Shared Connectional Giving/Apportionments/Tithe Elk Grove is not an isolated church in mission and ministry. We join with other United Methodists in sharing mission and ministry around the world. United Methodists have determined that joining forces is the most effective way to do worldwide mission and ministry so we pool our resources. This is known as connectional giving, apportionments or our tithe. There are several categories of apportionments and they are explained below. The tithe or apportionment is funded by each local church sending 1/10 or a tithe of their income each month to support this work. For more information, please talk with Pastor Kathy or our Lay Members to the Annual Conference Session: Merrylyn Hebert and Michele Rowland-Bird.

Annual Conference Ministry

Funds given for Conference Program support the program, mission, and benevolent causes of all of our California-Nevada United Methodist Annual Conference program agencies. These include our Conference-wide ministries with:  Youth and camping (many of our youth and children have attended summer camps which benefit from this apportionment)  United Methodist Volunteers In Mission  Communications  Age-level councils and resources for the local church  Stewardship, evangelism programs; worship consultations, and discipleship education events  Higher education and campus ministry  Grant support for new church development and emerging congregations  Short-term loans to local churches  The Committee on Reconciliation and Commission on Archives and History;  The work of Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, Status and Role of Women, and Religion and Race.  The support of our District Superintendents and staff  The Conference Treasurer and Business Office  The United Methodist Center in West Sacrament  Conference administration, including personnel and equipment  All the staff that helps with the programs mentioned above.

World Service

This is the lifeblood of our United Methodist connectional giving. It provides the basic financial support for our denomination’s general program agencies, including the General Board of Global Ministries (global missionary network in almost all continents around the world including the work of UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) that responds to all kinds of disasters); General Council on Ministries; General Board of Discipleship; General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, etc. Check our national website www.umc.org for up-to- date information of our worldwide ministries.

Black College Fund

The Black College Fund gives financial assistance to the eleven United Methodist- related historically black colleges (through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry). These colleges are:  , Greensboro, North Carolina  Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida  , Orangeburg, South Carolina  Clark-Atlanta University, Atlanta, George  , New Orleans, Louisiana  Huston-Tillotson College, Austin, Texas  , Nashville, Tennessee  Pain College, August, Georgia  , Little Rock, Arkansas  Rust College, Holly Springs, , Marshall, Texas.

Africa University

Called “a light of change for the continent,” Africa University serves the entire continent of Africa, where United Methodism is experiencing its most rapid growth. The first fully accredited private institution in Zimbabwe, it includes three colleges: Health, Agriculture and Natural Science; Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance; and Social Sciences, Theology, Humanities and Education. The University opened for classes in 1992 with 40 students; in 2016 it had an enrollment of 1,415.

Episcopal Fund

The Episcopal Fund provides salaries, residences, pensions, travel, office and other benefits for all Bishops of the United Methodist Church. Our Bishop is Minerva Carcaño and her office is at the Conference Center in West Sacramento.

General Administration Fund

The General Administration Fund covers the cost of the quadrennial General Conference session and other general administrative costs of the church at large. This category also finances General Church administration such as the General Finance and Administration, and the National Youth Ministries Organization. It also supports our participation on the World Methodist Council, and empowers the Judicial Council to meet (the highest court of church law in our denomination). This is how we have input into shaping the future of denomination and insure that we are not a static body of Christians but actively applying our faith to the changing world.

Interdenominational Cooperation

The Interdenominational Cooperation Fund provides the United Methodist contributions through ecumenical ministries in cooperation with other Christian communities. Work is done through the World and National Councils of Churches and other interdenominational ecumenical activities as authorized by the General Conference. In an era when intolerance is raising its ugly heads between religious communities this is a particularly important ministry.

Ministerial Education Fund

These monies help recruit and educate ordained clergy and in our Annual Conference Local Pastors. Three quarters of the resources raised go to United Methodist seminaries (there are 13), and one quarter is used in this Annual Conference to help pastors attend continuing education events. Both Pastor Kathy and Pastor Linda (EGUMC’s pastor prior to Kathy) were educated in United Methodist Seminaries.

Jurisdictional Conference Administration Fund

The Jurisdictional Conference Administration Fund covers the costs of the quadrennial (every four years) Jurisdictional Conference sessions and other administrative and program costs. This is where we elect our Bishops who have a very important role in the life of our church. . Jurisdiction Korean Mission

The Jurisdictional Korean Mission Fund empowers new Korean U.M. church development and ministry in the Western Jurisdiction. There are more than 30 Western Jurisdiction Korean Mission churches in our Jurisdiction, including six within our Annual Conference:  Citrus Heights Choun Korean UMC  Fremont Korean First Ministry  Fresno Korean UMC  Mountain View Living Grace UMC  Marysville Korean UMC  Reno Korean UMC

In addition we have District Askings which support ministries within our District. We are in the Bridges District which includes churches from San Francisco east to Sacramento and the foothills. The District Askings are supported by extra mile giving or 1% of our monthly income.  Bridges District Program Fund that provides for ministries within our district and scholarships for children and youth to go to camp.  Sacramento United Methodist Union whose mission is to develop new churches within the district and support existing churches. Some of our children and youth have received scholarships from this group to go to camp..

If you are interested in helping with apportionments, you are welcome to do so. A check may be made payable to our church and you can indicate on the memo section to what you would like it credited. Our apportionments enable us to be in mission and ministry in ways we would not be able to do if we were a church on our own. For more information please check out http://www.umc.org/how-we- serve/apportioned-funds