A letter from Tracy: Annual Campaign 2023
Dear partners of CSM,
Twelve years ago was the beginning of serving our community with a new purpose. It’s hard to imagine the unraveling of a more beautiful story in the face of devastation than to see how God brought many volunteers here to help after the April 27, 2011,
tornadoes in Alabama. This was a catalyst for what CSM has become: a place where people connect with God’s mission to serve in new ways.
This disaster formed our SWATT teams (Serving With Available Time and Talent), a group of volunteers who serve one to three times a week and whose impact on CSM and our city is immeasurable. One of our primary values is advancing Kingdom work through volunteers. Today’s SWATT teams serve in every area of the ministry: construction, warehouse, resources, administration, advisory, and sorting. Their investment of time helps keep the CSM staff small, giving more of our resources to help people in need. These SWATT members invest in us and the lives of those we serve, and investing in people is the good work we have been called to do for the churches in the city.
Seeing the multiplication of people’s skills to advance the gospel mission allows us to serve the city through millions of dollars worth of resources. The Construction SWATT team has several members who have served for ten years. These gentlemen typically work 24 hours a week: fixing leaking roofs, adding siding, making repairs, and replacing ramps and decks. Their work is worth tens of thousands of dollars, and they do it all, wanting their only reward to be God glorified. They are one example of the many people who consistently invest their time into CSM.
Investing your time and financial resources helps CSM support more churches, resource more non-profits, repair more houses, and impact more people for Christ. Thank you for your ongoing monetary investment each year that makes it possible for thousands to be served and to serve. God uses all His people to do His work. We invite you to partner with us to continue “connecting resources to needs,” giving away the true Source of all we have.
Donate by December 31 to help us build life-changing partnerships to see our communities thrive.
For His service,
Tracy Hipps, Executive Director
