In this season of our blessed Savior`s birth, Blackstone: The Virginia

At Our Blackstone we worship, teach, laugh, and cry;
we share, support, and uplift each other and in doing so we grow and connect together
from all over the conference under God’s abundant grace.
In this season of our blessed Savior’s birth,
Blackstone: The Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center
sends you heartfelt wishes for a faith filled Christmas and New Year.
As many of you have experienced, Blackstone has been GROWING FAITH for
the past 115 years through its hospitality and God centered devotion. We now
need your financial help for it to continue to serve you, your children, and your
grandchildren through another century.
At the November 10, 2010 called meeting of the Conference Council on Finance
and Administration (CFA) and District Superintendents, Blackstone requested
to be allowed to make an emergency conference fundraising appeal to handle
construction plans and capital development debt totaling $413,000. This debt
was created by direction of the 2007 Annual Conference to update Blackstone
from a 450-bed facility to accommodate 750 overnight guests. CFA and District
Superintendents voted to allow Blackstone to make the requested emergency
conference-wide appeal with the understanding that the fundraising appeal
would run from December 15 to January 31.
Blackstone is OUR Assembly Center, it is a place were we worship, teach, learn,
laugh, and cry; we share, support, and uplift each other and in doing so together
we grow and experience God’s abundant grace. Our Blackstone provides a significant place where faith is strengthened and enhanced; personal relationships
are built; and conference connectionalism is experienced, therefore, giving us the
opportunity to grow in Christ with each other.
On an uplifting note, Blackstone has a strong operating budget. Last year it
hosted 16,547 guests. Donor support is growing and the United Methodist
Women have contributed tirelessly through their Dimes and Dollars. Importantly, however, in order to close the growth debt gap, we need your support.
How can you help Our Assembly Center retire its debt and continue to do what
it does best, grow faith? First, we invite your prayers that God will provide Blackstone all needed to effectively serve in the 21st Century. Second, as God leads
you, we request your financial support to eliminate our growth debt.
If 413 individuals, groups and / or churches were to contribute $1,000 each,
our conference and retreat center will continue to grow and serve the needs
of our Virginia Conference, UMW, UMM, UMYF, etc.
With the help of our Conference community this remarkable historic property
will continue to handle tomorrow’s spiritual needs, but with yesterday’s grace.
As you go through this beautiful Christmas season, we at Blackstone wish for you
a holiday filled with the love that gave Christmas birth, God’s love that reaches
around the earth.
Photograph: Portsmouth Distrct UMYF Retreat 2010 (Youth from Magnolia UMC and Beech Grove UMC).
Blackstone: The Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center
Yes, I want to invest in Our BLACKSTONE Assembly Center
and its’ immediate need to handle growth debt and urgent property updates.
I wish to make a contribution in the amount of___________
Please send me a matching gift form o
Special gift designation______________________________
My gift is a memorial/honor designation o
At this time, I wish to pledge __________ Monthly
__________ Quarterly
__________ Annually
Name____________________________________________
Visit www.vumac.org for credit card and paypal donations.
Name_ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________City ________________________ State/Zip_ ________________
Telephone (Day)_____________________Telephone (Evening)_____________________E-Mail_______________________
Please make checks payable to VUMAC. All gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
For more information please contact Cammie Armstrong at 434.292.5308 or cammiearmstrong@vaumc.org
Please return your donation or pledge information to: VUMAC, 707 Fourth Street, Blackstone, VA 23824