Michigan Advance Partners
God’s WORD tells us “... that the earth shall wax old like a garment.” (Is. 51:6) We know that, over time, everything wears out. The Kalkaska Church, built in 1963, was no exception. In addition to God’s restoration plan for planet Earth, the MICHIGAN Conference has a wonderful assistance resource to help when our churches grow OLD! It’s called Michigan Advance Partners (MAP). With Michigan congregations working together, giving a suggested 1% of income to MAP, the pooled resources are available to assist with many various Conference needs, including assisting small, aging churches.
A new insulated roof, baptismal tank, sanctuary chairs, and restroom updates were needed. The aging building also required an electrical service upgrade to accommodate a much-improved sound system. The audio-visual “Command Central” was relocated to the former “Cry Room” at the back of the Sanctuary, and the old metal baptismal tank was removed. Then, as winter of 2022-’23 approached, the church’s water heater along with the heating system in the fellowship hall both failed almost simultaneously. Thanks to sacrificial giving, there were substantial funds on hand. But quotes for a new roof, baptistery, heating system and water heater quickly showed that there was not enough to cover all these repairs. An application for MAP assistance was prepared and presented in December of 2022 for 50% of the repair/improvement quotes.
With grateful hearts, Kalkaska’s members say, “THANK YOU for your faithful giving to Michigan Advance Partners. Now our church is a much brighter lighthouse.”
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries