2006 was a wonderful start of the 3-year commitment to increased mission and outreach through the annual pledges, *M&M campaign and Extra-Mile Giving.   To help you understand these different giving opportunities and the mission, program and outreach that are accomplished, we will describe each of them and their effect.
     From the annual pledges that are made in the fall for the following year, specific amounts are set aside for General Mission and Locally Determined Mission.  General Mission funds are sent to the East Iowa Presbytery and support a wide variety of Presbyterian mission projects in Iowa, the US, and around the world. General Mission is the primary source of funding to plan and implement the mission of the entire church. It funds mission worker salaries and benefits, gifts or grants to ecumenical agencies, overseas partners (churches, hospitals, schools) and dollars to provide resources and services to congregations and mission governing bodies.   In 2005, there were 497 mission workers served in 67 countries.  In 2006 as in the past few years, the church gave $15,500 from the Annual Pledges to support these ministries.  We were able to increase our giving as a result of the *M&M campaign. Locally Determined Mission funds are sent to organizations that the Mission Committee selects based on service to the local community and worldwide mission.  Frequently, members of the church are actively involved with these ministries.  In 2006 as in the past few years, the church gave $6,000 to local mission as listed below.  Again, you will see increases and support of new organizations due to the M&M campaign.  
 
*MORTGAGE & MISSION:  2006 was the first year of the M&M campaign and members of the congregation showed their support for an increased focus on reducing debt and increasing mission giving to follow God's call to love our neighbor.  With the additional funds created from M&M, the Mission Committee was able to make significant gifts to a variety of services and outreach opportunities that would not have been possible without the commitment of our congregation for a three-year campaign.