Many grew up in a family where everyone's income contributed to the success of the household. In addition to their "chores," every youth and adult was expected to work to buy food, clothes, and sometimes the extras to help the family get where they all wanted to go.
A church family is no different.
Like our own families, the movement forward of a church family and its mission turns on everyone doing their financial share; this is the covenant we made together as members. There are few instances where someone can truthfully give nothing; more often it is their hesitation to give up something else for the sake of God's call upon their resources.
We are at an important transition point: the end of one financial year and the beginning of the next one. To be successful in our mission, it is essential that we finish December with strong and for many, postponed giving. It is also essential that your church have an idea of what you will faithfully give in 2022 so that we can budget intelligently. We need to hire a "connector," one who will connect new and established members to other people and opportunities to serve in 2022 and help reconnect all of us. Your Staff Parish Relations Committee has endorsed a cost-of-living adjustment for your staff who have done yeoman's work to keep our expenses down. These will rise in 2022 as we expand our programming and use of facilities.
I ask you to do four things:
If you are "behind," look at what you would have given for all of 2021 and make that a generous end-of-year gift to FUMC Plano and her ministries.
If you are current, make an extra gift of thanksgiving to FUMC Plano by Dec. 31.
For all, please fill out an Estimate of Giving form on paper or online so that we can intelligently plan for 2022.
Make your gift automatic and recurring; it is so easy and so satisfying to know you are doing right by God FIRST.
A letter and Statement of Giving will arrive to you soon. Make it a point of prayer before you respond. In the meantime, we will reinstate offering plates to make our holiday giving not only easier but also a collective statement of thanks for what God has already done in our lives.
It's what families do. See you Sunday.
