Everywhere I go now, people are interested in how the church is doing after the pandemic. How is your church doing? Some churches were growing and others weren’t, even before the pandemic hit. Some churches have regained their numbers while others seem to be decreasing in attendance. We need to stop comparing our numbers before […]
Each year, the Foundation awards a limited number of grants to Virginia Methodist Churches and affiliated agencies of the Virginia United Methodist Conference. Our focus is on unifying mission, ministry and impact to better assist and equip ministries in their projects, as well as help them to build a future. At year end, […]
A “none” is a person reporting no religious affiliation. Nones are not atheists or agnostics. They may be spiritual but not religious. They may consider themselves secular people who choose not to participate in a religious community. They see religiosity primarily in terms of choice, and faith as a matter of preference. Many churches tell […]
Whether your church building is old or new, heating and cooling the facility can be a challenge. When the life of your church’s HVAC expires and it’s time to replace the unit, each church will have different needs and resources to continue to ensure that congregation members feel comfortable. The first step is to devise […]
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all report that Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” Notice that the guidance does not say give generously to Caesar, nor does it say give any more than Caesar requires or mandates. If we interpret Caesar to be the US government, or more […]
Wishing you and yours a peaceful and blessed celebration of our Savior’s birth! Watch the eCard now
The all-time favorite Christmas hymn Silent Night was written in 1818 by Franz Xavier Gruber to lyrics by Josephus Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. Mohr was a Catholic priest, who wrote the words and asked Gruber to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for a Christmas Eve mass in 1818. […]
The Virginia United Methodist Foundation congratulates the following students who have been awarded scholarships by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF). Through the Dollars forScholars program, the Foundation’s contribution is quadrupled. We wish the students well in their academic pursuits! Learn more at www.umhef.org. [themify_col grid=”4-1 first”] Student Scott M. Bach-Hansen Willow C. […]
I recently visited a church that needs help with ideas of how to use the facility to bring in more revenue. The church has a substantial loan, and while growing in attendance, they still need some more funding at the end of each month. After a walk-through of the building, many ideas were shared. One […]
Greetings Virginia Conference members and affiliates! Members of our staff recently returned from the Denominational Investors and Loan Administrators (DILA) Conference, an association of seasoned leaders who convene annually to discuss common challenges – in recent years a combination of post-pandemic recovery, denominational change, and financial headwinds caused by rising interest rates and inflation. […]