Dear New McKendree Church Family,

On Sunday, April 19, during our Discipleship Hour, Adam Rainey (Council Chair) and Todd Rushing (Lay Leader) gave our 2026 State of the Church presentation. Thank you to all who attended! On behalf of our NMUMC family, thank you, Adam and Todd, for your leadership. And thank you, Amanda Bond and Paige Turner, for your data analysis and presentation-building behind-the-scenes work. For those who were unable to attend this year’s State of the Church presentation, my contribution to the May Newsletter is a summary of how God has been at work in our congregation through worship, discipleship, missions, and your faithful generosity.

What came through loud and clear is that we are a growing, outwardly focused church family. Our mission outreach has expanded significantly. Missional giving grew from $33,047 in 2022 to $72,660 in 2025, while Servants in Mission increased from 614 volunteers to 1,903 during the same period. Mission impact rose from 9,905 people served in 2022 to 16,296 in 2025; a 65% increase! To further illustrate our church family’s missional focus, we dug into the week before the State of the Church presentation…a “typical” NMUMC week. During the week of April 12, 245 volunteers touched 1,244 lives through ministries such as worship, hospitality, Bible studies, youth ministry, JR2 Power Packs, Breaking Bonds mentorship activities, bereavement meals, and United Women in Faith, to name a few. Never let it be said that we’re not an energetic church family!

Financially, New McKendree is blessed with generous church family members and strong lay leadership and church staff who responsibly and transparently serve as stewards of your generosity. Our ability to plan ministry is enhanced by families who pledge their support during our annual pledge drives. In 2024, 46% of our church’s support was pledged support. In 2025, it increased to 52%. While all generosity is appreciated, pledged generosity enables our church leaders and ministry staff to budget and plan ministries more accurately. 

Although inflation challenges us all, our church family has remained faithfully generous. Since 2020, our average household giving has increased by 16%, while our average church expenses per household have risen by 40%, driven by an 83% increase in insurance premiums and unbudgeted maintenance expenses. Even so, our church remains debt-free while our ministries continue to grow and reflect our ongoing commitment to the wider United Methodist connection by paying 100% of our apportionments year after year. 

Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on four overall growth opportunities. First, increase opportunities for spiritual growth by adding Sunday Discipleship Groups. Second, led by our Family Ministry Team, develop foundational milestones for our family ministries and provide more opportunities for our Youth to serve. Third, in the name of Wesleyan Connectionalism, proactively seek out opportunities to share our blessings with area United Methodist congregations. Finally, implement long-range facility management planning to reduce deferred maintenance and unbudgeted expenses. 

I thank God for the opportunity to serve such a faith-filled, energetic, fun-loving, and generous church family. God has begun a good work in His New McKendree church family. My prayer is that we continue participating in His good work by loving God, loving people, and generously serving with our time, talents, and resources. That we’ll seek ways to increase participation by making worship attendance a priority, joining a discipleship group, proactively seeking ways to serve, and inviting others to join you.

May God continue to bless our New McKendree family with growth and new and challenging ways to participate in His kingdom-building work.

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Bryan Wendling