Growth

I've been hoping for about a year or more that our church would choose and adopt a new stewardship program. We've needed one. We keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. No surprise; the same program yields the same results each year; results which are OK, but not very stellar.

This year we are using the New Consecration Sunday program, and it feels right. It's good to be focused on the spiritual call to giving -- to the idea of hoping to help the congregation toward growth in this area. Following God's call will bring us all joy.

Part of this program is to present to the congregation a step chart of giving -- the number of people who give at each level of weekly support. No names -- just a count. It surprised me how few people give what I would consider a lot of money.

I was reminded on Sunday of how generous our congregation is when the members understand that their gift will make a difference. I had been hoping for a stewardship program for a while; why should I have been surprised to find that our church needs one? They are generous; I'm excited about this program, and hopeful it will provide the leadership necessary for spiritual growth.