Greetings!
How generous are you? John Wesley said, “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” After you have honestly and diligently earned your wages and saved what is responsible for taking care of the needs of those under your care, Christians give whatever else they can…whether it’s to your church, a charity or school, or directly to the poor, etc. I can imagine what you may be thinking. At the end of the day/week/month, there’s nothing left to give. I know many people live paycheck to paycheck, especially in this economy.
While I understand those pressures, I also wonder how many households put the wrong priority on what resources they do have. The reality of people’s lifestyle may look more like “Earn all you can. Spend all you can. Hope for the best.” Did you know that the average American spends $1.25 out of every $1.00 earned? Anyone can see that math isn’t positive. At the end of the day, there is often a choice between spending and giving, and those that choose to follow Christ choose giving. When a person joins the church as a full member they commit to giving based on the Biblical standard of a tithe, or 10% of income, or if that’s not possible yet, to be working to the point of tithing. Generosity is just one part of the fruit—or evidence—of the Holy Spirit being at work in our lives (Galatians 5).
Recently, I read an insightful article on generosity which included a “Generosity Index” among the different states of our nation. Generosity is determined not by how much you give, but your level of giving in relation to how much you have. Interestingly, the most generous populations tend to be found in poorer states (Top 5 include: Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama). It reminds me of what Jesus said about the widow’s mite (small copper coin)…she didn’t give because she had plenty to spare; her generosity was that she gave despite having little (Luke 21:2). We serve a Savior who gave his life away, and he beckons us to do the same. Although many people have lost income & savings recently, especially in the poorer Gulf region, I’m confident that their generosity hasn’t changed much. Generous spirits tend to be generous no matter what the economic conditions.
Because economic times are difficult, giving is not only an act of generosity; it’s an act of faith. Faith that God will always provide our daily bread, and faith that God will bless those that give as the Bible promises (2Cor9:11). “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work (2Cor9:8).” Please be in prayer for our church leaders as they start to put together the 2011 budget. Only with your giving are we able to support ministries like children’s church, property maintenance, staff compensation, etc. Plus, part of budget is dedicated to giving to United Methodist ministries around the globe. May God bless us with cheerful spirits and generous hearts!
Peace,
Pastor Amber
· The Church Office will be closed on Labor Day. There will be no Communion this Sunday since Pastor Amber will be out of town at a family wedding.
· Mark your calendars-September 12th is “Get Connected Sunday”. Please plan to stay for this special coffee hour after church where you can get connected to our ministries and small groups.
· Families can Get Connected in a special pot-luck dinner on Sept. 12th at 6pm. We will talk about Children and Youth Ministry here at CRUMC. Bring your family and a kid-friendly dish to share.
· Ministry Leaders are asked to RSVP to Katie by Wednesday, Sept 9, with who will be participating in the Get Connected Coffee Hour on the 12th.
· The new Sept/Oct Upper Room Devotionals are here. Pick one up as you leave Sunday. Also, we have extra copies of the July/Aug edition. If you want to send one to a friend, drop it by a coffee shop, take it to a nursing home, feel free to take an old one from the office to share.
· Praise God we have at least 5 little ones each week in the nursery! We need volunteers to sign up to help Miss Star in the nursery. A sign up sheet for Sept and October will be in the Narthex. Thanks.
