls and peer into the various rooms to see what God is doing in our church.
On another note, we paid half of our annual denominational apportionments (funds each church is asked to contribute by the denomination as our fair share of the mission and outreach work of the entire denomination) for the coming year in February, and we will finish paying them in full for the year next week. Most churches pay these funds monthly throughout the year. Since we began Church of the Resurrection we've aimed to pay our apportionments in full in the first quarter as a way of helping and supporting the ministries dependent upon our gifts. Our apportionments totaled $950,000 this year. With these monies you help fund missionaries around the world, schools and universities, inner city mission agencies, new church development and so much more. It was money others had given in their apportionments that funded the start-up of Church of the Resurrection in the early 1990's and purchased our first 20 acres of land.
All of which is a way of saying, "Thank you!" Your commitment to Christ, the giving of your time in ministry, your faithfulness in worship attendance, and your faithful financial support of Christ's work in this place are making a difference in the lives of people near and far.
In Christ's Love!
Adam Hamilton
We've had a terrific start to the year here at Church of the Resurrection. I want to thank you for your faithfulness in worship attendance - we've had weekends in the last six weeks where worship attendance has been up as much as 20% over the same time last year. We had one of the largest joining groups ever in January. Offerings are running above projections so far. We've had a lot of new visitors. Our Children's Ministries and Student Ministries continue to soar. I am told we now have 130 youth who have signed up to serve on one of seven leadership teams in Student Ministries, and that is exciting! On this past Wednesday night alone the building was filled with more than 2,000 people who were coming for Bible studies, Lenten Academy, choir, support groups, and youth group. It is amazing just to walk the halls and peer into the various rooms to see what God is doing in our church.
On another note, we paid half of our annual denominational apportionments (funds each church is asked to contribute by the denomination as our fair share of the mission and outreach work of the entire denomination) for the coming year in February, and we will finish paying them in full for the year next week. Most churches pay these funds monthly throughout the year. Since we began Church of the Resurrection we've aimed to pay our apportionments in full in the first quarter as a way of helping and supporting the ministries dependent upon our gifts. Our apportionments totaled $950,000 this year. With these monies you help fund missionaries around the world, schools and universities, inner city mission agencies, new church development and so much more. It was money others had given in their apportionments that funded the start-up of Church of the Resurrection in the early 1990's and purchased our first 20 acres of land.
All of which is a way of saying, "Thank you!" Your commitment to Christ, the giving of your time in ministry, your faithfulness in worship attendance, and your faithful financial support of Christ's work in this place are making a difference in the lives of people near and far.
In Christ's Love!
Adam Hamilton
