By Rev. Katie Dawson
1.7 million dollars.
That is what we have raised, as of the end of 2013, for Imagine No Malaria as the Iowa Annual Conference. It is an amazing accomplishment and I am so proud of every one of you who has helped make this extraordinary effort a success so far.
With six months remaining of our official campaign here in Iowa, I want to encourage each one of you to keep pressing on towards our goal of raising more than two million dollars to help bring the good news of healing to Africa.
557 churches across the state have sacrificed, gone the second mile, and dreamed impossible dreams. They have worked hard to help bring God bring resurrection right here, right now, to our brothers and sisters in Africa. And they are continuing to be involved until we accomplish our goals! All of this is by God’s grace alone. If your church has not been involved, now is the time!
You can read the stories of what we are doing and what has been accomplished on our website (www.inmiowa.org/stories) and we are highlighting a church every week on our facebook page (www.facebook.com/inmiowa).
As we continue to answer God’s call to preach the gospel and heal the sick, I want to remind you of resources we have to help you go the second mile these next six months.
1) Net Loss / Net Gain challenge: An invitation to get healthy and to purchase a net for every pound you lose in the process (www.inmiowa.org/netloss)
2) Local Church Toolkit: all the resources you need to educate, inform, and inspire your church including worship materials, videos, images, logos, and financial guides. (www.inmiowa.org/toolkit)
3) Lent/Easter materials: Take the six week season to build towards a special offering on Easter Sunday. Bulletin inserts, weekly announcements, videos, and other planning materials will be available. Materials will be available at www.inmiowa.org/lent as of February 15. Also remember, World Malaria Day is the Friday after Easter.
4) Pledge resources: Don’t be afraid to invite people to give generously. Specific resources for asking for gifts of $1000 or more are available and our team is here to help you do so. (www.inmiowa.org/pledge)
5) Strike Out Malaria Youth Event: In conjunction with Annual Conference, we will have an overnight at Principal Park to celebrate the work young people have done in leading this campaign. Youth groups are encouraged to raise funds this spring as a group and bring them to the event on June 7. (www.inmiowa.org/strikeout)