Pastor's Weekly Word

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. (Psalm 100:1-3)

Sunday was Announcement Sunday for the “Set Free” Campaign. The benchmarks we had set were $2.0 million as our “First Step” goal, $2.5 million as our “Challenge” goal, and $3.0 million as our “Set Free” stretch goal. The names for these benchmarks weren’t just thought up at random. They aptly describe the difficulty of a church our size with our financial ability reaching them. The “First Step” was exactly that, a first step. We knew we would be able to pull that step off, and it was to be our first step. The challenge was to go beyond that, and finally the stretch goal was just that, a real stretch.

The announcement was made that, as of the end of last week, we now have 200 households committing a total of $2,761, 833. We have surpassed the challenge! What an incredible thing to be able to share! Just today I was asked by a member of the Finance Committee how I feel about the campaign. My immediate response was to say how proud I am of this church. I hope it helps you to know that your pastor is proud of you. I am. You are remarkable, and you need to believe it. One of the best blessings God could ever give us is the gift of each other. With that thought in mind, let me just say that we are richly blessed.

For me, this campaign has always been about our coming together. The numbers are important, and they always are. But the most important thing, far above a dollar amount, is how we do it. I have often said that how we do things is more important that what we do. Throughout the campaign, we have shared, sacrificed, laughed, celebrated, dreamed, hoped, prayed, and worshiped. I am so proud of you. May God continue to bless us with the gift of each other.