Church family!
As we enter into the week of Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for. Beyond the personal blessings we’ve uniquely enjoyed this year, our church family experienced a most meaningful and memorable year. We fully embraced our plan to live as a blessed people who bless people.
Beginning last January, we narrowed our focus to encourage and equip one another for mission. Through BLESS boxes, family parties, memorable worship, Bible studies, and intentional care, we can now see the increase in both our health and happiness. As the year progressed, we turned our focus outward to BLESS those where we live, work, and play. From the excitement of Back to School Splash to the simplicity of sharing meals, we used our time, talents, and treasure to reach people where we live, work, and play with the good news of Jesus. As we enter into the last month of 2019, let’s finish strong what we prayerfully started.
First, let’s fulfill what we’ve promised missionally. December will be our month to emphasize sharing. We will equip you with strategic resources to fuel your sharing efforts. What better season than Christmas to share the good news of Jesus with our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family!
Secondly, let’s fulfill what we’ve promised financially. In January 2019, we unpacked our vision for this year that included the financial strategy to achieve these goals for BLESS. You prayerfully and intentionally set personal and familial goals for giving. Based on your collective responses, we establish a giving goal of $176,800. As of last weekend, we’ve received 89% ($157,498) of our yearly budget. For those of you who turned in a ministry plan response card, you’ll receive a reminder of the commitments you made for 2019 of your time, talents, and treasure. Thank you so much for giving faithfully and generously! Your sacrificial giving has not only blessed countless of people where we live, work, and play, but also provided for the Allamon and Thompson families.
Finally, let’s fund a plan to send our very own missionary! Garrett Messineo is working with the International Mission Board to go on a five month trip to Nepal (see below for more information). As you’re well aware, Garret spent a week in Nepal this past July. Currently, Garret still feels called by God to declare the gospel to the unreached people groups of south Asia. Consequently, I believe our church has a divine opportunity that will take the good news of Jesus to reach the people of Nepal.
When we pass our established goal of $176,800, our leadership prayerfully desires to use any additional giving to fund Garret’s trip as well as contribute towards the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering through the SBC. Since the cost for Garret’s trip is $5,000, we believe it in our capabilities to reach this amount and even beyond. Many of you established a systematic giving plan based of your 2019 commitment. Would you prayerfully consider how you could uniquely bless Garret and fuel the spread of the gospel beyond your current giving?
As you celebrate Thanksgiving and anticipate Christmas over these next few weeks, please pray that God would bless our financial resources to multiply the efforts to delight in, display, and declare the good news of Jesus in Tampa Bay and in south Asia.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
God Bless,
Pastor Ken
