***Our goal for the first ten days is $2500. After day one we have raised $200, so thank you!!!!
Now that’s explained, let me tell you what Carolyn and I are doing, what our needs are, and why we are writing to you.
Now that’s explained, let me tell you what Carolyn and I are doing, what our needs are, and why we are writing to you.
The Nuts and Bolts of this Letter:
- We are planting a church
- we want to give our first 6 months to that plant salary free
- we need approximately $10,000 to do that
- Options for giving are listed at the bottom of the letter
Our Vision
In December we were asked by a senior leader of Catch the Fire World to consider planting a church in Greensboro, North Carolina in the fall of 2014. We will be lead Pastors and will build a team of leaders who will live in Greensboro, influence the people there, preach the Gospel to them, introduce the Kingdom of God to their hearts, and baptize and immerse their lives in the identity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Basically it is our vision to plant a church that transforms lives by walking in God’s love and giving it away, to Greensboro and the world.
Carolyn and I have been absolutely adopted by the Catch the Fire World team out of Toronto, including John and Carol Arnott, and especially Duncan and Kate Smith who have parented us, pastored us, and been close friends to us. Together as part of their team we have been going through the seven year (and ongoing) process of becoming ready for a venture like this, where we will be using gifts and talents that have been cultivated over the years, and where we will no doubt be stretched to grow tremendously in areas as yet unknown. We know it will be challenging, but we also know that where God gives a calling he also gives His grace.
Our Plan
It is our intention and plan to be employed as Pastors together full time, but we know that a fledgling church plant has many financial needs. We have a plan to generate the capital to launch the church, but it is our heart and desire that the money that comes in to launch should be used to fund the needs of the church, without our personal need to draw on it for a salary for the next six months.
We want to give our time for the next six months to Catch the Fire Greensboro as an offering, sowing our effort and our love into the community without thinking about our needs. Conversely, we don’t want to be divided in our efforts, working other jobs to meet our needs while the work of planting the church is slowed.
As we host meetings to let the community know we are launching, we expect to receive offerings that will go into the Catch the Fire Greensboro pot. We’ll start the Church in Nov. and have Sunday meetings which will create a rhythm of giving for our congregation, and for the first while we want that giving to go solely toward the needs of Catch the Fire Greensboro. As the giving can support us as Pastors, we will make that transition, but until then, we need your help.
As we host meetings to let the community know we are launching, we expect to receive offerings that will go into the Catch the Fire Greensboro pot. We’ll start the Church in Nov. and have Sunday meetings which will create a rhythm of giving for our congregation, and for the first while we want that giving to go solely toward the needs of Catch the Fire Greensboro. As the giving can support us as Pastors, we will make that transition, but until then, we need your help.
Our Need
Carolyn and I have been very selective about sending this out, we are not copying and pasting to our entire email and facebook lists. We specifically looked for people we know and love and would happily receive a letter like this FROM, that we sent it out to. That includes you.
We have some savings, and a modest line of credit available to us, and we have examined various factors about life in Greensboro like rental costs, various factors about the cost of living, and the basic necessities of the role we will be filling there. We have estimated that our needs above and beyond what we have will be approximately $10,000 for the next 6 months.
We are not seeking ongoing support monthly, but a one time gift of love from you, in whatever amount you think you could responsibly give. For some of you that might realistically be a large amount, while for others it may be twenty bucks. For others still you may not have anything to give, but will pray like crazy for us as we step out over the next while.
We are sending this letter to exactly 100 of you, our friends and family. It could be that you give a gift, or it could be that you send this to 10 people you know that we don’t and that one of them decides to give. We know our needs, and that God intends to care for us by meeting them.
Our Appeal
Please give to our mission of transforming lives in Greensboro. This is not officially a gift to the church as a charitable donation, but literally a sowing into the lives of Carolyn and I independently as we set out to do this. As such, Carolyn and I legally will not be able to treat this as a charitable offering, but will claim this on our tax return as “previously unreported income”.
How to Give
The easiest way to give is through Paypal, which has a “send money” option. The recipient would be simply: jacobmurphy909@gmail.com
If a cheque is your prefered method it can be made out to Jacob Murphy, and sent to:
PO Box 2082
PO Box 2082
Greensboro,
NC 27402
NC 27402
Our Sincerest thanks go out to you for whatever you can give, financial, prayer or otherwise.
With Love,
The Murphys
With Love,
The Murphys
