Click here to pledge online.

From the November 3 newsletter

Seeds of Community
by Heather Harriss

It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
(Mark 4:31)

We are living in a season where it can be easy to feel small and insignificant, to wonder how anything we do can matter. It’s helpful to remember the mustard seed—that tiny speck that grew into an unruly bush, then a massive tree, its branches home to birds, its roots deep, strong, and sturdy. As I consider my giving to our church, I’m encouraged by the saints whose lives we remember and celebrate.

I have the great honor of journeying with families at the end of life, where I get to hear the stories of our saints, who, by living lives with Christ, planted seeds that have become for us great, life-giving trees.

Seeds of friendship that connect people from around the world, growing to include generations. Seeds of persistent ministry that become life-changing. Seeds of sacrificial giving that grow and grow and grow. Seeds of kindness and hospitality that become a sheltering tree of welcome. Seeds of generosity that overflow into creativity, laughter, and joy. Seeds of vision that become as real as a home, as true as transformation.
As you consider your pledge, reflect on the tiny seeds you are called to plant, trusting the Holy Spirit is moving in your actions. Let us give generously and be amazed by the mighty abundance that is far more than we could ever imagine.

There are lots of ways to make your pledge: fill out a pledge card and drop it in the mail to P.O. Box 120098, Nashville, TN 37212, click here to make a pledge online, call Sara Christi (615-383-0832, ext. 220) to make your pledge over the phone, or email your pledge to bookkeeper@belmontumc.org.

_____________________________________________

Belmont is listening, praying, and planning for growth. 

This summer, over 300 people participated in our strategic planning process by completing our survey or sharing in a listening session. We heard you celebrate our welcoming and accepting all people. One survey response summed it up well, “It’s undeniable that Belmont UMC is a warm, welcoming, and inclusive community that advocates for the marginalized and makes God’s love real.”

We are listening and creating a more inviting space for neighbors and newcomers by painting, carpeting, and power washing our facilities, as well as planting seeds as we engage in longer-term strategic planning around the appearance and functionality of our facilities. Your sacrificial giving will help to grow a more welcoming house for our ministry.

Planting seeds of connection by offering hospitality to Belmont University’s Wesley Foundation and our own college and young adult ministries, providing a safe space to ask big questions. Once a month, Sunday morning newcomers are invited to Coffee and Conversation. Each Sunday morning connections and relationships are forged during the new Fellowship in the Foyer and on Wednesdays during our weekly community meal. 

Planting seeds of faith by investing in children’s Sunday school, children’s choirs, UMYF, youth choir tours, middle school missions, Appalachian Service Project, and the world premiere of Amy Cooper and Christy Perkey’s ‘The Truth about Ruth’ in worship (April 28, 2024). Weekly opportunities for spiritual practice are provided in our retreat series, Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, Wednesday night programs, and the annual All Church Retreat.

Planting seeds of community by partnering through our Karen language service, partnership with Ebenezer UMC, grocery store runs for the residents of Leah Rose, and our Faith Companions who reach out to members unable to attend worship. 

Planting seeds of hope and justice by completing the Mama Lynn Center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, caring for women and girls, and supporting the work of the Tree of Life Training Center in Tlancualpican, Mexico. We plant seeds by being present at the capitol to pray and take action for the change we want to see in our community.

Planting a new world each Sunday as we worship. A visitor recently shared with me how they felt a sense of deep spiritual relief and welcome as they tried church again after some church trauma. They wept in the pew hearing our youth choir sing Jesus’ words, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”  

Over the next 5 weeks, we ask you to plant seeds of community, mission, justice, discipleship, and hope. We are asking you to help grow Christ’s kin-dom by praying over and then turning in your 2025 pledge or estimate of giving cards, or by clicking here. In our baptism, we pledge to follow Christ by building a community of love and forgiveness, resisting evil and injustice, and serving as Christ’s representatives in the world. We do this with our prayers, our presence, our generous giving, our service, and witness. I ask you to do three things: 

1. Pray about your finances. Jesus is blunt, “You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6) Over the past 36 years, Connie and I have given the Biblical tithe or ten percent of our income to the church. (Luke 11) We become generous people by giving. I rejoice to know our seeds have sheltered people, inspired hope, welcomed neighbors, comforted members, changed our denomination, told children they are loved, and more. What better use is there of our resources than loving our neighbors?   

2. Turn in your pledge card or click here to let us know what you plan to give in 2025. Your pledge or estimate of giving helps us be better stewards of our financial resources while allowing us to set our 2025 budget. 

3. Consider adding Belmont to your estate planning. 

If Belmont UMC is going to continue to shine Christ’s acceptance, hope, justice, and love into our world, your generosity and sacrificial giving are essential. Come help sow seeds of God’s kin-dom.

Jesus invites each one of us to plant seeds of faith, hope, love, justice, refuge, transformation and community in our world. Help grow Christ’s kin-dom at Belmont UMC by praying about and turning in your 2025 pledge.

For questions regarding your pledge, contact Sara Christi.

Operating Pledge Campaign FAQs

  • Why should I pledge?
    • Your pledge, along with the pledges of your fellow Belmonters, help our leadership set our budget, including ministry budgets and staff salaries. It helps us know what ministries and projects we can plan for through 2024.
    • Your pledge is a tangible way that you live out your membership vows of supporting Belmont United Methodist Church through your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
  • How do I make my pledge for 2025?
    • There are lots of ways to let us know how much you’d like to pledge.
      • You can fill out a pledge card and drop it in the mail to P.O. Box 120098, Nashville, TN 37212. Contact the church office to receive a pledge card if you didn't receive one in the mail.
      • You can make a pledge online through Realm
      • You can call Sara Christi (615-383-08 ext. 220) at the church and make your pledge over the phone.
      • You can email your pledge to bookkeeper@belmontumc.org
  • Does making a pledge automatically set up a recurring gift?
    • No. People make gifts to the church through various means (cash, check, online gifts, stock gifts, etc.) on various schedules (weekly, monthly, annually, etc.). Therefore, making a pledge does not automatically initiate payments. However, if you'd like to set up a recurring online donation, you can do that by clicking the "add an online gift to fulfill this pledge" checkbox on the confirmation page after you've made your online pledge.
  • What if I need to change my pledge?
    • No problem! Just contact Sara Christi (615-383-0832 ext 220) to make an adjustment.
  • Can I pay all or part of my 2025 pledge in 2024?
    • Yes! For some people, there may be a tax savings by giving money in 2023 to be applied towards your 2025 pledge. Check with your financial advisor to determine what is best for your situation. If you decide to pre-pay your pledge, just mark “2025 pre-paid pledge” in the “for” line of your check and make sure it is at the church or postmarked by December 31, 2024.