We had a good crowd at both the mountaintop sunrise service and the 11 a.m. service down in the valley. As always, the crowd at the top was mostly from out-of-town; but even at the 11 a.m. service we had a good number of visitors. (One group said they were from Virginia!)
We tried something new at the 11 a.m. service. We used the video player to display music and text both before and after the service. Folks seemed to enjoy the "Hallelujah Chorus" as interpreted by the Yup'ik community of Quinhagak. (We could well understand why their version has been viewed by over one-million people on You Tube.) The twenty-second pealing of the bells (from Seville, Spain, also via You Tube) was a nice touch.
The sunrise service folks pitched in and gave just over $800 to our new one-time emergency needs fund. This is especially good news since (by a show of hands) most of those assembled up-top were not from the Girdwood area.
We are also extremely grateful to announce the receipt of two very sizeable donations toward the elimination of our debt (mortgage). One gift was for $4,000 and the other was for $1,500! Such generosity is especially encouraging as the chapel finalizes its 2013-14 general budget.
Although we didn't mention it at the Easter service, we have recently distributed "pledge cards" to the congregation and hope these will be returned to us a.s.a.p. We need to create a more realistic operating budget, to help us determine what type of position Supt. Beckett can advertise (3/4 or full-time resident pastor). Please note that the term "pledge" is different than a "promise," in that those who state their estimated giving amount on the card are not creating an obligation; we at Girdwood Chapel understand that "life happens" and that "reality can bite." Think of it as a sort of "faith promise" that you can hopefully complete in the coming year. We thank you, in advance, for whatever amount you feel you can give to the chapel this coming year.
Also, for those who are unable to attend services (out-of-state / illness, etc.) but would like to turn in a pledge card, please contact us and we'll get one sent to you right away!
Thank you, in advance, for whatever part you can play in helping Girdwood Chapel create its budget for the coming year.
dm
We tried something new at the 11 a.m. service. We used the video player to display music and text both before and after the service. Folks seemed to enjoy the "Hallelujah Chorus" as interpreted by the Yup'ik community of Quinhagak. (We could well understand why their version has been viewed by over one-million people on You Tube.) The twenty-second pealing of the bells (from Seville, Spain, also via You Tube) was a nice touch.
The sunrise service folks pitched in and gave just over $800 to our new one-time emergency needs fund. This is especially good news since (by a show of hands) most of those assembled up-top were not from the Girdwood area.
We are also extremely grateful to announce the receipt of two very sizeable donations toward the elimination of our debt (mortgage). One gift was for $4,000 and the other was for $1,500! Such generosity is especially encouraging as the chapel finalizes its 2013-14 general budget.
Although we didn't mention it at the Easter service, we have recently distributed "pledge cards" to the congregation and hope these will be returned to us a.s.a.p. We need to create a more realistic operating budget, to help us determine what type of position Supt. Beckett can advertise (3/4 or full-time resident pastor). Please note that the term "pledge" is different than a "promise," in that those who state their estimated giving amount on the card are not creating an obligation; we at Girdwood Chapel understand that "life happens" and that "reality can bite." Think of it as a sort of "faith promise" that you can hopefully complete in the coming year. We thank you, in advance, for whatever amount you feel you can give to the chapel this coming year.
Also, for those who are unable to attend services (out-of-state / illness, etc.) but would like to turn in a pledge card, please contact us and we'll get one sent to you right away!
Thank you, in advance, for whatever part you can play in helping Girdwood Chapel create its budget for the coming year.
dm