Dear Friends in Christ,

How have you been participating in God’s work in the world? I know that you are a leader who has a heart for God and so I am writing to ask for your help and to invite you, as a leader and “co-laborer” in God’s work, to participate in the Annual Leadership Campaign of the Christian Church in Ohio.

Of the funds raised through this campaign, 80% will be used to support the annual ministry budget of the Regional Church and 20% will be invested in the “Howard Ratcliff Endowment Fund for Camp Christian.” This annual campaign not only meets our ministry needs today but also invests in our future.

Our ministry goal is to raise $30,000. This goal will ensure the Region’s ongoing support of vital ministries including the Cleveland Christian Home and the exciting new Congregational Transformation initiative, as well as our ecumenical witness through the Ohio Council of Churches.

Your gift will continue the momentum that has been building throughout the Region: There has been a dramatic increase in attendance at regional ministry events and 1,070 children, youth, and young adults attended summer camps and conferences in 2009.

Come spend a day in our Regional Church Office—you are welcome to do so any time—and see these regional ministries in action. You will sense the difference your contribution makes.

In closing, I wish to express deep appreciation for all the ways you currently support God’s work in the region, be it through prayer, leadership and attendance at regional events, or financial offerings. As leaders of the Regional Church Council and Regional Church Office staff have made their contributions to the Annual Leadership Fund, we have felt the strong support of friends like you in this ministry. Thank you for placing yourself among these leaders and hundreds of others as you prayerfully consider your gift to this year’s Annual Leadership Fund.

May God’s blessings be with you,

Bill Edwards
Regional Pastor and President