Dear Friends in Christ,
In Christ, God has given us his whole heart and healed the brokenness of our hearts. We are now called and empowered to respond by giving our whole heart to God and to our neighbor. That’s heart-centered living! Living out sacrificial love is the way of Jesus, and the pathway to experiencing abundant life here and now. By losing our life we will find it! God has given us everything. How can we respond with anything less?
One way Christians respond to Jesus’ incredible love is through generous giving and living. Through our stewardship of what God is doing in our lives, we give thanks by offering our time and talents, as well as monetary support, to grow Christ’s mission and ministry lived out in our congregation and wider church.
If we really believe that God has given us everything, and dedicate our lives to serving, stewardship is a natural extension. The Bible gives an expectation that followers would give 10% of their income back to God’s work. I invite you to have a truthful conversation with your family about how near you are to that goal in your own generosity. I then invite you to prayerfully consider how you will support the mission of Christ in the coming year. This is meant as a private and honest conversation between you and God. It’s my hope that you will be enthused to give of yourself, and your finances in some way. If you choose to support the ministry of Ascension based on that deliberation, I can assure you your gift is both greatly needed, and will be put to good use.
I hope you will be a part of this opportunity to pray, talk, worship, and give.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Justin & Pastor Patty