Dear Church Leader:
Brittney Stephan was 14 when she felt God call her into ministry. Though she was horrified at the thought of speaking in public, she wrote a letter to her pastor sharing her desire to be in ministry. Her pastor helped ease her fears and she was allowed to co-preach and get involved in many areas of ministry. At age 22, Stephan began attending Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with plans to become an ordained leader.
Stephan received a Gift of Hope Scholarship made possible through gifts from local church members who gave to the United Methodist Student Day offering. Because of the support she received, today the Rev. Brittney Stephan is the associate director for multicultural vibrancy in the Michigan Annual Conference. “The Cultural Vibrancy team fosters positive relationships between people of diverse cultures and provides opportunities for learning, growth and exploration as we pursue cultural development and understanding,” said Stephan.
United Methodist Student Day is November 26, 2023! Celebrate United Methodist Student Day and invest in our students. Your gifts underwrite scholarships for United Methodist undergraduate and graduate students, allowing them to achieve their education goals with more financial freedom. Here are resources and ideas to help you celebrate United Methodist Student Day on November 26:
- Select the person(s) whom you would like to lead the celebration.
- Download the 2023 United Methodist Student Day pastor and leader kit. The kit includes social media graphics, videos, an offering talk, bulletin inserts, children’s resources and more.
- Use the 2022-2023 Special Sundays planning calendar located in the kit to schedule your promotion efforts. Feel free to adjust the planning calendar to fit your congregation’s needs.
- Pastor and leader kit resources are also available in French, Spanish and Korean, including sermon starter, social media graphics, children’s resources and more.
- Click here to order your printed offering envelopes or call 1-800-991-6011 to place your order.
- Announce the celebration date to your congregation as soon as possible.
- Share information about how your members can give to the United Methodist Student Day offering by:
- giving through your church’s online giving portal or setting up monthly giving at umcgiving.org/UMSD,
- writing a check to your local church and designating “UMSD” in the memo line and placing it in the offering plate, or
- giving a cash offering in the offering plate.
- Thank your members for their generosity.
- Plan to send the offering to your annual conference treasurer;
- Customize the announcement copy and reminder below to fit your needs and share it with members of your congregation. You may publish this information on your social media platform(s), websites, newsletters, and other media your members use. Solicit the help of your youth and ask them to help you share the information on their platforms. This a great way to get your youth to get more involved in your church’s ministry.
When you support the United Methodist Student Day offering, you help United Methodist students unite their faith with knowledge.
Thank you for your generosity,
THE CONNECTIONAL GIVING TEAM
ANNOUNCEMENT COPY OR EMAIL
2023 UMSD #1
“Email Subject: United Methodist Student Day is November 26, 2023!
Scripture: “I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.” —Ephesians 1:17, NRSVUE
Pretext: Restore Wisdom on United Methodist Student Day—November 26, 2023
Dear Friends,
Brittney Stephan was 14 when she felt God call her into ministry. Though she was horrified at the thought of speaking in public, she wrote a letter to her pastor sharing her desire to be in ministry. Her pastor helped her ease her fears and calmed her nerves. She was also allowed to co-preach a sermon and to get involved in many areas of ministry. She received a Gift of Hope Scholarship funded by gifts to the United Methodist Student Day offering. Today, she is an ordained United Methodist clergy and serves as the associate director for multicultural vibrancy in the Michigan Annual Conference.
“I’m very passionate about servant leadership and the impact that it has on the life of the church. I hope to encourage and support the laity in my church, as well as the staff, and create a leadership model that works to serve and empower others to be ministry leaders,” said Stephan.
Our congregation partners with other United Methodist congregations to equip United Methodist students to lead our church into the future. Place the November 26, 2023, celebration date on your calendar and be ready to support our students in prayer and by giving a generous offering to the Gift of Hope Scholarship. Your gifts underwrite scholarships for United Methodist undergraduate and graduate students, allowing them to achieve their education goals.
Thank you for your generosity,
Pastor_______________”