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Generosity Sunday is coming soon. On the last Sunday of the month, November 24, we will collect Pledge Cards and consecrate to the Lord the generosity that has been indicated in our responses. While stewardship is often associated with financial commitment to the budget, the concept of stewardship is much greater and deeper than money. Stewardship is about the way we live our lives. It is how we invest our time, talent, and treasure in God’s work in the world through the church. Ultimately, this is a matter of faith. Our giving is first and foremost an act of worship. Through our giving, we acknowledge that God is the source of all blessings. Our generosity is a sign of our gratitude for God’s good gifts. Secondly, our giving is an act of faithfulness in which we trust God to provide for our needs, even as we give to Christ’s mission in the world.
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Scripture teaches us that God is generous, and that God is loving. The heart of the gospel is summed up in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …” Loving leads to giving. Grace leads to generosity. Even in times of difficulty, God’s blessings abound. The sharing of our lives with God and through Christ’s church is a sign of both our gratitude and our love. This is the rationale behind this year’s stewardship theme, “Give out of thanksgiving – with a full heart.”
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I hope you will take time over the next few weeks to consider all the blessings in your life and the fullness of God’s love for you. Pray about how God is calling you to invest in the ministry of Jesus by supporting the church with your gifts of time, talent, and treasure. They freely, joyously, and faithfully respond through your pledge. May God’s Spirit guide you.