2024 End of Year Update
Dear Menlo Family,
As 2024 draws to a close, I am thrilled to share some incredible updates about our Hope For Everyone initiative. It’s been a couple of months since our last update, and God has been at work in extraordinary ways. I want to thank you for your continued prayers, generosity, and commitment to this shared vision. Together, we are seeing lives transformed and communities touched by the hope of Jesus.
Hope Rising
As of now, giving at Menlo is up 88% this year, and first-time givers have increased by more than 50%. It’s especially encouraging to see young adults in their 30s stepping up as our fastest-growing group of contributors. Together, we’re embracing the call to steward this moment faithfully.
Hope For Menlo Church
Our goal to grow and sustain our ministries has borne incredible fruit. Over the past month, we’ve seen a 5% year-over-year increase in attendance, and we’re praying for even greater results as December concludes. Young families are engaging more than ever, with packed events in kids’ and student ministries, and our upcoming Winter Camp has already surpassed expectations. Praise God for this growing sense of connection and community!
Hope For the Future
Your generosity has enabled us to take bold steps for the future. Here are a few highlights:
- We’re praying and planning for permanent campuses in San Mateo and Mountain View.
- Upgrading technology to improve the quality and reliability of our livestreams and in-campus experiences.
- Early conversations with Plain Joe Studios are laying the groundwork for revitalized environments at all campuses, enhancing how we connect with each other and the Gospel.
Hope For the Bay and Beyond
Because of your faithfulness:
- We’ve partnered with LifeMoves, contributing $200,000 (which, thanks to a matching gift, becomes $400,000!) to help vulnerable families find housing and stability.
- We’ve joined forces with leaders from across California to plant churches in the Bay Area over the next decade, aiming to share hope with 3% of our community.
Your giving is transforming lives—from local outreach to global impact. Every dollar and every prayer is a seed planted for God’s Kingdom.
A Year-End Invitation
Let’s finish the year strong. Our next steps related to the Hope for Everyone Initiative are determined by your generosity. I invite you to join us in prayer and giving as we lean into what God has for us in 2025. Visit Menlo.Church/hope to learn more or make a gift one time or recurring online at menlo.church/give.
Menlo, I am so grateful for you and your willingness to trust God and respond to His leading. Let’s continue carrying this hope into every corner of the Bay Area and beyond.
With gratitude and hope,
Pastor Phil
Menlo Church
P.S. As we close out 2024, I encourage you to reflect on God’s faithfulness and pray for all He has in store for the new year. Let’s stay expectant for the ways He will move!”