3:20 & Beyond

Taking the steps to move forward in faith and to grow spiritually and numerically 

Pastor Cameron’s Letter as we enter the “beyond” of our 3:20 & beyond campaign

Dear New Day friends and family, 

Wow, so much has transpired over the past three years. It’s phenomenal that as a church we were able to carry this through and cross the finish line at the end of 2020. I certainly could not have done this without the help and support of the 3:20 & Beyond Lead team members, I am deeply grateful to: Israel Yoder, Tom Fawley, Greg Miller, Marilee Menser, Matt Vollmar, Jimmy McKee and Mark Jevert. Each of these amazing people provided insight and expertise that helped us as a team lead our church through these past three years and have contributed significantly to positioning New Day for success in the years to come. 

I just reviewed the letter I sent to the congregation announcing the 3:20 & Beyond fundraiser back in December of 2017. In the preparation for launching the 3:20 & Beyond we had already done the Bless a Neighbor - Bless a Nation event raising $36,000 to give away Easter dinner to 200 families around Vandalia, Vine, and Nichols; And to build a church & training center in Africa and help purchase a ministry center in Mexico. Additionally we did the Faithraiser by handing out seed packets with seed money and seeing nearly a 300% return as we learned how to stretch our faith financially as a church.  

In the letter I wrote, “The 3:20 & Beyond initiative is a plan to help each congregation be positioned for optimal success.” That was the primary goal with more specific goals for each site. Although we did not attain all of the specific goals, we absolutely did accomplish the primary goal of getting all three sites positioned for optimal success, even though it sure does look different than we had expected. 

The goal of building an addition to the Nichols building was the part that we didn’t reach. But in God’s providence I believe that He protected us from making a move prematurely. If we had raised and spent the money, or borrowed the funds to begin construction, we would not be able to use it, nor do we currently need the additional space as a result of the changes that have come about by the limitations related to Covid 19. 

Nevertheless having all three buildings paid off has positioned the church to face the uncertainty of the current events with no debt. This is a TREMENDOUS blessing and allows us to focus on ministry and not money! Additionally we made significant improvements at both the Nichols and Vine buildings. With the changes in 2020 that led to ending the Saturday services at Vine and integrating that congregation into the Nichols congregation we now have the Vine ministry center fully paid off, and in excellent condition, in the heart of Kalamazoo. The upstairs continues to be used to house residents that are involved in New Day ministries as well. This all enables us to envision new ways to spread the Gospel and minister to those in the Vine community. We use the Vine center weekly for various meetings and are working on plans to do more outreach focused ministry there soon. 

The Vandalia congregation really stepped up in the last few months of 2020 with a matching funds contribution that led to raising the final $17,000 needed to pay that building off. I am so grateful to see the congregation there take ownership of the church not only literally but spiritually as they are now positioned to continue to share the love of Christ to those in Cass County and surrounding communities. 

As a church we learned to work together and overcome differences and learn new ways to impact our communities. We successfully introduced the practice of pledges to the culture of New Day. The pledges really made a difference. We saw money come in every week during the entire time - this never would have happened without the pledge element. Even families that moved away due to job changes or retirement continued to fulfill their pledges. Introducing and successfully completing the pledge drive for 3:20 & Beyond in itself is a success as it positions our church for future fundraisers as the Lord leads. We also learned how to adapt and proceed even though we faced unprecedented circumstances. The unknowns introduced with the pandemic at the beginning of our final year of the fundraiser certainly affected our outcome. But regardless of this obstacle we stayed true to our goal of raising funds to position each site for optimal success without diminishing our general fund or reducing our generous missions support. 

As we continue to grow as a church we will face changes and challenges both expected and unexpected. I am grateful that we have such a committed and faithful congregation that we can trust to help advance the Kingdom in our region. I do not know the specifics but I am excited and confident that as we now enter the “Beyond” of the 3:20 & Beyond campaign our theme verse still very much applies. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 

With deep gratitude,

Pastor Cameron Wright

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
“3:20 AND BEYOND”?

Our goal is for each New Day congregation to overcome its current limiting factor, so that all three grow and become more effective in reaching our communities. This will position us to launch more churches. To do this we need to raise a significant amount of money. We plan this to be a positive experience, and be as much about spiritual growth as about raising money.  Giving is an act of worship and an indicator of our walk with Christ. Don’t ask, “How much should I give?”, but rather “What does God want to do through me?” Let’s believe that God can do more through us than we think.  

3:20 & Beyond Objectives:

• Pay off Nichols Mortgage - DONE! 3/20/18

• Purchase Vine Adjacent Lot - DONE! In 2019

• Pay off Vine’s Mortgage - DONE! 2/20/19

• Improvements at Vine facility - Begun!

• Nichols expansion with entrance, foyer, classrooms & bathrooms - Begun architectural drawings!

• Pay off Vandalia Land Contract - Begun saving for this!

• Add Staffing at Vandalia Campus

• Increase Vine Staffing Budget

Past Updates

april 2020 Update from Pastor Cameron

July 2019 Update from Pastor Cameron

Update January 2019: Campaign total raised from 12/1/17 through 12/31/18, 13 months: $238,137.74! We are making headway in many of the objectives listed above! Thank you for continuing to give as we move forward!