Amazingly Generous Response!
Dear Calvary Family,
Thank you so much for your amazingly generous response last week to the news of what was needed to finish our fiscal year on budget. We shared the need of $225,000 for General Church Ministry and $89,000 for our Reach Missions Fund. As of today, through many small and a few large donations, God has provided all but $32,000 needed for general and $14,000 for missions. This is truly an answer to prayer and we are humbled by your generosity.
We have one Sunday left in our fiscal year, which goes from July 1 to June 30 each year. We continue to have many maintenance needs on our aging church property, the need for additional reserves, and would love for our staff to receive a wage that is appropriate for living in Orange County, CA. We would love to increase our budget to meet those needs because we have more people giving consistently to Calvary Church – no matter how big or small the amount of the gift is.
I would like to speak specifically to those of you who have not yet jumped into actively and consistently giving to the Lord in worship, love, obedience, and generosity. Here’s why – Money can grab our hearts and become a god for us. We seek more and more, and begin to serve money. Greed wants to destroy us. Jesus wants to free us from that bondage. There is a freedom that comes with giving to God in worship. There is peace and joy that comes as well. It’s also our response to the generosity of God to us – it’s one way to show our love and trust in him. Generous giving is a key marker of a mature follower of Jesus. It also fuels and resources the ministry of Calvary here at our church, in our community, and around the world.
If you are not yet a recurring giver, I want to invite you to begin the journey of regular, proportionate generosity to what God has entrusted to you. We see this biblical principle from Paul in his writing to the Church of Corinth In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2:
“Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.”
As we move into a new ministry season, I encourage you to give in a recurring way. It's good for you and your spiritual growth, and it's good for your church and the people we serve in our cities and around the world. I'm praying so many more from our church will join the hundreds of people who are already recurring givers. To set up a recurring gift, go to CalvaryLife.org/Give
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Eric Wakeling