Mark Your Calendars

[UPDATED: 10/04/23 for October 4 and also dates for medical claims at the end of December.]

I put many things in my calendar last night that you might want to mark, too.

October

2 – Take some time today to invite your ministry partners to join Cru globally tomorrow. If you like, invite them to send you their prayer requests. Cru staff, go to this Workplace post for all you need to invite your ministry partners to join us for the October Day of Prayer

3 – 🙏🏽 Worldwide Day of Prayer. Take notes for any prayer letter ideas.

4 – Prepare for an annoying noise around 2:20 from your phone, radio, and television. The USA will conduct a national emergency test.  The test will occur in a 30-minute window. Read more at NPR’s “A nationwide emergency alert test is coming to your phone on Wednesday.”

14 – 🌎Almost all North and South Americans will experience the Annular Solar Eclipse. Learn more from my post at The Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse Is October 14, 2023.

15 – 📬I’m mailing our next prayer letter. This date gives me enough time to be ready to send our EOYA (End-of-Year Ask) fund appeal.

I’ll catch up with thank you notes for the rest of October and follow up on any missing donations. See NOTES for more.

November

All month, you should be working on your EOYA fund appeal. I also address Thanksgiving cards. See NOTES.

17 – 🥾 National Take a Hike Day. You’ve been working hard; take a break.

24 – 📬The recommended day for mailing your EOYA.

26 – 🦃Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and friends. I will ask for Christmas art from our grandkids for our Christmas card.

28 – #GivingTuesday. If we do an ask, we do it via snail mail. I do send “email asks” to people who are low responders. You might appreciate my Thoughts on Fund Appeal Email Campaigns.

December

Keep up with thank you notes. Aim for writing at least five daily so you don’t fall too far behind. I also address about 120 Christmas cards/prayer letters. This card is made from our grandchildren’s artwork.

15 – Mail Christmas cards.

23 – Send email version of our Christmas card to the remaining people.

25 – 🌟Christmas – Worship and celebrate!

28 – 📧 Send a reminder email to those who have not given to your EOYA yet. See all the details in Sending a MailChimp Reminder Email.

30 – Send a New Year’s Eve greeting. See NOTES.

28 – This is the last day to submit your P&A claims that will apply to your 2023 balance. This date gives P&A enough time to process an expected high volume of claims. Any medical expenses submitted after December 28 will be applied to your 2024 balance. Now is an excellent time to catch up and keep up with your claims.

31 – Keep track of your EOBs. If a benefits claim is older than 12 months, Cru’s healthcare plan (BCBS or MetLife) won’t accept that claim for processing. In general, submit your claims as soon after processing as possible. You may still manually submit the EOB on P&A if it’s over a year old.

December is so busy with Christmas activities, fund appeal tasks, and wrapping up medical and ministry reimbursements that I keep my Christmas card tasks to a minimum. See NOTES.

January

January is full with catching up on thank-yous while also getting a January prayer letter put together. I also have new contact information (and other news) from our ministry team that I keep track of.

10 – Concur claims due.

April

8 – 🙏🏽 Worldwide Day of Prayer.

23- 🌎 A Total Solar Eclipse for a large population of North Americans. Learn more at Start Planning for the 2024 North American Solar Eclipse. Plan now to include this eclipse with a spring MPD trip.

NOTES:

• I looked through past eQuipping for Ministry (e4e) posts to share ideas about what I do.
  • October
    • Make sure my give site is current. See Important Changes to Your Cru Give Site.
    • Order Thanksgiving cards, if needed.
    • Order Christmas stamps, stationery, envelopes, etc.
    • Make sure everyone has received a thank you note or had a point of contact this past year.
  • November
    • Something for you to consider: All our ministry partners receive a greeting card each year. I send a Valentine’s, Easter, or Thanksgiving card if I don’t have someone’s birthday or anniversary.  I spend my greeting-card time and energy from January through November. See Make Your Greeting Card Plan for the Year. I don’t send very many Christmas cards.
  • December
    • Like you, people are very busy this month.
    • Our emailed (and mailed) Christmas cards and emailed New Year’s Eve greetings are “gentle reminders” about our EOYA. This means everyone receives two gentle reminders.
    • Our email on the 28th includes “how to give” information. We always receive a few gifts from this. You will make sure this email only goes to those who haven’t given yet.
• These dates are on the e4e Google Calendar for you to transfer to your calendar.
• MPD is Ministry Partner Development.
• The photo is by Iga Palacz on Unsplash.