ifestyle Stewardship - Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries

Special Edition Spring 2015
(Continued from page 6.)
due with what we absolutely need, and
minimize unnecessary expenditures. It
will require reassessing our spending
and adjusting our priorities to meet
God’s call on our lives. It will cost us as
givers, but through faith God will enable
us to carry out the commitment He has
laid on each of our hearts.
Question: How will I pay my
commitment?
Answer: Special “Our Quest to Rome,
Our Journey to Victory” envelopes will
be provided to allocate your giving in
weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or
in lump sum payments. We have found
that the most consistent givers are those
that make giving a regular part of their
financial planning. We will provide
several avenues for giving, to include
an online process. Most people prefer a
system of regular giving.
Question: What about the economy?
Answer: The Bible says that “the just
shall live by faith.” Hab 2:4. “Without
faith, it is impossible to please God.”
Heb 11:6. There has never been a
better time to please God by living
by faith than now, even in the face
of a rebounding economy. We must
remember that the economy is stressed,
not God. This is a God move, not an
economic move.
Special Edition Spring 2015
Commitments to Date
Our Quest to Rome, Our Journey to Victory!
L
ifestyle
Stewardship
COMMITMENTS AS OF MARCH 15, 2015
Total Commitments: $4,897,735.00
Amount Collected: $279, 989.58
Number of Commitments: 618
CAMPAIGN GOALS
Rome
$9,000,000
Journey
$6,000,000
Quest
$3,000,000
Jerusalem
$1,000,000
2014–2017
A Three Year Journey
C A M P A I G N
HOW DO I MAKE A LIFESTYLE COMMITMENT?
Reassessment of Lifestyle:
An honest appraisal of how very wealthy we truly are.
Reordering of Priorities:
A careful evaluation of our values recognizing how we spend our money is a
very accurate gauge of what is important to us.
Reallocation of Resources:
A voluntary and conscious decision to spend less on the things of this world in
order to give more to the eternal Kingdom of God.
MOUNT PLEASANT CHURCH AND MINISTRIES
6000 Radecke Avenue | Baltimore, MD 21206
Bishop Clifford M. Johnson, Jr., Senior Pastor
410.325.3080 | www.mountpleasant.org
Seeing with Our Hearts
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Meet the Campaign
Follow-up Team
Page 3
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Sustaining the Momentum
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Special Edition Spring 2015
this journey. We endeavor to foster an
environment full of joy and enthusiasm
while we venture on this quest. And,
we will do this TOGETHER with our
Mount Pleasant family. It will take all
of us to achieve our goal. But our Lord
has us unified and committed. He has
equipped us for the task at hand. We
have all we need for the assignment
already on board. And we are trusting
God. As Hospitality coordinators we
hope to deliver wonderful fellowships
and celebratory activities as we reach
milestones throughout the campaign.
Our greatest moment will be when our
Lord delivers us to Rome, as a united
family. It is not our job to know how
we are getting there, it is our job to have
faith that we will get there!!!!!
Finance Coordinators: Deacon Robert
1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us – But it is
written: Eyes have not seen, nor ear
heard, nor have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God has
prepared for those who love Him.
Administrative Coordinators: Sis.
The mortgage burning celebration will
be a moment to remember, forever.
And we will be able to look back once
again and marvel at what our mighty
God has done through us.
and Deaconess Yolanda Tillett
The Lord is
doing an
AWESOME
work through
our ministry
to retire our
mortgage, and we’re
excited to be part of His plan. We are
committed to providing you timely
information about the campaign’s
progress, and we’re available to answer
any questions you may have about the
status of your commitment. We’re
already hearing about miraculous things
God is doing, and we look forward to
the end of this three-year period and the
mortgage burning celebration!
Angela Williams and Sis. Pauline
Saunders
To God be the Glory
for the Great
things He has done. It is my
pleasure to
serve on the
Lifestyle Stewardship Campaign
follow-up team as the Administrative
Special Edition Spring 2015
Coordinator. Stewardship really is a
lifestyle and it is amazing to see how
making minor financial changes is
helping me to honor my commitment
to God and to the Mount Pleasant
Family. As we yield our efforts to God,
He will bring the increase and we all
will rejoice together as we BURN THE
MORTGAGE!
I thank God for
allowing me the
opportunity to
be a member of
the Expansion
Team for our
Lifestyle Stewardship Campaign. I am
so excited about our Quest to Rome and
our Journey to Victory. It will take all
of us working together and putting our
complete trust in what God is going to
do in and through us to accomplish our
goal....Mortgage Burning. We can and
will do it!!!
FINANCIAL FREEDOM
BUSINESS LOAN
PAID IN FULL
MORTGAGE PAID IN FULL
TUITION PAID IN FULL
Committments to Date
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Special Edition Spring 2015
Campaign Follow-Up Team
From The Pastor’s Desk
“Seeing with Our
Hearts to Know”
“I will not offer to my God that which
costs me nothing.”­—2 Samuel 24:24
“I will not
offer to my God
that which
costs me nothing.”
—2 Samuel 24:24
I want to thank everyone who
worked so hard to make the start of
our Lifestyle Stewardship Campaign a
success. We are very blessed to have
so many believers who desire to use
their gifts and talents for our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. I also want
to thank everyone who has made a
commitment. To date, we are reaching
our 5 million dollar mark toward our 9
million dollar commitment.
The next few months are important as
we establish patterns for giving. While
we all celebrate the significant sacrifice
expressed in your commitment, along
with all the others who have joined in
this journey of faith, the real test to
our faith is how we stand together in
faithfully completing what God has
called us to do. Many have already
started giving toward their three year
commitments, and we have heard some
powerful testimonies of God’s abundant
blessings.
“Our Quest to Rome … Our Journey
to Victory” Stewardship is all about
strengthening our congregation so that
you will see God’s blessings in your life.
Every member of Mount Pleasant has
ownership in releasing our church from
debt. Yes, our campaign is ambitious.
However, it calls us deeper into our
discipleship, opens us to more grateful
stewardship, and allows us to deepen
our trust in God.
During the course of our three year
Lifestyle Stewardship Campaign, we
must commit to prayer, sacrifice,
faith, and service. Every member of
our congregation must be involved,
regardless of what you think your
limitation might be. If you have not
made a commitment, please do so this
week. Trust God!
Together with God’s help, your
commitment will enable Mount
Pleasant Church and Ministries to
continue this vital ministry and mission
for the ages to come.
Seeing with our hearts,
I believe that the most effective Gospel
work happens in local congregations,
particularly where there is a lively
response to God’s call to Family,
Evangelism, and Discipleship.
Special Edition Spring 2015
—Bishop Clifford M. Johnson, Jr.
Senior Pastor
Campaign Enhancement Directors:
Deacon Roger and Deaconess Debora
Plunkett
What a mighty God
we serve!
Having
served as the
Executive
Directors of
our Lifestyle Stewardship Capital
Campaign, we are excited to continue
serving in support of “Our Quest
to Rome, Our Journey to Victory.”
During the first phase of our campaign,
we witnessed God’s people come
together united toward a common goal.
We witnessed our church members
open their hearts and minds to prayer
and sacrifice. And we witnessed God’s
people use their gifts, talents, and
resources to further the Kingdom of
God. As we continue on our journey,
we will all be witnesses to a mighty
move of God over the next three years.
We encourage every member of our Mt.
Pleasant Church and Ministries’ Family
to get on board and become partakers
of the great vision for our beloved
church, to reach the world for our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ.
impact and how HE God is calling
us higher to do greater things for
HIM, I am excited! God is positioning
us so we can impact more people in this
city, state, country and YES, even the
world. I look forward to burning the
mortgage and Reaching More people in
this world for Jesus.
A mighty move
of God is
underway! I
am excited, and
I stand in
anticipation of
what God is about to do, yea is already
doing, in our very midst. Thanks be to
God for the opportunity to both serve
and give. I commit myself wholly to this
great work believing that God will do
exceedingly, abundantly above all that
we ask or even think. I am convinced
beyond doubt that the mortgage
burning is just a part of what God has
planned for those who believe. Our
quest has begun, the journey will be
exciting, and victory is certain. To God
be the Glory!
New Members Coordinators:
Deacon Stanley Blackwell and Sis.
Our commitment is to continue leading Taryn Dunnaville
As a Deacon at Mount
with a servant’s heart.
Pleasant Church
and Ministries, Communications Coordinators: Sis.
it was a blessing
Michelle Daney and Sis. Terri Moore
to be asked to
When I think about participate on
the number of
the
Leadership
Team
lives God has
for the Capital Campaign. The process
already
for informing other leaders about the
allowed us to
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details of the Capital Campaign was
both rewarding and insightful. I have
learned that God places His people in
situations to be a blessing and to be
blessed.
As we move forward, I was also asked
to be a part of the Expansion Team. For
the next 3 years, I will serve on a team
that will ensure current members are
aware of the progress of the campaign
and new members are given the detailed
information so they can sense the
excitement and willingly become a
part of the journey! My prayer is that
unity in this process will command the
blessing for the Mount Pleasant Church
and our individual lives.
“Try God’s financial plan, Give”.
Hospitality Coordinators: Bro.
Edward and Sis. Nadine Neal and Sis.
Tanyai Cato
What a tremendous
honor it is to
be chosen to
serve as the
Hospitality
Coordinators for
our Lifestyle Stewardship Campaign. We
are thrilled to
see how our God
takes us through
Special Edition Spring 2015
Special Edition Spring 2015
Sacrificial Giving
“...the real test
to our faith
is how we
stand together
in faithfully
completing
what God
has called us
to do.”
Question: What is sacrificial giving?
Answer: Sacrificial giving is a financial
contribution above and beyond your
usual giving. It requires a measure of
stewardship above and beyond regular,
proportional giving. It is regular giving
and more, under the leadership of the
Holy Spirit. It requires a reassessment
and adjustment of our spending and
lifestyle priorities, and a subsequent
reallocation of resources. Sacrificial
giving costs the giver something.
Question: How can I help with the
Campaign?
Answer: Pray for guidance on your
personal giving and also pray for the
overall Campaign, be positive, and
volunteer to help with the Campaign.
When you are called on to help, do so
with a Christian Spirit.
Question: What kind of commitment
will I be asked to make?
Answer: Using the theme 2 Samuel
24:24, “I will not offer to my God that
which costs me nothing,” every family is
asked to prayerfully allow God to direct
your giving to reflect what He can do
through you for the next three years.
This three-year commitment is over and
above your tithes, offerings, and current
special giving. Although we all will not
be able to give the same amount, we can
all make the same sacrifice. Remember,
your giving is to reflect faith in the
Power of God to deliver us to Rome.
Question: We just had a Bond Project.
Why are we having another campaign?
Answer: The Bond Project served
its purpose, which was to financially
position us to get into a more stable
mortgage, which we have done.
However, we still have a mortgage.
The goal of this Campaign is to no
longer have a mortgage – we will burn
the mortgage at the conclusion of this
Campaign!
Question: I’m already giving regularly
to Mount Pleasant Church and
Ministries: to the general fund, to SOS,
and to YES. How can I be expected
to give more? Won’t the Lifestyle
Stewardship Campaign hurt the general
giving?
Answer: Mount Pleasant Church and
Ministries has been and will continue to
be supported through the faithful giving
of our church family. God has always
provided and met all of our needs. Our
emphasis on FED (Family, Evangelism,
Discipleship) will remain constant even
though we are going to be involved
over the next three years in a capital
campaign. Through sacrificial giving,
we believe Mount Pleasant Church and
Ministries can realize our goal of burning
the mortgage. Sacrificial giving means
a level of stewardship above and beyond
our regular commitment to God of our
tithes, offering, and special giving for
our general fund. Each of us will need
to “tighten our belts” significantly, make
(Continued on page 8.)
Sustaining the Momentum
THE FOLLOW-UP TEAM has the
exciting opportunity to help sustain
and build the momentum immediately
after the initial commitment phase
of the campaign. One of the primary
responsibilities of the Follow-Up Team
is to keep the Lifestyle Stewardship
Campaign at a high level of visibility
during the three-year giving period.
The stewardship campaign should be
maintained and enhanced through its
giving phase.
THE PURPOSE OF FOLLOW-UP is
encouragement. Each of us makes
important decisions to which we are
faithfully committed. These decisions
may include getting married, having
children, accepting a job, and certainly,
giving ourselves to Christ. However,
even in these important decisions we
need encouragement to do our best. A
Lifestyle Stewardship Campaign leads
people to make important financial
commitments to Christ and His
church. Even a powerful, personal,
prayerful decision needs continued
encouragement. Decisions need to be
updated and upgraded along the way.
THE MOTIVE FOR FOLLOW-UP is
spiritual. The motive is not money!
The motive is to enable people to do
their best. The most damaging impact
of an unpaid commitment is not the
financial loss suffered by the church,
but the spiritual loss suffered by the
Christian. In accordance with ability,
people need to honor their carefully
made commitments. Failure to do so is
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debilitating to spiritual life and growth.
The high and holy motive for follow-up
is the spiritual health and vitality of the
Christian and the congregation.
This Lifestyle Stewardship Capital
Campaign is a spiritual journey. If we,
as individuals and a unified church
body, seek His face and follow His
commandments, we will be blessed
beyond measure.
Since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward, it
is the Lord Christ you are serving.
­—Colossians 3:23-24