2009 "In The Black"

After lots of prayer and hard work by our CRC Board of Directors and Executive Director, we can celebrate a big success in the life of Cherokee Retreat Center, but 2010 will likely be another challenging year to "land" from a financial standpoint.

If you have been following the changes in the direction of Cherokee Presbytery, you know that there are some very exciting and new vistas on the horizon. A more worshipful and relationship based approach has paved the way for a new way of being in community that is fresh and colorful. Through these changes, Cherokee Retreat Center has been upheld as one of the few ministries that will carry on a programmatic emphasis throughout our 41 churches. To this end CRC is positioned to be a great resource for our collective "living into" our vision. While we could easily state that to bring 2010 to a successful end there is a financial number to shoot for and manage, perhaps it is more appropriate to say that in 2010 we must see even more participation in the life of this ministry. Our primary goal is to bring many more people to Christ through their experiences at Cherokee Retreat Center and the unique environment it provides.

That being said, we do need your help financially to offer the level of quality experience and improve areas that are in need throughout 2010. Under the new design of Presbytery, CRC receives exactly $50,000 of direct support. For comparison in 2008 and before we often required three times this amount and more just to make "ends meet". Careful management and restructuring of how we do this ministry have made a great difference, but now more than ever we need your direct giving to this ministry. Please urge your session to give fully to the Presbytery as planned and to also consider CRC for a place in your mission budget. Help us to find individuals who are interested in giving directly to CRC and tell them that accounts are now set up for designated giving that will ensure that their gift will be directly received and used by Cherokee Retreat Center. In 2009 we needed and received an additional $60,000 in giving from individuals and churches for our operating and capital repairs. We couldn't have done it without these gifts, thank you so much if you or your church were a part of this additional support.

Together with God's help we will give flight to this graceful ministry which has kept so many safe and warm under her wings as they grew in Christian faith and love since 1957!