GIVEREALM Community Login

Congregational Vote

Dear Advent Family,

Most of you know that our congregation held a church-wide vote earlier this afternoon concerning our connection to the United Methodist Church. The vote came after we held two informational meetings for our congregation in January, numerous Lifegroup meetings, and after we had been providing materials through the eNews since September 2023. After much prayer, discussion, and discernment, our congregation voted 410 (49.8%) in favor of separating, and 414 (50.2%) against separating from the United Methodist Church. Since this was less than the 2/3 majority that was required under the conference process, the motion to separate was not approved.

Clearly there were members of Advent who held different opinions about this issue. And while those who voted to remain in the conference are surely pleased with the decision, we recognize that there are those who are deeply disappointed. Whether you voted for Advent to stay in the United Methodist Church or leave, our prayer is that you will stay at Advent and be a part of its future. It is the people of Advent, each seeking to make disciples, that has made Advent the wonderful church that it has been and is.

Advent will now remain a United Methodist congregation. Pastor Tim and Pastor Rachel will remain as pastors until the end of June. The cabinet will be projecting new appointments for clergy the last week of February. They will decide on a new senior pastor for Advent and will decide if Pastor Rachel will be re-appointed to Advent for another year.

It has felt like a long process. But the universal desire has been to keep Advent, Advent. That is our desire today. It is our intention to remain the church that we have been. There will be no major changes in our worship services, Lifegroups, mission effort, or our committee structure. Our mission will continue to be fishin’. We will still strive to be a church where disciples Gather for Worship, Grow in Groups, and Go to Serve and to Share. Please join us in our continued ministry.

Pastor Tim and Pastor Rachel

Grateful Initiative

“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us.” – 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NRSV)

The primary goal of the GRATEFUL Initiative is to help all of us in our growth as disciples by reminding us of all that we have to be GRATEFUL for in Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us and the faithful response that that requires of us. Our hope is that everyone will take their next faith step in financial giving by placing trust in God through extravagant generosity. Sharing God’s gifts enables our great church to expand ministry impact and realize all we have to be GRATEFUL for.

Click the Grateful Image above to view the booklet for the Grateful Initiative!

FAQ’s

Your financial gifts allow Advent to share the good news of Jesus Christ as we set out to accomplish our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Your financial gift will fortify plans for fostering personal spiritual growth and expanding our ability as a congregation to make a kingdom impact in our community, region and all the world. The GRATEFUL Initiative is asking all of us to pledge our giving to our missional and ministry initiatives, multi-campus expansion, capital improvements as well as the general operating budget of Advent. This new GRATEFUL Initiative combines the needs of the annual ministry operating budget and the over-and-above giving opportunity of our congregation into one simple, straightforward twenty-four month financial commitment.

Our church family’s generosity is the reason Advent is able to carry out or mission and all that accompanies every discipleship effort. The founders of Advent made a commitment to dedicate at least 10% of our annual operating budget to missions. To provide a few examples, your generosity provides houses for those transitioning out of homelessness (Homes of Hope/United Ministries), meals for children who would otherwise not eat over the weekends (Backpack Blessings), provisions for our partners at Harvest Hope Food Bank, home repairs through Salkehatchie, international ministry funding with partners like Compassion International, Full Dimension Ministry, and so much more!

Your generosity also helps transformation in the lives of those in our congregation. Throughout each week discipleship happens as the Lord ministers to the hearts and minds of our children, students and adults in community with each other. You also enable events like Advent Community Christmas, VBS, Christmas Under The Stars, Student Messy Night, EggVenture, etc., all of
which bring guests onto our campus and provide an entry point for them to make Advent their church home.

Commitment Sunday for GRATEFUL will be November 19, 2023 and your commitment begins in January 2024. This is a two-year ministry plan for 2024 and 2025 that will assist with budgeting, allocating financial resources in a manner that advances our mission. Our hope is that the initiative will also become part of a life-long commitment to discipleship and growth, particularly in relation to financial generosity. We also believe that prayerfully making a commitment to the GRATEFUL Initiative represents a step in faith that the Lord will use in mighty ways.

Advent’s goal is that everyone takes the next step in their financial generosity. fI you don’t currently give, we hope you will begin giving intentionally, whatever the amount or percentage of your income you bless Advent with. If you already give an amount under 10%, we hope you will take a step closer to 10% of your income. Once you have made your decision, you can see all the ways to commit to GRATEFUL in the Ways to Pledge section of this page.

Ways to Pledge

  1. If you are currently attending Advent or are a member of Advent, you can make your online commitment to the GRATEFUL Initiative through your Realm account. You can make your pledge in Realm here. If you have not joined Realm yet and would like to request an invite, please click here.
  2. If you are new to Advent or do not have a Realm account, you can make your commitment online by clicking here.
  3. If you have a printed commitment card, you can turn in your commitment card on Commitment Sunday, November 19, 2023 at Five Forks for either worship service (9 am or 10:30 am) or at our Scuffletown campus at 10 am, you can mail it to Advent United Methodist Church, 2258 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, SC 29681, or you can bring it by the church office.
  4. If you do not have a printed commitment card but would like to make your commitment in person, please join us on Sunday, November 19th at Five Forks for either worship service (9 am or 10:30 am) or at our Scuffletown campus at 10 am for Commitment Sunday. Printed Commitment Cards will be available at both campuses.
Make Your Commitment in Realm
No Realm Account? No problem. Make Your Grateful Commitment Here

Questions?

For questions about the GRATEFUL Initiative, you can contact the church office at (864) 288-8217, email us at [email protected], or use our online contact form!

Contact Us!

Advent Midweek

Join us for Midweek at Advent on Wednesday evenings!

Midweek’s weekly focus is to provide fellowship and LifeGroups for adults and kids! In order to make it more convenient to come straight from work/school, we offer an optional dinner on the first and third Wednesdays of the month (weekly registration required) for a minimal fee, provided before Adult LifeGroups and Kids programming begins each week.

If you’re interested in Midweek and have questions about joining a LifeGroup or Advent Kids programming, please use the link below so our staff can contact you!

Learn More about Midweek
  • Midweek Schedule

    • 5:30 – 6:15 pm – Optional Dinner in the Christian Life Center
    • 6:30 – 7:30 pm – Adult LifeGroups
    • 6:30 – 7:30 pm – Advent Kids in the Education Building (You will need to check-in your child in the Advent Kids Check-in area of the Education Building)
  • Register for Dinner

    • You can register here whenever Midweek offers a catered meal (typically the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month). Registration begins the prior Thursday, and closes at noon on Tuesday.
    • We want to encourage fellowship every week, even when we are not catering a meal! You are always welcome to bring your own food or eat at home before joining us for fellowship in the dining room.
Register for Dinner (April 17th)
Register for Midweek Childcare