Our annual stewardship campaign, Gifts of Gratitude, marks a collective effort to support the annual mission funding for The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. We hope that you will join us in giving gratitude for our blessings by pledging to either begin or continue to support NYAPC through regular financial contributions on top of the time and energy you already put into serving others. NYAPC's online pledge card is available on the Annual Stewardship page under GIVE.

We are proud to be serving NYAPC as this year’s stewardship co-chairs. When taking on this role we often reflected on what abundance truly means. We are certainly not Christian scholars and so wouldn’t be able to give you the quality answer Rev. Roger Gench could, but when we think about that abundance we can’t help but be thankful. We often wonder how to pay God back and show our gratitude to Him. Just like many of you, that has led us to serve others. One of the most impactful ways we have found to accomplish this is by giving our time and financially supporting our church home.

The annual operating budget of NYAPC is the heart that pumps resources into the myriad of important mission activities the church leads. We know many of you who are reading this are intimately involved in this mission work, but please take a moment to look at the 2012 Stewardship Campaign brochure to see the long list of activities this funding supports. As relatively new members of NYAPC, we were certainly impressed by this list and think you will be, too. There is likely to be an activity that you didn’t even know our large and active congregation was engaged in!

Our goal for the 2012 stewardship campaign is $700,000. This is a modest 5% increase over last year’s campaign goal. Please consider this increase, along with our existing budget deficit, when taking the time to reflect on what your commitment could be for the upcoming year. We understand that times are hard in this current economic climate, but the strain on church resources only continues to grow. Giving even 5-10% more than you did last year could mean all the difference. We are pleased to announce that the NYAPC Boards are leading the way and, at the kick-off of the campaign, had already committed more than $112,000.

We have made pledging even easier this year by offering a pledge page on our beautiful new website. You may access a pledge card on the site, fill it out, and e-mail it directly to Kitty Smith, Manager of Administration and Finance for the church (Katheryn.Smith@nyapc.org). For those who prefer the traditional pledge card, that option is still available. If you are a member of the church, you will be receiving a pledge card in the mail in the coming days, and you can find pledge cards in our church sanctuary and at the church entryway desk. You can simply fill out the form and drop it in the collection plate during the Sunday worship service, or drop it at the church's entryway desk. And, of course, you can feel free to send an e-mail to Kitty Smith (Kathryn.Smith@nyapc.org) with your pledge amount at any time.

Beginning this year, you may also pay your pledge electronically by setting up an account on the church website and specifying contributions at designated time intervals—for example, weekly or monthly—from your bank account to the church's account. You may also still mail a check to the church office or leave your contributions in the plate during Sunday worship services.

So, dig deep in your hearts… and your wallets… to contribute what you are able to the 2012 Gifts of Gratitude stewardship campaign. The future of our church depends on your generosity. Please fill out those cards and make a pledge before Dedication Sunday on November 13th. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Alex and Michelle Mullineaux