Grace and Gratitude
2022 Stewardship Season
Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people,
may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4: 15
God’s magnificent grace is a gift, freely given to each of us, unearned. In accepting this gift, it is our calling to show gratitude by living joyful lives of love and service. In so doing, we follow the way of Jesus. This includes supporting the ministries of God through the church with our gifts, financial and otherwise. This is why, over the next four weeks, we will embark on a journey to explore Grace and Gratitude, our focus for the 2022 stewardship season.
This stewardship season, each person and family will once again be asked to consider The Giving Path (below) and where God may be leading you. This approach to giving is not merely about funding the church budget. Instead, we are asking each person to consider their financial resources and make prayerful decisions based on spiritual maturity, discipleship in Christ and gratitude to God. We are inviting everyone to consider moving further along The Giving Path as a response to God’s Grace in their lives.
We are a thriving church community with a growing membership, plans for new space and new missions resulting from our successfully completed capital campaign, and an incredible staff. We are a welcoming, affirming and inclusive community of faith, inviting all God’s people to join us in following Christ’s example of humility, love and service. All of this is made possible by generous spiritual and financial commitments that flow from our grateful hearts.
The next several Sundays we will be learning more about how our generosity through DCPC is having an impact on people’s lives. I hope that our upcoming worship services, combined with other media from the Stewardship Committee, will encourage you to consider how your gifts can best help the church as you ask, “God, where do you want me to be in my financial giving to the church?”
God’s GRACE provides all we have as a church, as individuals and as families. On the final Sunday of this stewardship season, October 30, we will be given the opportunity to express our GRATITUDE for these gifts by completing and dedicating our Estimate of Giving Cards. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of your level of giving during this stewardship season.
Will you take the next step in trust?
Christ promises to take care of us while we take care of others. When we step up our giving, we can trust that God will provide for our well-being. God is calling on us to open our hearts and hands—to be responsible stewards of the time, talents, and resources we hold—to help others grow in faith. In doing so, we deepen our own faith, too.
Generosity—the ability to give freely and unselfishly—comes from trusting that we have nothing to lose by doing so. Will you take the next step in trust?
Reflect on where you are on the Giving Path and where you feel called to be.
To help you, a giving chart will be mailed closer to Oc. 30. Use it to:
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Set a plan for your giving. Giving without a plan leaves you subject to your emotions. Start with a basic plan.
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Pray over spontaneous giving when unique opportunities present themselves.
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Move along the Giving Path .
Jesus said, "What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving." Matthew 6:31, the Message version of the Bible.
