During August 13th’s worship, Maddux Sirmons stood up in front of the congregation to talk about what Camp Viola means to him. Maddux hadn’t been asked to do that; he volunteered that he’d like to say a few words. The experience at Camp Viola meant so much to him that he chose to step outside of his comfort zone. He spoke without a prepared statement, just straight from the heart: “At Camp Viola, it’s not very enjoyable. It’s really hot outside, you’ll be sweaty all the time, the beds are hard, you won’t get a lot of sleep, the kids have a lot of energy...but, if you ask anyone: ‘would they do it again?’ They’d say yes. Because it was fun... I like the magic of that. Everyone’s struggling to make it through the week, can’t wait to go home. But if you ask them, ‘would they do it again?’ They’ll say yes, without a doubt, without a second thought.” Maddux’s involvement at Camp Viola was profound, and his faith was deepened through Loyd’s ministries to both youth and the larger community. Matthew 6:21 tells us everything that we need to know about stewardship. It spells out the joyous discipline of thanking God with the way we live our lives and spend and share our money. The common misunderstanding that we have earned everything in our life is reshaped into the wisdom that all things come from God. Our homes, our way of life, our families, each and everything that we call ours is a blessing from God. Therefore, as Jesus reminds us, our greatest treasure should be God and our fulfillment of God’s Word. Loyd Presbyterian Church is one of the places where we encounter that word and practice our faith through worship, mission, fellowship, and study. Far from just keeping the lights on, the practice of stewardship is giving back a portion of what God has gifted us so that this church may continue to be a bridge to deeper faith for the community. In previous years, we have run an unbalanced budget, meaning that we intended to spend more than we brought in. This year, we are looking to fund a completely balanced budget. Our proposed budget for 2024 is $280,000. To realize that goal, we ask that you would prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do. Your increased commitment will make it possible to fulfill the goals that Loyd has for the coming years. Pledges are not simply monetary, but also the gift of your volunteer time. There are multiple options to make your pledge this year. You can put in your pledge online or fill out a pledge card to put in the offering plate during the November worship services. The season of pledging will culminate on November 26th with a celebration luncheon following worship. Thank you for continuing to support this faith community and for the generosity that you have shown here. We give glory to God for all His many blessings. There is no gift too great or too small. All gifts are from God and are an act of worship.

In Christ,

The Loyd Presbyterian Church Finance Committee

John Darden, Gary Knox, Skip Lamb, Karen McBride, Lynn Pauley, Cy Wood, and Tyler Brock