Feb 10, 2011 God’s Grace, Grace Missions, and Giving to Grace
Originally posted on November 18, 2005
Taking the message of God’s grace in His Son Jesus Christ to the world is a multi-dimensional task. Speaking the words of the gospel to people can take many different forms. Supporting local and global missions calls for meeting a variety of needs.
At Grace Community Church, our missions related efforts include sending and supporting missionaries as they serve in other cultures. It also includes living as the light of Christ in the communities, work places and schools in our own city. Missions includes teaching people English and using the English language to articulate God’s truth in culture shaping ways. We meet practical needs and point people to the Savior who meets their ultimate need of reconciliation with God. The great commonality in all our mission activity is the aim of bringing to people the message of God’s grace in Christ.
All Kinds Of People Doing Many Kinds Of Things
Everyone can take part in Grace Missions. Being a faithful member of our church contributes to missions because it takes the collective efforts of mission-minded churches to make missions happen. Every act of service, every prayer prayed, and every dollar given builds up the church and ultimately leads to the gospel being advanced. It takes all kings of people doing many kinds of things to be a mission involved church.
Grace Missions Offering
During these weeks of Grace Missions emphasis, we are reminding ourselves of the grace of God and renewing our commitment to give, send, and go to take His grace to others. This is the season in which we make decisions regarding how we can financially support the work of missions.
You can give to Grace Missions in two significant ways. First, you can make an end of the year gift to the Grace Missions Offering. Everything you give from November 13 through December 31 of this year that is designated Grace Missions Offering will be added to the missions fund for 2006. Giving during this time will help us plan our missions support for next year.
Second, you can give to Grace Missions anytime next year. There are always new needs and opportunities that present themselves after the missions budget is made. Continued giving helps us meet these challenges.
To give to the Grace Mission Offering, simply write GMO on the check or on the envelope you use for cash. You can give this offering in the Sunday worship service or mail it to the church office.
A Word About Giving
As you know, there are many opportunities to give to Grace Community Church. There is the regular offering taken each week for the ongoing ministries of our church. There is the Future Grace fund for our building project. And, there is the Grace Missions Offering. These opportunities to give can be overwhelming. Having the desire to give to everything can create stress and sometimes take away the joy of giving.
Here are a few guidelines that may help you.
1. Give. Everyone can and should give something to their church and its mission efforts. Even our children need to learn to give from what they have.
2. Grow in your ability to manage money and to give. We offer a Crown Financial Bible study at Grace to help people grow.
3. Give to the regular offering of the church first. I encourage people to tithe their income (give 10%) in a systematic way (weekly of monthly) to the Sunday offering as an act of worship.
4. For other giving opportunities, simply pray to seek the guidance of God concerning where to give and how to give. You will not be able to give to every cause or request. Each person and family must determine their own giving priorities and ability.
5. Give freely and without coercion from others. You are not in competition with others, nor are you obligated to follow the giving practices of others. Jesus is Lord and our obedience is to Him.
6. Give with joy and as an act of worship. Each time you give anything for any purpose, pray. Thank God for His provision in your life and for the privilege of giving in His name.
Pastor Scott