Pastor Tim has already blogged about this but for those who aren't reading both his and my blogs I thought I'd throw in a note here.Basically last week we gave away thousands of dollars (the equivalent of one week's offering) to everyone who was in the service. It was distributed in envelopes containing $20, $50, or $100 bills. The goal is to encourage and enable our congregation to be a blessing to those around us by "sowing good". Some are "acts of random kindness" while others are specifically targeted toward those in need. Everyone has been encouraged to pray about how to use the money to bless others and then do whatever God tells them.
Some might ask how we can afford to do this. Do we have so much money that we have extra to give away. Although God has blessed us financially many times in amazing ways, we do not have 'extra' money. We have a tight budget and a finance team and elder board who are diligent about stewarding well the resources that God provides. We have found, though, that as we are generous and open-handed, God provides even more - a principle that applies to both churches and individuals! You can't 'out-give' God! In scripture 'blessing' is always instrumental. What that means is that you are blessed to be a blessing, not just blessed because God just wants you to feel good or something.
As a church (and individuals) we want to put our money where our mouth is. We say we want to be a blessing to the community and this is one way God directed us to engage everyone in that endeavor! Too many churches are known for being "out to get my money" or stingy with their resources. We want to model biblical, God-honoring generosity.
Pastor Tim has a special web page set up to track the stories of how God is using us to bless the community. You'll definitely want to check it out.
