United Methodist Connectional Giving PowerPoint Presentation

1. United Methodist Connectional Giving PowerPoint Presentation This presentation was created by the Connectional Giving Team (CGT), United Methodist Communications. We hope it will help you and your congregation to learn more about the mission and ministries of The United Methodist Church funded by your congregation’s remittance of conference and general church apportionments and your designated giving to the churchwide special Sundays with offerings, The Advance for Christ and His Church, and other opportunities. Permission is granted to duplicate or edit this presentation for use in United Methodist churches. To edit this presentation, save to your computer’s hard drive, then adapt as appropriate for your setting. To view the notes that accompany these slides, go to View and click on Notes Page. For more information about connectional giving, go to www.umcgiving.org or contact InfoServ by email: infoserv@umcom.org To contact the Connectional Giving Team, go to www.umcgiving.org and click Contact Us. To order additional copies of this CD, call 1 (888) 346-3862 and request item # 100430. Produced by United Methodist Communications

2. Serving God Through Our United Methodist Connectional Giving

3. ARE GIVING CHURCHES

4. Practice Full Connectional Giving

5. Serving God Through Our United Methodist Connectional Giving

7. PURPOSES OF PRESENTATION • Celebrate Impact of United Methodism’s Connection in Action • Explore the Connection and Its Opportunities for Connectional Giving • Consider Strategies for Leading Congregations Into Full Support of the Connection • Look at Resources Available to Support This Process

8. Think about an exciting or important ministry about which you are most passionate right now!

9. How DoYou View Giving Beyond the Local Church?

10. Giving Realities Some local churches face tremendous financial pressures because expenses have increased faster than giving. Although expenses have increased, giving has not increased proportionately. Lack of funds can dampen the will of congregations, stifle local ministries and diminish the ability to participate fully in wider ministries.

11. Connectional Giving Realities Congregations are concerned about funding of apportionments; however, the real issue is dealing with systemic problems related to giving and not just “pushing” apportionments. Congregations are unlikely to increase significantly remittance of apportioned funds without improvement in the funds that support their local churches.

12. Some United Methodists Describe… • Apportionments as: • taxation without representation • “franchise fee” for local use of United Methodist name on signage • “We need the money locally” • “I don’t believe in what “THEY’ do with my money” • “Where does the money go? For all I know, it goes for church bureaucrats’ salaries and fringe benefits!”

13. Some Key Realities About United Methodist Connectional Giving • Payment resulting from denominational loyalty is declining. • Clergy are the “gatekeepers” of connectional support. • Give UM people a reason to give, and they will give. • Give UM people an opportunity to give, and they will give.

14. ApportionmentsAre... • an extension of each local church’s mission and ministry beyond its community. • the opportunity to support together with 36,000 other UM churches what no local church could do alone. • remittance of the local church’s “fair share” of the annual conference’s apportionments for UM ministries in your Conference and the global community.

15. Remember! Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

16. The Impact of United Methodist Connectional Giving

17. SHARING GOD’S GIFTS We United Methodists believe that each of us is called to participate in the ministry of Jesus Christ. We do this in connection globally with • more than 42,000 local churches • comprised of 9.75 million members • and 2 million preparatory members

18. We Share A Ministry Today, through the United Methodist connection, we share a ministry • In 165 countries • 1,812 supported mission personnel • 80,000 Volunteer-in-Mission placements • 102 UM-related community centers • More than 2,000 approved Advance projects.

19. WE SHARE A MINISTRY Within the Jurisdictional Conferences (U.S.A) through • 225 retirement homes and long-term care facilities • 70 hospitals and health-care facilities • 50 child-care facilities • 30 ministries for differently abled persons • 114 colleges, universities and seminaries • Day-to-day witness and outreach through 26,000 pastoral charges

20. What We Can See Each Week • Persons at worship in mission congregations • Babies baptized; youth and adults confirmed • People of all ages receiving medical care • Hurting persons helped at drug-abuse centers • Children nurtured in after-school programs • People fed, clothes distributed • Community centers in urban and rural areas

22. Categories Sustaining Nurture OF Education Outreach Ministry

23. Music Worship Nurture Small Groups Disciple Spiritual Formation

24. Education UMYF Vacation Bible School Sunday School Bible Study

25. Outreach Ministries • Assembling UMCOR flood buckets • Feeding the hungry • Distributing clothing • Building Habitat houses • Tutoring children • And so much more

26. Sustaining Ministries • Salaries and Benefits • Debt Service • Utilities • Office Expense • Building Maintenance

27. What is the heritage of our United Methodist Connectional Giving?

28. OUR BIBLICAL TRADTION • Offers many examples of giving as grateful response to God • Contains teachings about responsibility to share with others • Includes warnings against selfishness and misuse of economic resources • Extends concern for others into the whole world

29. Luke 3:10-11, NRSV

30. OUR WESLEYAN TRADITION • Wesley urged those in connection with him to “Earn all you can and save all you can, so that you can give all you can.” • Wesley modeled modest living and sacrificial giving. • Class offerings in Wesley’s day were taken for outreach. • This practice was repeated in the United States

32. The Book of Discipline Speaks… “Each and every year, United Methodists... in every local U.M. church shall remit all apportionments in full….” (As spoken by God to John Wesley and recorded in the Book of Discipline, 1784, and interpreted afresh to each new generation by your bishop, your D.S., your conference treasurer and the pastor.) “Show Me the Money!”

33. Apportionments are one “outward and visible sign” of the connection in United Methodism.

34. 84.3cents: Local church Where the average local church expense dollar goes! 12.4cents: Annual Conference, district,episcopal area and jurisdiction 3.3 cents: General Church, including United Methodist Women

35. Discover the exciting ministries made possible through our United Methodist connectional giving!

36. Sharing God’s Gifts Complete information is available at www.umcgiving.org Conference Benevolences Apportioned Funds World Service, General Administration, Episcopal, Africa University, Black College, Ministerial Education and Interdenominational Cooperation Churchwide Special Sundays with Offerings Human Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing, Native American Ministries Sunday , Peace with Justice Sunday, World Communion Sunday, United Methodist Student Day Designated Giving Opportunities The Advance for Christ and His Church World Service Special Gifts Serving Christ Through Our United Methodist Connectional Giving

37. World Service Fund Apportionment • Through the World Service Fund, we: • Undergird our network of missionaries serving around the world • Strengthen evangelism efforts, stimulate church growth, expand Bible studies and nurture spiritual development • Enrich our congregational life with worship, retreat and camping resources, leadership development and stewardship training • Provide leadership and coordination for denominational youth ministry • Continue nearly 200 years of commitment to higher education • Equip and nurture our lay leaders through education and professional support • Support a program of chaplain certification • Certify UM professional Christian educators, communicators and musicians • Assure United Methodists advocate and help build a just world. • Fund our denomination’s presence in the mass media • Support ministries of peace and justice and efforts to build a truly inclusive church and a society For more information, go to www.umcgiving.org

38. Episcopal Fund Apportionment • Through the Episcopal Fund, we: • Pay the salaries of our bishops • Pay episcopal office expenses • Recompense 67 percent of the costs for episcopal residences • Provide pension and health-care benefit for bishops and their families • Cover costs of episcopal travel • Defray moving expenses of bishops • Provide pensions for retired bishops and surviving spouses, and minor children of deceased bishops

39. General Administration Fund Apportionment • Through the General Administration Fund, we: • Operate a system of administrative oversight and fiscal accountability • Underwrite the legislative work of General Conference • Fund the work of the Judicial Council • Maintain United Methodism’s official documents and historical artifacts • Designate historical shrines, landmarks and sites For more information, go to www.umcgiving.org

40. Africa University Fund Apportionment • Through the Africa University Fund, we: • Continue the development of the first private university for men and women in sub-Saharan Africa • Offer post-secondary education for students through schools of agriculture and natural resources, management and administration, education, humanities, social sciences and theology • Provide a higher education of excellent quality to nurture students in Christian values and to help the nations of Africa develop the leaders of the future Working at his desk in an office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, Edwin Ngonyamo looks like a typical manager. Get him talking poultry and it's a different story altogether. He loves his work and credits Africa University with making him good at it. I'm working in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola. … Everywhere I go, I call on classmates and a growing network of Africa University alumni," he says.

41. Through the Black College Fund, we: • Help these institutions maintain challenging academic programs, strong faculties and well-equipped buildings • Create vibrant spiritual environments • Encourage pride and self-esteem • Prepare and educate people for the new global and technological world • Strive for academic excellence based on the Christian perspective of community service and social responsibility. Black College Fund Apportionment Historically Black Colleges of The United Methodist Church Bennett College Greensboro, N.C. * Bethune-Cookman College Daytona Beach, FL. Claflin University Orangeburg, S.C. * Clark-Atlanta University Atlanta, GA. Dillard University New Orleans, LA. * Huston-Tillotson College Austin, TX. Meharry Medical College Nashville, TN. * Paine College Augusta, GA. Philander Smith College Little Rock, AR. * Rust College Holly Springs, MS. Wiley College Marshall, TX.

42. Ministerial Education Fund Apportionment The 13 U.M. Seminaries Thirteen U.M. Seminaries Boston University School of Theology, Boston Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA Drew University, The Theological School, Madison, N. J. Duke University, The Divinity School, Durham, N.C. Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL Illiff School of Theology, Denver Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Delaware, OH Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, MO United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C. • Through the MEF, we: • Support a trained and educated clergy • Equip annual conferences to meet the needs of those in the ministry

43. Interdenominational Cooperation Fund Apportionment • Through the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund, we: • Enable United Methodists to have an effective presence in the following ecumenical organizations: • Churches Uniting in Christ • World Methodist Council • Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation • World Council of Churches • National Council of Churches • Provide the U.M. share of budgets for those organizations • Fund participation of UM representatives at meetings of these organizations "Ecumenical formation, the need to develop future generations of ecumenical leadership, will continue to be a top priority of our commission," The Rev. Larry Pickens, General Secretary, Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns With other Christians, we declare the essential oneness of the church of Jesus Christ and seek to participate in the experiences and insights of sharing with other denominations and churches our common faith in Jesus Christ.

44. For more information about the special Sundays with offerings, visit www.umcgiving.org.

45. The Advance for Christ and His Church Unique Features: • 100% of your giving to the Advance goes to the ministry you designate. • Advance administrative costs are funded from World Service and other sources. • Advance giving is completely voluntary and is in addition to apportioned funds support. • Advance giving is called “second mile” giving because the “first mile” is for local churches to pay 100% of World Service and conference benevolences. Today, through the Advance, United Methodists are in mission in 100 countries around the world and in the US. Individuals, groups and congregations may choose from among 2,000 ministries, each carefully evaluated and approved.

46. How United Methodist Connectional Giving Is Apportioned

47. General Conference determines a spending plan for 2005-08 General Conference apportions spending plan to annual conferences based upon a formula approved by General Conference. Annual conferences apportions to local churches based upon a formula approved by the annual conference. Local churches receives tithes and offerings every week. Local churches remits its conference and general church apportionments to conference treasurer. Conference treasurer sends general church apportionments to the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA). GCFA credits the general boards and agencies for their appropriate amount based on the spending plan. For More Information about this process, go to www.gcfa.org

48. The Structure of The United Methodist Church Organized for ministry at several levels that maintain “connectional” links to one another The Local Church Conferences General Jurisdictional Annual Charge Judicial Council Bishops General Boards and Agencies

50. Increasing our giving by 1 percentage point per year