November 1, 2009
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From The Pastor’s Desk:
“Making the Contributions in Life“
As a young family living in Burlington, Vermont, we attended a Methodist Church which had a very clever Stewardship Committee. Like a lot of churches, we struggled with getting enough contributions by the members to cover expenses. We struggled with getting enough nursery workers and Sunday School teachers. We seemed to always have an abundance of people to come out for church social functions but only a handful would attend business meetings.
One year, the Stewardship Committee came up with the clever idea of having buttons made up with only one word printed on them: TUIT. When a person made a commitment to support the church financially (we filled out pledge/commitment cards), or to teach a Sunday School class, or to serve in the nursery or on a committee, they were given a button and asked to wear it to church. When other people saw the button and asked what it stood for, the wearer would explain, It‘s a round tuit. When it comes to serving the Lord in the church, I‘m finally getting a round tuit‘. Everyone got the point, and pretty soon practically the whole church was wearing a button. We saw an increase in giving and also many of the unfilled positions on committees and tasks in the church were staffed.
1 Peter 4:10 says, Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God‘s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Too often we rely on someone else to do the job in the church we are equipped to do and should be doing. We expect someone else to sing in the holiday choir, or to serve in the nursery, or to chair a team or committee, or to support the church financially. But in doing so, we‘re missing out on the tremendous joy there is in worshipping and working together in the Body of Christ.
Don‘t you think it‘s time to get a round tuit?
Serving Christ,
Pastor Jay
There are three kinds of people in the world: those who don‘t know what‘s happening, those who watch what‘s happening, and those who make things happen. Nicholas Murray Butler, former president Columbia University
