Here’s your chance to …
Support your Alma Mater and Its Athletics
Giving to your alma mater this year? Well, there’s another that deserves your support. Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church offers engagement for the mind, nurture for the soul, and training in the practices of the heart for anyone who wishes to attend. Show me another institution of higher education that reaches higher than the heavens, while serving folks from infancy to infinity. The church’s goal is lofty—to offer the “breadth and length and height and depth, [that you might] know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, [and] be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19 of our academic catalog). Mind, heart, and soul—that’s a well-rounded education.
Learning, fellowship, fun, and nurture for your kids? Check. Support, care, fun, and spiritual grounding for youth? Check. And a place for you? Check.
Over the past year, highlights of offerings for adults include an Advent study, with the author, Bishop Will Willimon joining us one week via Zoom. Dr. Don Saliers led a Lenten study exploring the Psalms and prayer habits. We offered book studies on Black History and are about to offer a weekly discussion of The Sum of Us. Glenn just wrapped up a Sunday-evening study of Methodism led by Brent Huckaby, while a study on God and Beauty with Dr. David Pacini continues on Wednesday evenings. There were short-term women’s studies, including one currently meeting for dinner on Friday nights. There’s a weekly men’s Bible study and a bi-weekly Monday evening Bible study for our youth fellowship. There were retreats for senior and middle high, while a Men’s retreat is planned in November and a women’s retreat in January. This is all in addition to solid Sunday School offerings.
And lest we forget sports (How could we?), Glenn has been the home of a thriving basketball program for more than 50 years. This year Glenn Hoops will again host close to 200 children and teens. I can’t say for sure how many over the decades went on to the NBA, but I know they had fun.
Enjoy and Fund the Arts
The Church has a long history of supporting the arts, going back a couple of millennia. Here at Glenn, your gift makes possible magnificent music offered in an inspiring space EVERY week. The Glenn Chancel Choir, under the direction of Michael Dauterman, prepares and sings around 100 pieces of music over the course of a year, with our organist, Käthe Wright Kaufman preparing a similar number of pieces. This year, the choir’s work included major works such as J.S. Bach’s Cantata 80, John Rutter’s Gloria, Will Tod’s Jazz Missa Brevis, And Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Festival Te Deum. I would ask how many ticket stubs you’ve collected, but they don’t sell tickets!
Our choir also collaborated this year with Deanna Witkowski, celebrated jazz musician, and recently partnered with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra for the American Bach Society Convention. In the months ahead, the choir will also collaborate with the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra and the Theodicy Jazz Collective.
How about music for children and youth? Your contribution supports music education, along with opportunities to share their vocal and instrumental talent in a safe and accepting environment called worship. Finally, don’t forget the ongoing annual drama and musical presentations brought to the stage by the Glenn Youth Fellowship.
You, my friend, are a patron of the arts.
Feed the Hungry, House the Homeless, Respond to Crises, Advocate for Justice
The needs are great, the causes many. Now, where to give? Perhaps start with the Operating Budget of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. Over the past year, Glenn helped feed around 400 children every week of the school year, worked to build a Habitat for Humanity house, provided meals for the Trinity Table, packed backpacks with school supplies, and partnered with other groups and agencies to serve foster children, older adults, moms behind bars, the unhoused, creation care, and more—around 20 partners in all, local, regional, and international. Partnerships were also forged to address gun violence and systemic racism, and Glenn’s efforts helped remove language limiting the rites and rights of LGBTQ people from our UM Book of Discipline.
Glenn’s Good Samaritan Fund assisted neighbors in crisis by paying for emergency housing, providing Kroger cards for groceries, and assisting with mortgage and utility payments. And right now, we are working through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and state connections to help the thousands impacted by Hurricane Helene.
In short, a dollar can help a lot of folks and address a lot of issues when contributed wisely and used well.
Support a Leader Who Promises Real Change:
Registered to vote? It’s important (and the church can help you). Have you given to your candidates’ campaigns? Great.
Well, as you might guess, there’s another leader worthy of your support, a leader like no other, a servant to all, who stands with the poor and loves the rich, whose promises require no fact-checking (though you’re welcome to do so), and whose jurisdiction is beyond gerrymandering. His integrity is beyond question. He’ll never compromise for the sake of popularity or bow to political pressure. He will never resort to demagoguery. You can support him or not, but he’ll still care for you, and, oh yeah, he’ll still win.
While others hurl epitaphs and wallow in accusations, Jesus the Christ walks a higher path. He’ll work with anyone who seeks the good of others. When you’re exhausted from bitter rhetoric, the hateful divisions of red and blue, ugly lies and the fearmongering, read through a few of Jesus’ speeches. There’s a book available that has them all. Some of the things he says might make you squirm a little, but in your heart, I think you’ll know he’s right.
More than a few shady candidates have falsely claimed his endorsement through the years, but don’t be fooled. Jesus will work with anyone, while never surrendering his solidarity with everyone, especially those who have little influence in the halls of power.
While you’re giving to other candidates, remember to support the platform of the Prince of Peace, the Lord of Lords, the Word made flesh, the Suffering Servant—Jesus. His platform, you’ll recall, is about care, welcome, grace, mercy, compassion, reconciliation, peace-making, mutual love, and those other things we talked about above. Christ’s platform is the work of the church.
There are lots of good causes deserving of support, and a lot of those causes are the cause of the church. I’m biased, I know, but when it comes to giving generously, the church seems a good place to start.
In Christ,
Mark
If you haven’t yet pledged, bring your card to church this Sunday, October 6 (one service at 11:00), or pledge online at www.glennumc.org/pledge. And plan to stay for lunch! The Varsity or Moe’s.
