February 6, 2025

Dear Rockford Reformed Church family and friends,

A few quick things to share with you today. This evening, Ruth and I will be hosting Dave Hastings, our speaker for the “A Praying Life” seminar, for dinner. Dave will serve well in teaching and leading us into a transformative life of prayer. If you were waiting and wondering if it would work to attend, it’s not too late. Online registration is closed, but you can show up and we can take cash or a check made out to Rockford Reformed Church. It’s a small fee and the rewards will be immeasurable.

James Karsten has returned from being away for a few weeks and he will be leading us on Sunday through a great text (Ephesians 3:14-21) to understand Paul’s great passion in prayer. On the following Sunday, I will focus on a text that is commonly misunderstood for prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14). You might want to read some of the context beforehand.

As you know by now, we are working through a two-month sermon series around Word and prayer. You will find that this article provides some excellent encouragement and teaching around the topic of Bible memory in follow-up to my “Truly Treasured Word” sermon of a few weeks ago. The Thursday noon “Word and Prayer” times serve well for developing our own steady and delightful discipline of meditation and fellowship with God in prayer. Join us anytime for these gatherings.

As we get underway into 2025, there are plenty of challenges for all of us as we are called to welcome the guests and newer worship participants with us. We have been blessed with many new people joining us; but that brings a serious responsibility for each of us to extend our hands and open our hearts, lives, and homes to get them connected into our community. Extend an invitation!! Our facility now wonderfully screams welcome to those who walk into our facility doors. Our hearts and lives must scream welcome as well—in a way that wonderfully reflects the welcome you have received through Jesus.

And finally, note the 2024 year-end financial report below from Jerry Swett, our treasurer. You will see God’s gracious provision to us, and we praise him for it! Wow. Thank you to all who have generously participated in the ministry here with the giving of time, gifts, service, prayers, and finances.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Pastor Tim

Dear Congregation,

At our annual congregational meeting I asked you to prayerfully consider what you might be able to give as a year-end gift, and not to disappoint me. You didn’t, thanks to your continued faithful giving, we were able to end the year with a small surplus of contributions over expenses. Total Ministry and Missions (M&M) contributions were $724,857, which was 96.92% of the budgeted amount. Total M&M expenses were $719,379, which was 96.19% of the budgeted amount, leaving us with a $5,478 surplus. Thank you to all who made this possible.

With our Christmas Eve collection, the Mission Committee was able to send year end gifts totaling $5,250 to the seven missionary families we support.

During the year we completed our Welcome Renovation Project and started making payments on our loan. On December 31, we had $158,573 in the renovation fund account, and plan on paying down the loan balance in January by $60,000. In addition, we will still have our monthly loan payments, which will be over and above the M&M budgeted amounts. Please consider making a monthly contribution to the Welcome Renovation Fund to help cover this expense.

As we look forward to 2025, the M&M approved budget decreased slightly. We continue to ask for your support in this budget throughout the year.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support,

Jerry Swett

Treasurer