Hello Friends of Prospect Park UMC,
Fall has arrived- it’s time for apple-picking, leaf raking, and our annual Pledge Drive! Our preliminary budget for 2026 is $217,000 which is about 9% higher than last year due to modest staff raises and unavoidable increases in operational expenses like insurance and utilities. We hope to raise at least $160,000 of this through pledges. The money we raise through pledges, individual giving and other fundraising supports our pastor and staff, programming, technology, and building maintenance that allow us to do God’s work in the world.
Our pledge drive and programming are not unlike the cone of the Jack Pine tree, our state’s smallest native pine. Jack Pines have a unique reproductive adaptation- their cones are covered with resin that melts only in the intense heat of a fire. When the resin melts, the cone opens and seeds are set free.
PPUMC also releases seeds, not knowing where they will land and what shape the new growth will take.
- Our first free Community Meal was served in January 2024 with 40 people in attendance; we now serve over 200 meals monthly.
- We launched a Community Concert Series that 15 years later has donated over $90,000 to community organizations.
- We host an annual Easter Party that has 40 children running around in our building looking for eggs and toasting Peeps in the microwave.
- Pastor Paul’s Sunday morning sermons reach beyond our sanctuary to our Zoom community and on YouTube, motivating us to continue to work for peace and justice in a world filled with divisions. Our music ministry inspires us, and our staff make these things possible.
Your financial contributions are the flames that open the cones to set these seeds free. We need your donations in order to continue. Here are the ways you can give:
- Make a pledge online by filling out the form below.
- Email your pledge (or questions about your gift) to finance@prospectparkchurch.org or judybratt@comcast.net.
- Mail the pledge form to Prospect Park UMC, 22 Orlin Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.
- One-time donations can be given through our church website at https://www.prospectparkchurch.org/donate/ or with a check in the mail or offering plate.
Please respond by November 15, 2025 so we can finalize plans for spreading seeds next year.
Thank you for your generosity!