Dear Church Family,
On Sunday, October 20, we will begin a sermon series entitled, Extravagant Generosity. For the next three Sundays we will be discussing and studying the words that the apostle Paul wrote to his beloved son in the faith, Timothy, We are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share! (1 Timothy 18).
In preparation for our stewardship series, please take a few minutes to pray about ways you can serve using your time, talents, and treasure. This will be a very meaningful time for our congregation. This is also the time of year where we explore the meaning of stewardship, and we ask each person in our church family to discover how they want to express their love for God through making a financial commitment to His church in the coming year.
There are two reasons we ask you to fill out and return a commitment card each year. First, it allows the church to plan accurately for ministries, since we base our ministry budget on the dollar amount our members plan to give. Second, the act of filling out a card is a way of inviting you to set a goal for giving during the coming year.
What is God asking you to do? Begin with prayer, and then recall the ways God has extravagantly blessed you and your family. There is a question raised by the psalmist, “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?” (116:12). We can only find the answer in our hearts. Nothing we have is too big or grand to offer our awesome God. No gift is too small if it represents our prayers, a sacrifice, and a generous portion of our resources. When our hearts are filled with gratitude, nothing God asks of us seems unpleasant or impossible.
A link to your online pledge card is on this page. Your prayerful, intentional efforts to ask God for insight, and then act upon your decision, will express your love and gratitude for God in a personal and tangible way. Your estimate of giving confirms your desire to invest in God’s Kingdom and empowers us to fulfill our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Our pledge cards will be dedicated on Sunday, November 3, during each worship service, and if you’re using the printed version, we ask that you bring them with you that morning. If you are not able to attend worship that Sunday you may turn them in at any time to the church office or fill one out online. If you have questions or need to talk about special ways to give to the church, please call me or Carla in the church finance office. Let us pray for one another during this important time in the life of our congregation. Thank you for all you do to further the mission and work of First UMC. You make a difference here!
God’s Peace,
David Saliba, Pastor
“Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
