Dear Church Leader:
United Methodists are striving to make a difference in the world and discern what God has called
them to do. Gifts to the United Methodist Student Day offering are building hope, empowering
futures and shaping tomorrow for students like Jaci Murden.
Jaci sees her work in music education as an investment in the next generation. By connecting with students through music, she creates opportunities for them to develop their skills and passions. Music and leadership were pillars of Jaci’s upbringing and she recognized that higher education was a pathway to self-improvement and future success. The financial burden of college was alleviated by a scholarship funded through the United Methodist Student Day offering.
United Methodist Student Day is November 24, 2024! 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 24:
- Select the person(s) whom you would like to lead the celebration.
- Download resources in the 2024 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 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—including sermon starter, social media graphics, children’s resources and more—are also available in French, Spanish and Korean.
- Download the pew cards to print and place in high-traffic areas. 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 is 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
2024 UMSD #1
“Email Subject: United Methodist Student Day is November 24, 2024!
Scripture: “I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers.” —Ephesians 1:18-19, CEB
Pretext: Building Hope on United Methodist Student Day—November 24, 2024
Dear Friends,
Jaci Murden sees her work in music education as an investment in the next generation. By connecting with students through music, she creates opportunities for them to develop their skills and passions. Music and leadership were pillars of Jaci’s upbringing. From an early age, she was immersed in music, starting with piano lessons and eventually mastering various instruments in band and singing in choirs.
Jaci recognized that higher education was a pathway to self-improvement and future success. The financial burden of college was alleviated by a scholarship funded through the United Methodist Student Day offering. Jaci believes in the importance of supporting United Methodist Student Day because it fosters the development of future church leaders.
By investing in students’ education, the church builds lasting relationships that encourage these young leaders to give back to their communities. Place the November 24, 2024, 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 just like Jaci Murden.
Thank you for your generosity,
Pastor_______________”