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Beloved Children of God,
Grace and peace to you from our generous God!
These last four weeks we listened to stories of God's Abundant Promises in scripture and from two of our own community members. We remembered God's abundant promises in prayer, God's abundant promises of freedom, God's abundant promises of blessing, and God's abundant promises of grace. What a joy to spend time focusing on God's abundance!
This coming Sunday we will focus on what it means to respond to God's abundance with our own generosity. One way that we will do that is through giving to God's church. During worship on November 17th, you will be invited to bring forward your pledge card as a promise to respond to God's generosity. Our children will also have a chance to offer promise cards, making a personal promise to God in response to God's love.
As you decide what to pledge to the congregation, please keep a few things in mind:
First, remember 2 Peter 1:3 "You are enough! By his Divine Power, God has given us everything we need for living." God gives us everything we need. More importantly, God knows that we are enough. God is so generous with God's love for us and we get to respond to God's love by living abundantly.
Second, your financial contribution to the congregation makes a big difference in the ministry that can happen here. St. Paul Lutheran Church is growing in health and wholeness and I believe that God can use this congregation for the good of the kingdom on earth.
Third, without a pledge from each member of the congregation, we cannot plan well for the future ministry of the congregation. We need to know what you plan to give to God's work in this place so that we make sure God's work in this place can be done.
Finally, pray for God's guidance as you decide what number to put down. And then make plans to honor your commitment. The way that we make sure God's work continues to happen here is by financially sustaining this congregation. Each of us is called to give in response to God's abundance and to support the ministry God is doing here.
The Finance Ministry Team will prepare a budget based on the pledges you and your fellow congregation members make. We will vote on that budget at the annual Congregational Meeting on January 26, 2020. Let's make this coming year's budget a reflection of all that God is doing for us. With God's help, we may even surprise ourselves.
In God's abundant blessings,
Pastor Sarah Friesen-Carper
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Christmas Decorating!
