We're blessed and so grateful that generous members have once again offered to match up to $15,000 in contributions for a 2021 Good Shepherd giving campaign. Before sharing the details of our 2021 campaign, let's recap what we accomplished together as a result of our very successful 2020 matching funds campaign.

The 2020 giving campaign contributions funded a significant portion of our new AV streaming equipment purchase.

The pandemic impacted our worship experience in positive and not so positive ways. While we sorely missed seeing everyone in person, we’ve grown our outreach and discovered a whole new way to connect with members and visitors who aren’t able to be in-person or prefer to worship virtually!

We completely replaced and upgraded the flooring in our downstairs fellowship hall, bathrooms and stairwell

to beautiful, durable and waterproof cement. Once again, your gifts to last year’s campaign enabled us to pay for a large portion of this job upfront and the balance was drawn from our Long-Term Property Maintenance fund. When you’re at church, we’d love for you to see it in person. Many thanks to our property chair, Denise Elfes, and all those who were involved, for the necessary research and coordination of this huge project!

We designated $3,000 from last year’s campaign to our Anti-Racism fund.

Those donations will be used to award scholarships to high school students pursuing post-secondary education or training with a focus on populations that have less access to scholarship funds. We’re thrilled to be able to make meaningful contributions to individual students that support their particular education and career opportunities and advance educational equity.

Many thanks to each of you who helped make these important accomplishments possible.

For the 2021 giving campaign, the goal is to use the proceeds to:

1. Increase regular giving toward annual operating and benevolence funds.
2. Offset the $25,000 cost to add a sump pump system to the elevator shaft to prolong the life of the elevator and address future flooding events.

To achieve this goal, we’re suggesting a slightly different approach to the matching campaign to better serve the long-term needs of our church and its mission.

Rather than making a one-time contribution, will you consider increasing your regular giving by a small increment? You might be surprised to know what a difference a weekly increase of as little as $5 per week could make to an organization our size.

If 100 members each give an extra $5 per week x 52 weeks in a year, that adds up to an additional $26,000 in contributions at the end of a year! Growing our giving this way is a much more sustainable and shared way to ensure a stable and financially healthy church.

Where do you/your family stand? Have you evaluated your giving in the last several years? Could you be more consistent with your current offering or consider growing your giving?

This is a time of re-opening and renewal. We’re very excited about the future of Good Shepherd and Pastor Kate’s arrival. Please take time to reflect and pray over how you can contribute toward this effort.

If you determine you can increase your giving, we ask that you plan to do so starting in October. We will monitor weekly contributions through the end of the year and use those trends to qualify for the matching donation.

If this approach doesn’t work for you at this time, of course a one-time donation between October and December is greatly appreciated as well. Rest assured, we’re not seeking to cause you stress or create a financial hardship for you/your family. These personal decisions are between you and God, and we will always respect yours.

If you have any questions or comments or need assistance creating or modifying your online contribution set up, please contact Denise Gray.

Peace and blessings,

Chris Hoeffner, Stewardship Chair and Denise Gray, Financial Secretary

Join us to offer your time, talent and treasure to be God hands in this world by giving back to our local community, responding to needs across the globe, and supporting each other at and through Good Shepherd.

2020 and into 2021 have been a time of challenge and change for all. Your gifts undergirding Good Shepherd’s mission are as important. Together, we’re navigating this unprecedented time as a congregation and as God’s hands in a local and global world hurting in new ways.

2020 Annual Report (pdf, 1,4 mb)