Giving Update - "Filled with Abundant Joy"
Dear Calvary Family,
Each of you is part of our church family – and in addition to the many opportunities for growth, connection and service here at Calvary – we want to keep you informed of the financial needs we have as a church. Today, with this quarterly Giving Update, I’d ask you to prayerfully consider your contribution toward the ministries of Calvary here in Orange County and around the world. That support can come through serving with your time and giving of your financial resources. This genuinely takes the full effort of our whole community as we participate in the work of the gospel together.
I would especially like to speak today to those who feel like they don’t have much to give. With a lifelong career as a pastor, I can understand not feeling like you have a lot to offer from your resources. There are others that have much and it feels like they are able to just solve all the financial needs without me. That’s why I think it’s important to consider 2 Corinthians 8:1-7. Seriously, read all of this, it’s pretty mind-blowing.
Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.
So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
This isn’t pressure from me or our other church leaders to give out of duty or obligation, but it is to help each of us have an understanding that the “gracious act of giving” is just as important in our journey of discipleship—and just as desired by God—as faith, preaching, knowledge, enthusiasm and even in some way, love.
God wants us to excel in our giving and our generosity flows from abundant joy in the Lord, not abundant wealth.
And that excelling can mean just starting to give something. We need the small gifts as much as the large ones. God sees your heart and knows your capacity. Will you pray for God to raise your capacity and grow your trust in his provision so that you are able to give rather than just being able to store up more?
Here’s an update on how Calvary Church is doing financially after the first three months of the fiscal year:
- Our General Fund for ministry is $83,044 behind (9.7%) where our giving should be at the end of September to stay on budget for the year. Our hope remains that this fund would grow and we could be ahead of the budget target in order to be able to help pay our church staff a salary that allows them to live and serve here in Orange County.
- Our Reach Fund for missions is $6,561 behind (3.8%) the giving goal. This is doing much better than the first quarter of last year, but we ask you to prayerfully consider this fund as well. I encourage you to consider giving towards this to help make a difference locally and globally, above and beyond your giving to the General Fund.
- Our Building Fund has received just over $425,000 toward the $1.6 million project (about 25% of the total needed) to repair the Worship Center Heating and Air Conditioning. Thank you for the generous support so many of you have already shown to help meet the needs of this current campus priority.
You can learn more and give online today at CalvaryLife.org/Give.
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Eric Wakeling