100 K RUN

Dear Friends,

 

Thank you for all you continue to do and give to ministry in the Northern California Nevada Conference (NCNC). Your work and participation makes me proud to be your director of development. You have done and continue to be pacesetters, doing amazing ministry throughout the conference. That is why I invite you to join the NCNC 100K Virtual Run …  today.
 
Runners wanted: 

No matter who you are

or where you are on life’s journey…

You can run this race.

  
Please join the Rev. Mary Susan Gast, Conference Minister, our Conference Council and its president, Tony Lewis, David Bergman-Hill, many of our congregations and pastors and me in saying, “no” to the economic forces that threaten to diminish our aims. With faith in the Stillspeaking God and faith in you, we declare that economic forces that might otherwise diminish us will not diminish our collective goals. Thanks be to God!
 
At Conference Annual Meeting 2008, we adopted a Goal Budget that would have moved us a significant step forward in providing our own Conference staff the fair and just wage we have so often advocated that others provide for their workers. Then the turmoil in our economy deepened and spread.  But doing justice still begins at home.
 
In spite of the continuing prayerful efforts of so many congregations to increase their giving to UCC Share, our Conference Council had to adopt a reduced  2008-09 operating budget that takes only a small step toward our staff compensation goal.  Even with that more modest budget we are potentially facing a $100,000 deficit in UCC Share revenue by the end June.
 
Rather than immediately cut ministry, our Conference Council believes we can close this revenue gap. There is abundant financial and spiritual power in collective purposeful contributions of small sums, sincere joined prayers from hearts filled with love, and the daily meditations and fasting of many people drawing nigh to God during Lent.
 
The effectual fervent prayers of the righteous have impact; prayer is also action.  The Conference Council calls the Northern California Nevada Conference to Meditate, Fast, and Run this race during Lent to harness the power of prayer for everyone during the current economic crisis and raise an additional $100,000 on top of expected UCC Share giving.
 

Great idea!  How do I help? 

We invite individuals, churches, groups and other organizations to Sign Up and:

Receive daily meditations from Mary Susan Gast

via email;

Create, name, and figuratively sponsor

one or more “virtual runners”

with a pledge of $100 for each runner;

Fast and pray not only for the Conference but for everyone struggling during this economic crisis and for our national leaders. 
 

You will receive an ecard announcement

and be able to sign up online

at a brand new website

The new website will be unveiled next week.

But you don’t have to wait. Sign up today

by email to office@ncncucc.org  

or by US mail addressed to “100K Run”, NCNC,

21425 Birch Street, Hayward, CA 94641-2131.

You can name your runner to honor someone, a group or cause. Your runner can also carry your name or be anonymous.
 
And yes, you got it:

We need 1,000 pledged runners to

bridge our projected revenue gap.

Please make checks payable to: NCNC,

write 100K Run on the memo line,

include your name, phone (including area code),

and your congregation’s name and city.

Yes!

That is why associating your runner

with your congregation is important.

The contests and prizes will be announced during Lent.

Winners will be announced and celebrated

If a $100 pledge is a stretch for you, you can collaborate with others to send runners into the race. You can even go online, mail, or email us and we will put your name on a list to collaborate with others.  We will take it from there and notify you of your tag team partners.
 
Working together, we shall overcome even in the midst of the current economic crisis. I’ve pledged and your Conference Council has pledged unanimously. Won’t you sign up and pledge today?
 
Thank you.