Pastoral Update: My Commitment to Forward in Faith
Dear Calvary Family,
It’s a wonderful privilege to serve alongside all of you in this local body of believers we call Calvary Church. Isn’t it amazing how God has been working in and through this church for almost 93 years? It astounds me to consider the generosity of both time and money over the course of over 9 decades.
I wanted to help each one of you process through a few questions today about our Forward in Faith initiative.
- How do I pray about my giving commitment to Forward in Faith?
- When and how do I make a commitment?
- How does this impact my regular giving?
How do I pray about my commitment?
First of all, I would make sure to read through the brochure or the website to know what you will be praying about. CalvaryLife.org/Forward
Secondly, have a conversation with anyone who would be making the commitment with you. Discuss the plan for how you will pray individually and how you will pray together.
Third, take some time to ask God what he wants from you in this season and how he would want you to give. You can spend a little time in silence to just listen for how God is leading you. Then I would give it a few days and let God speak to you in his timeline. Check in with the Lord here and there for what he might be saying.
Now, either meet with your spouse or other person you are making this decision with or take a moment as an individual to gather your thoughts as these days have progressed. Journaling might help with this part of the process. Share what God has been speaking to you. This could be a sense you have, a leaning you are feeling, a scripture that speaks to you, or even a picture of what God wants from you.
Finally, spend a little more time praying through that and asking God for confirmation of the direction you sense from him. This could be a peace about a decision or a firm conviction of what the right thing is for you to do.
Remember, faith can be scary. It should be uncomfortable but also exciting as we trust in God for his provision.
When and how do I make my commitment?
You can submit your commitment anytime between now and Sunday, May 26th. We won’t turn away pledges made after that date, but we would love to celebrate together what God is doing by May 26th.
The brochure has a Commitment Card and there are Commitment Cards on the back of the seats in the Worship Center that you can use and submit in an offering box.
But the easiest way to make your commitment is by going to www.calvarylife.org/forward and clicking on “Share Your Giving Commitment.”
Here’s an important thing to understand about your giving commitment. You are committing to what you can give to Forward in Faith or the Building Fund over the next 2.5 years - between now and December of 2026. So don’t just think about what you can give today, but what you can over a couple of years. The website helps you to figure out the best way for you to contribute - weekly, monthly, annually, one-time, etc.
Do I give this instead of my regular tithes and offerings?
We would ask that this Forward in Faith giving is above and beyond what you normally give to our General and Reach funds here at Calvary Church.
This is a good time to let you know that giving to our General and Reach Funds is significantly behind our budget. The General Fund is currently $279,000 behind and our Reach Fund is $56,000 behind with less than two months left in our fiscal year. Please consider how you can continue to give toward Calvary Church.
Thank you for your generosity and for committing to 100% participation in prayer and giving towards these new projects here at Calvary Church.
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Eric Wakeling