Published October 7, 2013 by in
October is here. Our annual stewardship emphasis will begin on October 13th and run through most of November. Stewardship is, essentially, about how we receive and use the gifts that God has given us. It centers on the biblical concept that “every good thing comes from above,” and we need to recognize that we are accountable to God for our use of His gifts for living. Our faithfulness toward our membership vows to participate in the ministries of our church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness should be evaluated annually. After evaluation, we need to make prayerful and intentional plans to continue our faithful growth in our stewardship plans for the coming year.
We will emphasize our financial giving first in this process of evaluation. Scripture is clear that our use of our money is a direct reflection of what and who we love and value. When we love and value Jesus as our Savior, it is a predictable response that our gratitude will be expressed by returning a portion of what God has given to us for use in God’s kingdom work. I am looking forward to taking our first stewardship journey together, and I trust that we will all grow closer to our Lord as our commitment to God’s work deepens.
The practical side of our stewardship work results in effective planning for our church’s ministries at all levels. Our combined estimates of giving allow us to make faithful plans for what God will do in and through us in 2014 as the Body of Christ. Your decisions on how you can serve in 2014 provide us with the leaders and workers needed for those same ministries. Our combined prayer connects us to God, so that God’s direction and power flow in and through us in effective ways. Out combined witness spreads the gospel and is the channel through which God continues to grow the Kingdom. Our combined presence in all these activities binds us together in thanks and praise as we serve and worship our Savior with joy and thanksgiving!
Please join me in prayer and anticipation for what God is planning for our future.
Blessings,
Doug