Why do you give? Why do you give your time to volunteer when your life is so hectic? Why do you give your money when your budget is tight?

For many of us, we give because we want to help, we want to give back, and we want to leave this world a little bit better. We all want our lives to matter. We need as human beings to know that our lives have meaning and purpose. That we have given our time and money to the things that will make a difference.

Our giving, then, is a visible statement of our priorities, our values, and our faith. In scripture, Jesus tells a parable of giving help to the hungry, the needy, and the stranger and then puts a twist on it by saying, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these … you did it to me.”

In other words, when we give we are participating in the larger ministry that Jesus Christ calls us to as his disciples. Our giving breaks us out of our narrow world view to be connected to a larger vision, to each other as a community, and most importantly to the love of God.

Our giving is a bold statement of faith and it does make a difference. In this time our stewardship campaign has been about three words that define why we give as a church family: Caring, Connecting, and Committing.

Our caring is rooted in love, echoing Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31). Our caring leads us to faithfully and generously reach out with all our gifts and blessings. Connecting is what allows us to grow stronger as a church family as we meet together, pray together, and share together. Committing goes beyond mere attendance; it requires our active participation in our mission to be a community of love, hope, and peace for all. This is why we commit our time, resources, and talents to support the church’s work.

Included with this mailing is a narrative budget highlighting our many ministries that flow from our vision with the corresponding dollar amounts of staff time, building care, and materials needed for them to happen. Because, without your financial support these ministries will not happen. Also included is our 2026 Pledge Card. Those who are attending worship in person please bring your completed pledge cards by November 23rd and drop them in the offering plate. Those not attending in-person worship, can either drop them off or mail them to the church office. We need to hear from every member, regardless of his or her estimate of giving. This will save us on follow-up contacts and letters.

Please pray about the gift you can make to support our larger ministry and vision we have as a church in being a community growing in our faith through wellness and wholeness as we make God’s love real for all.

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Your Stewardship Team,

Pastor Tim O'Brien

Tom Twinem

Dean Johnson

Justin Forbes