Olive Branch Newsletter For February 2002
By Rev. Richard Burgess
One of the wonders of the Christian faith is the assurance about life that
we gain as we learn to trust in Jesus as our final source of strength. We
learn to live by faith by trusting in Jesus.
We learn also that we have to set goals to guide us in the exercise of our
Christian commitment. We don't get anywhere if we just drift. One of our
goals is to grow in our practice of Christian stewardship.
Each year we ask the members and friends of the Olive Crest United Methodist Church
to set a personal goal of their giving to Christ through the church. We all know
what we want to do, but sometimes we are afraid to go too far (as if we could give
God more than He can give us). So many of us have to move a step at a time.
It is often said that the minimum standard of Christian giving is the tithe.
If you have not yet reached that rung on the ladder of Christian giving, try
to move up a step each year until you do reach that goal.
The means that we use in this church is to send you a commitment card. You
decide what you want to make as your commitment to Christ this year in you
giving and then you write it down on that commitment card. Now remember this
is your commitment to Christ. We are not interested in getting between you
and Christ. No one in the church will see that card. It is private between
you and Christ. But it is an important vow that you take when you become a
Christian and stand before the altar of God and vow to support the church
with your giving. We are not talking about raising money here, we are
talking about helping Christians grow in their faith and in their sense
of assurance that they are being faithful to Christ.
So when you get the envelope from the church in a few days, it will contain
a commitment card, and an envelope that you are to seal that commitment card
in after you have filled it out, and then the commitment card in the sealed
envelope is to brought to church on Sunday, February 24th and all
of the commitment cards will be dedicated on the altar in a prayer by our pastor.
Now it is important that you write your name on the outside of the envelope,
because at the end of the year your commitment card will be returned to you
so that you can see if your giving has kept up with the promise that you made to God.
We believe that many Christians want to grow in their faith, and this is one
of the techniques that can help us to set goals and move up the ladder to
full-time tithing in our giving.
We urge all of you to participate and be present on this special Sunday.
To add to the day, the United Methodist Men will be serving a luncheon after
church for everyone to attend. Plan on eating with the church and be in
fellowship with one another.
May God Bless you and keep you in His love,
Rev. Richard Burgess, Stewardship Chairman
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