October 26, 2018
Dear Members and Friends,
“Give and it shall be given to you. For the measure you give shall be the measure
you get in return.”
Luke 6:38
If
I were to choose a line from the Bible that reflects the financial past and
future of our Church and our Congregation, I would chose line one of the Psalm
23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” There has never been a truer
statement regarding our financial condition over the history of our
Church. It seems that when we are faced
with financial shortfalls the Lord has provided.
The
good news for this year is that the Lord has provided for us when we had
concerns about our financial future. We
are finally reaping significant benefits from our remodeled kitchen, which
brought in considerable revenue from our new renters this year.
Although
line one of the 23rd Psalm does not completely describe our
financial past. Along with the assurance
that the Lord will provide for our needs there is a caveat. Although not found in the text of the Bible
there is the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” In order to do God’s work it must be a
combined effort between what we contribute and what the Lord provides to see
our mission through. This is where
stewardship becomes part of God’s plan for our mission.
I
have been writing the Stewardship letter for our Church for many years and it
seems that although the dynamics of the Church may change slightly, the spirit
of the Church remains consistent and strong, more often than not with a little
help from the Lord to see us through to the finish line. Although the Lord is there to watch over us,
it is our job to provide for the life of the Church. A significant portion of our income comes
from the gifts of our members and friends.
Psalm
116:12, “What shall I return to the Lord for all God’s bounty to me,” embodies
a feeling of gratitude for the many blessings in each of our lives and
encourages us to give back to the Lord from what we have reaped through his
grace. Give and it shall be given to
you.
Our
practice of faith in God is personal to each of us and our Church is a
magnificent place in which we enjoy this personal experience. What I love most about our Church is that our
members are committed to making our religious experience wonderful, through
fellowship, music, education, and outreach.
Our journey of faith continues with your support. It is time for all of us to reflect on our
pledge to the Church for the coming year to continue that amazing and faithful
legacy.
Faithfully,
Graham
McGruer, JD
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