top of page
PXL_20230924_142241349.jpg

pledge

" ... and you will be my witnesses"

Acts 1:8

April 21, 2024

​

Dear fellow witnesses,

 

God calls all of us to be intentional about our giving. Giving is a spiritual act, an act of worship, and an act of faith as we strive to be good stewards of the gifts God has given us.

 

Each year as our committees, teams, volunteers, and staff draft a budget for Eastern’s ministries and programs, they ground their plans in our vision statement:

 

God is making all things new; therefore we are
moving with the Spirit in the messy and holy work of
     renewing worship,
     nurturing faith,
     doing justice,

     caring for creation, and  

     building community,
with our neighbors.

 

We draft our budget in hope and faith. We depend on our community at Eastern to recognize that God owns everything, every square inch of this world, and we are only stewards of God’s creation, witnesses for God’s generous bounty. We know that God’s work must be supported by God’s people for us to answer Jesus’ call to us to be his witnesses.

PXL_20240331_133756447.jpg
C&W service_edited.jpg

witness through worship

After prayerfully considering what God is calling you to give financially to Eastern for our fiscal year July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025, we ask you to pledge your support for Eastern's ministries and programs as you are able through this online pledge form or by using a paper form which you can request from the church office.

image000000.jpg

As you make your pledge, know that God asks of us equal commitment; God doesn’t demand of us equal contribution. Above all, God delights when we give with a willing and joyful heart.

witness through faith

On the pledge form, you can specify how you’d like your pledge shared between our General Fund, our Building Renovation and Expansion Fund, and our Christian Education Fund. We’re suggesting that we could better meet our ministry and program needs if

 

  • 80% of your pledge is for the General Fund

  • 10% of your pledge is for the Building Renovation and Expansion Fund

  • 10% of your pledge is for the Christian Education Fund

IMG_7936.JPG
shelby tutoring.jpg

witness through justice

Our General Fund supports the majority of Eastern’s programs and ministries, everything from our worship services to youth programs to tutoring to the food program to lawn mowing to choirs and musical groups to simply keeping the building warm and the lights on. Thanks to your generous and faithful giving and the help of our new Community Connections Fund, we expect we can comfortably grow our General Fund expenses by 33.4% in our draft budget to fully fund Eastern’s programs and ministries at $1,030,420. We can do this comfortably because we’re growing our congregation and we’re giving more generously as individuals. Our draft General Fund budget details our hopes and dreams for the coming year.

witness through making
all things new

Our Building Renovation and Expansion Fund was used to pay down our mortgage for the building addition for more than 20 years. Now that we’ve paid off our loan, we’ve set a giving goal for this fund of $75,000 for our next year. This will go towards repaving our parking lot and replacing our roof over the next 2-4 years.

 

Our Christian Education Fund supports Christian day school education for our children. Our goal for that fund in the next year is $130,000.

​

(Learn more about Eastern's different funds here.)

IMG_7959.JPG

The Spirit-led messy and holy work at Eastern Avenue CRC is getting real. Thank you for all you do to make our ministries and programs a little less messy and a whole lot more holy.

Serving together with you,

 

David Bolt, President of Elders

Matt Boes, President of Deacons

Dave Bardolph, Treasurer

Lindsay Small, Lead Pastor

Marla Ehlers, Director of Operations

Serving together in spirit-led
messy and holy work

carepackages.jpg
IMG_4056.jpg
IMG_1675.JPG
derby car.jpg
10372515-9598-4B15-B15C-377C56B8FBF0.jpeg
derby painting.jpg
PXL_20211209_232526037.MP.jpg
rakers.jpg
IMG_8028.JPG
PXL_20220317_224958660.MP.jpg
IMG_8001.JPG
IMG_8032.JPG
roofers.jpg
bottom of page