As Rio Texas churches are preparing for Christmas Eve worship, some are including Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) in their plans. Leander United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church, Austin are designating their Christmas offerings to support the LPI Capital Campaign.

Dec. 6 Editors Note: Since we published this article last week, five churches have let us know that they are including a special offering for Lydia Patterson as part of their Christmas plans.

Crestview United Methodist Church, Austin
First UMC, Boerne
El Buen Pastor UMC, Brownsville
Grace UMC, Corpus Christi
Sierra Vista UMC, San Angelo
Helotes Hills UMC
La Trinidad UMC, San Antonio
Christ UMC, Stockdale
Schertz UMC
Sterling City UMC

Delegates of the 2017 Rio Texas Annual Conference affirmed an effort to raise $500,000 for the LPI capital campaign to renovate the school’s facilities in El Paso. Building upon initial lead donations, the bulk of our conference gift will come through voluntary contributions from churches, Bible study classes, districts, and individuals. This will include the Christmas offerings at FUMC, Austin and Leander UMC.

Leander UMC Pastor Rev. Jon Snape explained the church is supporting this effort at Christmas, "to support a ministry that is close to our vision as a church that cares deeply for children and school."

"In many ways," said Snape, "it means we get to be the church. It can feel off track when we are desperately trying to pay for our expenses within the walls of the church, so to get to focus on a ministry like LPI feels deeply Christian."

FUMC, Austin sees the Christmas offering as a chance to change lives. In announcing the Christmas offering on their website, the church states:

Through our gifts to Lydia Patterson Institute, we have the power to change a young person’s life. This is what we do as Christians—we recognize all that God has done to change our lives, and then we join God in changing the lives of others. In doing so, we transform the world, one life at a time.

Lydia Patterson Institute has spent over 100 years educating young people from a Christian, Wesleyan perspective to be transformational leaders in the world. One hundred percent of 2017 graduates were placed in colleges and universities.

It is not too late to support LPI with your Christmas offering. The conference has provided videos, bulletin inserts, and special graphics to support a special offering or campaign. Resources can be found at riotexas.org/lpi

Is your church planning to support LPI with your Christmas offering? Please let us know at media@riotexas.org