Dear Friends,
In writing his epistle to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul is aware of Roman culture, history, traditions, influence, and worldview. He writes to people who live in the center of world power, influence, and domination. They were quite familiar with secular life and the benefits of power. But they were also people hungering for purpose, meaning, direction, fulfillment, and peace. They needed the kind of peace this world cannot give or take away. Hence, Paul wrote to direct them to true peace and fulfillment in this life – something people in our time seek diligently.
Our 2023 Generosity Campaign theme, IMPACT, aligns with this concept. This campaign focuses, not merely on the money, but mainly on those who offer themselves, along with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Together we work to help usher into our world the amazing grace of God to make an impact on human lives – leading them to new epiphanies of hope, faith, and love. Our congregation seeks, in the next year, to be impactful on human lives. We will help people experience the grace, love, and redemptive power of God in their own lives as they reach out to others in impactful ways. From personal devotion to congregational worship; from Bible study to mission involvement; from individual volunteering to community engagement; from secular focus to spiritual growth, IMPACT is a call to Christian discipleship for every person – from those who have been on this journey for a long time to those who are just beginning. We are all called to be impacted, and to become impactful in our world today. We invite you to join in on this YEAR OF IMPACT.
IMPACT will be the theme of our entire congregational life at Birmingham and Berkley First for 2024. We invite all areas of ministry and mission across our campuses to focus on being impactful, changing the real lives of real people, and making God’s love real in our world today. Together, let us be the IMPACT that others need in the year ahead.
To make this effort fruitful, we welcome your generosity in many ways. Offer yourself to God through your prayers, presence (participation in worship, study, spiritual growth), gifts (financial contributions), service (volunteering and offering expertise to enable various ministries), and witness (how you live in the world and what you stand for). IMPACT is our opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives for the betterment and transformation of the world.
Will you join us in this mission?
The Rev. Dr. Charles S. G. Boayue, Jr.
Senior Pastor
Estimate of Giving Cards are available at both Birmingham and Berkley First Campus Buildings. If your address is on file with the church office, they will be mailed to you the week of October 16. You can download and print your Estimate of Giving Card by clicking the button below.
After prayerfully considering what God is calling you to invest in our shared ministry plan for 2024, take next steps by doing one of the following:
- Fill out the Estimate of Giving card and return it via mail in the enclosed envelope. Or, you can return you EOG card to the church office.
- Utilizing the online giving page, setup a scheduled gift with your regular financial commitments to Birmingham First, Berkley First and/or Home Fires. Be sure to type “2024” in the online form if you intend for this recurring gift to serve also as your Estimate of Giving for 2024.
However you return your Estimate of Giving to us, know that Birmingham and Berkley First are grateful for your partnership and look forward to putting each and every dollar to good use for the furtherance of our church’s mission.
Generosity Moments
We are so thankful for those who were willing to share their experiences at Birmingham First with us. Please watch the videos below to know more about how this church has impacted the lives of so many.