It was one of those...
Illustration
It was one of those letters that the finance committee chairperson hates to write. The
church was experiencing a financial crisis. It was the usual reason: membership was
declining; many members were older, while at the same time expenses were rising.
Dinners and barbeques were held to raise funds for the church, but it was only a band-aid
to a much larger problem.
The letter stated that the church was in danger of closing. He did not want to scare the people but felt something drastic needed to happen to keep the church doors open. People were asked to make a second mile gift of any amount to see them through the present crisis. Among the active members, an extra $268 was raised, which was a good response but would not be enough.
Then one day, a check arrived at the church in the amount of $5,000. The finance committee was thrilled. The treasurer suggested that someone immediately write a thank- you note. The pastor had met Mrs. Newcastle upon arriving in that community. She attended several of the dinners, but never came to worship. Apparently, at one point, she had requested to be placed on the newsletter mailing list and was sent the financial letter by mistake.
Mrs. Newcastle did not want anyone to make a fuss over her donation. She would rather that the congregation not know where the gift came from.
There was a lesson for the church. First, they need not be ashamed to ask people for donations and second, there are people in the community who would help if the opportunity presents itself. This experience changed the direction of the church. For the first time in a long time, they felt optimistic about their future.
The letter stated that the church was in danger of closing. He did not want to scare the people but felt something drastic needed to happen to keep the church doors open. People were asked to make a second mile gift of any amount to see them through the present crisis. Among the active members, an extra $268 was raised, which was a good response but would not be enough.
Then one day, a check arrived at the church in the amount of $5,000. The finance committee was thrilled. The treasurer suggested that someone immediately write a thank- you note. The pastor had met Mrs. Newcastle upon arriving in that community. She attended several of the dinners, but never came to worship. Apparently, at one point, she had requested to be placed on the newsletter mailing list and was sent the financial letter by mistake.
Mrs. Newcastle did not want anyone to make a fuss over her donation. She would rather that the congregation not know where the gift came from.
There was a lesson for the church. First, they need not be ashamed to ask people for donations and second, there are people in the community who would help if the opportunity presents itself. This experience changed the direction of the church. For the first time in a long time, they felt optimistic about their future.
