That’s an interesting question, isn’t it?  Did you know that your soul, just like your body, needs nourishment and care?  We feed our physical bodies each day with food and drink that provide us with fuel and keep us strong, but what about our soul?  Isn’t it just as important to keep your soul healthy and strong like your body?  You bet!  Each day your soul should be fed and nourished.  Each day it needs to be refueled so that it can face the challenges of this world.

So, how do we do that?  What kind of fuel does your soul need, and where do we find it?  I’ll bet you already know the answer – the Bible!  Matthew 4:4 (NLT) says, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Those words remind us that it’s important to feed our bodies and our souls.  Reading the Bible every day and studying the scriptures is the best way to feed your soul and to keep it strong and healthy.

Another excellent source of this “soul food” is the Church!  By becoming faithful members of Duluth First United Methodist Church and participating in its ministries, we are sharing in the love of God, we are feeding our souls, and we are helping to feed the souls of others, too. 

Giving to the Church is one of the many ways we can show our love for the Lord and follow His commandment to love our neighbors.  Our tithes and offerings help the Church feed the souls of everyone it touches.  In fact, tithing (giving 10% of our income) is part of how we honor and thank God for all the blessings he has bestowed on us.  Proverbs 3:9 (NLT) says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.”  The best part, not the leftovers.  Think about your household budget.  Is God the first line, or the last?  Does He get a portion of what’s left over after you’ve paid all your other bills, or does He get the first fruits?

As Christians looking for ways to feed our souls and the souls of our neighbors, we should commit ourselves to grow one step each year until we reach the tithe.  How much of your income did you give to the church last year?  1-2%?  This year, why not try 2-3%?  If you gave 7-8%, why not try 8-9% this year?  Why not grow one step?  Are you afraid of giving too much to God?  Are you nervous that you won’t have enough left over for yourself and your family?  Don’t be.  If you think about it, it all comes down to faith and trust.  God works through the church. The church needs money to support all the wonderful ministries we offer.  The church needs money to reach out into the community and shine the light of Christ.  The church needs money to fulfill its mission of welcoming the stranger, healing the broken, and saving the sinner.

Are you feeding your soul? Try growing one step in your giving.  When your soul is nourished and strong, you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of you.  You start to see the world in a whole new light.  You can see God’s handiwork everywhere!  You are working toward the goal of honoring God with your tithe. Will you help us spread God’s word and grow His kingdom by growing one step?

In His Service,

Bryan Johnson,
Duluth First United Methodist Church
Stewardship Chairman

Grow One Step charts for the 2025 Stewardship Campaign can be found:

• At the church information centers located at the main entrance to the Sanctuary, and inside Hinton Hall (on Sunday mornings);
• Online by clicking on GROW ONE STEP.
  

If you need an Estimate of Giving Card for the Duluth First UMC’s 2025 Stewardship Campaign, you can find them:

• In the pew pockets in the Sanctuary for Traditional Worship services;
• At the church information centers located at the main entrance to the Sanctuary, and inside Hinton Hall (on Sunday mornings);
• Fill your Estimate of Giving online by clicking on ESTIMATE OF GIVING.

1. The church’s budget is about $1.8 million dollars per year.

• That covers all programs, ministries, staff, utilities, etc., to keep this church going.

2. Staff does an excellent job of controlling expenses.

• They are very aware of how much money is available to spend, and they are good stewards of that money.

3. Giving from tithes and offerings went down in 2023 by about 4%.

• That means we got less revenue than we were expecting.
• That led to an overall loss for the year to the tune of about $142,000.

4. Our church is pretty healthy when it comes to our finances.

• In fact, we are healthier now than we were 10 years ago.
• We are healthier than many other churches out there.
• Because of that financial health, we can weather that $142,000 loss from 2023, but we don’t want to see that happen again in 2024.

5. So, to avoid another big loss year, and to avoid getting to the point where we have to make some cuts to programming, ministries, and staff, we want to be proactive.

• We want to head off any potential problems at the pass before they get here.
• We are asking everyone to increase their giving by 10%.
• Whether you completed a pledge card or not, we would like to see everyone increase their giving plans by 10%.
• So, if you give $100 per week, please start giving $110 per week.
• 10% is a suggestion, not a limit. If you can give more, please do.
• We would like to see everyone do that sooner rather than later.
• We don’t want to get to the point where cuts become necessary, so we need to be proactive now.
• A 10% increase isn’t much, and if everyone in the church does it, then we won’t have to worry about the prospect of potential cuts in the future.

6. The Finance Committee and Stewardship Committee members believe that our church is very capable of giving sufficiently to our budget. But it takes everyone in the church to do so.

• Our church does so much good. And YOU make it possible through your giving.
• Everyone needs to step up if they can.

In His Service,

Don Greene,

Chair of the Finance Committee

Bryan Johnson,

Chair of the Stewardship Committee

We are thankful for your gifts to the church and we welcome them in many ways. Below are some of the ways you can give:
 
Preferred (safe):

• Recurring online gift. Click on ONLINE GIVING and follow the prompts to set up recurring giving. This allows you to give automatically a specific amount at whatever interval you choose - once a week, once a month, once a year, whatever works best for you. If you are growing one step each year toward the tithe (10%), as many of us are, all you have to do is change the amount once each year to reflect that growth, and it’s done!
• Giving online, whether in-person or remote. Click on the QR code printed in the order of worship if worshiping in-person, or click the link on the screen if you are worshiping online.
• Through the church website anytime: duluthumc. org, go the the ONLINE GIVING page (bank account or credit card).
• Check in-person.
• Cash in-person.
  

Not preferred (less safe):

• Check or cash sent through the mail.
• Using the bill pay service through your bank (this ends up being a paper check that is sent through the  mail).
  

While the church welcomes any gift, we have found the most safe and efficient ways to give are in-person or online through the church website and we recommend recurring giving. We would recommend NOT sending gifts through the mail at this time as we have had a few issues receiving gifts through the mail. Additionally, if you are using your bank’s bill pay service to send your gifts, they are likely sending your gift by check through the mail.

On Sunday, February 6th, we kicked off the Crossing the Finish Line 2022-2028 Capital Campaign. This is an exciting time for our church. With the pledges from this campaign, we have the very real possibility of paying off the mortgage and being debt free for the first time in decades.

Duluth First United Methodist Church, the church family, and the community have been profoundly blessed by the building of the Family Life Center, especially in the areas of faith, hope, and love.  Some examples are:

• FAITH: Youth Group, Children’s Ministries, Scouting, Contemporary Worship Services, Sunday School classes, Bible studies, Prayers and Squares Prayer Quilt Ministry;
• HOPE:  Happy Sacks, Grief Share, Stephen Ministry, food drives for Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op;
• LOVE: Wednesday Night Dinners, Hugs for Soldiers, Yarn Arts Ministry, support for Seneca Street UMC in Buffalo, NY.

There are many more ministries that we have participated in which would not have been possible without the Family Life Center.  It is an integral part of our service to God, this church, and this community.

The outstanding mortgage is $1.3M with monthly payments of $20,000.  We will pay this debt off with this Capital Campaign which will see us Crossing the Finish Line. Imagine how much more we will be able to grow our ministries with the mortgage paid off.  What a celebration that will be! Isn’t it exciting to be a part of this endeavor?

You can still make your pledge online by clicking on Crossing the Finish Line Online Pledge Form, or download a paper form by clicking on Crossing the Finish Line Paper Pledge Form.

Please pray for our Church, our Church family, and this Campaign. Prayerfully consider the amount of your pledge, and let us join together in Crossing the Finish Line.

Ann Fleming

Campaign Chairperson