Dear Friends in Christ,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we begin this year’s Generosity Campaign, we pause to reflect on God’s abundant blessings and our call to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us.
In the first chapter of Genesis, after creating the earth and gathering the waters together, Scripture tells us: “And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10). These simple yet profound words remind us that all creation is a gift from God and declared good by the Creator. The beauty of the world, the blessings of our lives, and the ministry of our church are all part of God’s goodness at work among us.
And then, toward the end of the creation story, something truly amazing happens. On the sixth day, God creates human beings in God’s image, artists in the image of the Artist – capable of not only appreciating beauty, but of creating beauty, contributing to beauty, and making something beautiful together. We do this through love, courage, generosity, and joy. And when God looks upon all that has been created, God declares it “very good.”
The world is broken in many ways, it’s true, but on a deeper level, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Redmond UMC helps us notice this beauty – and calls us to make even more of it by living into our true nature as people created in the image of God, the Artist of heaven and earth.
This year, we have a goal of raising $325,000 in Estimates of Giving. These gifts help keep our building warm and welcoming, support our staff, and sustain the ministries that allow us to continue our mission to Love, Serve, and Grow in our Redmond community.
Our annual generosity campaign is about more than reaching a financial goal. Your Estimate of Giving helps us plan faithfully for the year ahead. Knowing what our congregation is able and willing to give allows us to make thoughtful decisions about our staff, our ministries, our building, and the many ways we hope to live out our calling in the coming year. Every Estimate of Giving is part of the larger picture of what we can make possible together.
As you prayerfully consider your commitment for this coming year, we invite you to reflect on the many ways God has blessed your life and on the ways you have experienced beauty, belonging, and God’s love through this community. What do you hope we might make beautiful together in the year ahead?
On Sunday, October 25, we will bless and dedicate our commitments during worship as an act of gratitude and faith. If you are ready to submit your Estimate of Giving before then, please feel free to do so. And if you need more time, we will gladly receive your card whenever you are ready.
Together, through our collective generosity, we can continue the ministries of our church and create space for God’s love, justice, joy, and beauty to flourish for generations to come. As we faithfully steward these gifts, may we look upon the work God is doing through this congregation and echo the words of Genesis:
“And God saw that it was good.”
Thank you for your continued faithfulness, generosity, and commitment to our church family. Thank you for helping Redmond UMC a place where people can experience God’s goodness and where, together, we can make something beautiful.
May God bless you abundantly.
We build the 2027 budget based on every single Estimate of Giving that comes in!
An Estimate of Giving is a commitment to give a certain amount of money to RUMC in 2027. All are invited to fill out an Estimate of Giving card or online form by Sunday, October 24, so that we can bless and dedicate our commitments as an act of gratitude and faith. If you need more time, we will gladly receive your card whenever you are ready.
Our budget for ministry, staff, facilities, and mission is funded by the generosity of the people in this faith community. Estimates of Giving enable us to responsibly plan for 2027. We want to be great stewards of the gifts given so your card helps us do that!
Take time to pray and think about it – giving is a spiritual practice that needs a beginning point. We encourage giving a deliberately chosen percentage of gross income. We are challenged to set a tithe (the Biblical word for 10% of our income) as the giving goal in our lives. Start where you can and begin the journey. Some fully tithe or give more than a tithe; others take an incremental approach. Whether it is $1 or $100, every gift matters.
Your Estimate of Giving is an expression of your intention, not a binding commitment. We understand that circumstances can change throughout the year, and that’s okay. If you need to adjust your giving, please notify our Financial Secretary Karene Busby, our Financial Secretary, or the Church Office: rumc@redmondumc.org
An Estimate of Giving is simply a commitment to give in 2027. We’re each invited to set up our gift starting in January 2027 through one of the following ways.
WAYS TO GIVE