A Giving Church

Hello Emmanuel,

Be a giving church.

I once heard it said (and I’ve relayed the message on several occasions), that if you want to know what is important to someone, don’t listen to what they say.  Look at their checkbook and calendar.  This may seem a bit overly simplistic, but not much so.  The bottom line is that, given the choice, we will spend our time and our money in whatever ways are most important to us.  

This is my 5th Christmas at Emmanuel and I am blessed every year to see such a giving church.  The time and resources spent to share Good News at Christmas shows the commitment that people have with their walk with God.  This year is going to be no different.  Examples have already been made known and I feel it is important that we recognize the impact that such giving has.  So let me share a couple of examples.

First, the United Methodist Women’s effort in organizing another Breakfast With Santa event went as well as ever.  So many people put forth the effort to spend their time and energy so that the community continues to hear the message that Emmanuel has something great to share.  It’s good to know that the hard work that the UMW puts forth in raising funds for missions and outreach is able to be shown in how the UMW also gives back.  

Be a giving church.

Second, if the church is able to make a significant impact on an individual---and if that individual has the means---that individual will, in turn, impact the church even after he or she goes home to the Lord.  Such is the case with Ethel Jett.  Ethel is an example of how the wonderful cycle of disciple-making can continue when the church makes intentional efforts to show the love of God.  Two years after her passing, Ethel provided a significant gift to the church much like many did before her.  The cycle continues.

Be a giving church.

Once again this Christmas Eve, we will be taking up a special offering to help support Inter Parish Ministry and the Free Food Bank in their traveling food pantry.  The pantry includes stops at Emmanuel where well over 100 families are given food at each stop (next year it will be about once a month).  In addition, a cooking class has been offered to help educate others on how to prepare the food that is handed out.  Finally, agencies across the county have used Emmanuel to network with one another in order to improve the efficiency by which food and other help is handed out.

Be a giving church.

These are only a couple of immediate examples.  There are many others.  The questions is, ‘How do you give?’.  My guess is that you give in ways that are important to you.  I hope your walk with Christ includes a church home that both nurtures you and encourages you to be more like Christ…… a Christ who gave all to those he cared about most, including you.

If you are involved at Emmanuel, but don’t feel the impact of a God who loves you, please come talk to me.  I can help get that changed.  If you do not have a church home, come try us out.  We aren’t perfect, but we do like to give the kind of effort that pleases God.

Merry Christmas…..

….because God is good all the time,

Pastor Joe