From the time of Jesus, through the early church, disciples gave of themselves to make ministry possible. Do you remember the disciple Phoebe? In the book of Romans, Paul writes, “Phoebe was a (financial) benefactor of many people, including me.” In addition, Phoebe was also a devoted servant and deaconess in the early church. She exemplifies what it means to give of our whole lives to the ministry of God – spiritually and financially.
But even though giving gifts – of money, time, talent, and witness – has always been a part of church ministry, as disciples of Christ it’s important to remember that stewardship is something we do not because we have to, but because it’s part of our spiritual growth.
Stewardship is:
- An act of thanksgiving: a way we can show God we are grateful for all God has given us;
- An act of faith: requiring us to rely on God and not our savings account;
- An act of mission: funding the work of God in the world.
Without supporters like Phoebe and you, what Jesus did, what Paul did, what we do as the church today would not be possible. Being a disciple means supporting the work of God in the world – with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
Therefore, as we think about the ways we can give of ourselves to support God’s work in the world, I invite you to think about what you can do to commit part of your life to our church this year
Can you commit to attending worship every Sunday, whether that be online or in person?
Can you commit to praying for our church and community every week?
Can you commit to giving a percentage of your income to the church every month?
Can you commit to volunteering on our tech team or another committee? Or writing a letter to your legislator to advocate for affordable housing in SLC?
Can you commit to inviting one friend to church this Christmas season?
There are many different ways that we can give of ourselves to build up God’s Kin-dom right here in SLC. While financial giving is important, there is so much more that goes into building up the body of Christ. So whoever you are, and wherever you are, you can make a difference and your commitment matters to God and to our community. Therefore, today, let us re-commit to being a part of the work of God in the world with all that we have and all of who we are.
Blessings, Pastor AJ
PS – If you attend FUMC, would you consider becoming one of our automatic givers? Automatic giving ensures that your gifts get to us in a timely fashion and that you don’t have to worry about remembering your checkbook on Sunday! You can set up automatic payments anytime on our website (www.fumcslc.org). Just click the online giving button at the bottom of our home page and select a recurring gift