Why I Give
In the first letter in this year’s stewardship campaign we discussed some of the many reasons that we give to our church. We hope these past few weeks have given you opportunities to reflect on how you have been blessed and how you bless others with your generosity; further, we hope you have been able to share these reflections with family and friends. A few years ago a Public Radio station in Virginia started its annual fund drive by announcing that instead of going on for a traditional two weeks they would end the drive and return to regular programing as soon as they reached their goal. The goal was met within a week. Instead of pushing the topic of stewardship aside so quickly, we hope that we have started a conversation about our personal philosophies of generosity and giving and that these conversations will continue to be fertile ground for personal and spiritual growth.
So why do I give to the church?
In Sunday morning videos we have heard a number of members give their thoughts about giving. This is how one of our committee members answered the question:
“I give because I really believe in what we are doing. We are a community that nurtures and builds faith. We craft worship services that open all of our senses to the presence of God and where we spontaneously respond with everything from contemplation to dance. We carry each other through difficult times and believe for each other when we don’t have the strength to believe for ourselves. We invest our time, our talent, and our treasure in meeting the needs and tending to the wounds of the persons in our neighborhood and world. We study the Christian faith and, together, courageously open ourselves to the transformative power of Jesus’ way of radical love. I give because we are being and becoming the kin’dom of heaven on earth here and now. To me that is worth investing all that I have.”
So what is your story?
How have you been blessed and how do you bless others? Why do you give? Send your story to: carrington.bailey@gmail.com. We will post these on our church’s website blog.
Blessings to you,
~The Stewardship Committee
