“Get out of debt” offering
Christmas is just one week away! It does not seem possible, but the days on the calendar just have a habit of slipping by, one by one! As I write this column, I have just come from the church office and was told that the income for the church for the last four weeks has been $4,000 less than what we need. For the past several months we have been spending more than we have received. However, due to a couple of good months in the spring, we were okay. Not any more. We no longer have a balance to pay all of our bills. I know this is a terrible time to bring finances to your attention, but I have felt led to do so through this column. I will be announcing in the service this morning that we will be taking a special “get-out-of-debt” offering during the Christmas Eve service and on the Sunday morning service. This is beyond your normal tithes. A new pastor is about to come and we all must do sacrificial giving to assure him of our concern for the church and for the Lord’s work. I plan to give a substantial percentage of what the church gives me each month back to the church. I’m sure that the Lord will lay the amount He wants you to give on your heart just as He did with me. Ask the Lord what He wants you to do, then in His name, please do it! I don’t look to see who gives what, so I don’t have a clue what has happened, but the Lord is able to raise up what the church needs if we will all be obedient to Him. I’m not begging, but I am challenging you through this column. Talk to the Lord and then be obedient to His voice. You will be blessed beyond measure, the Bible makes that promise.
Greater days are ahead!
Early last week John Bueno retired as the Executive Director of Foreign Missions of the Assemblies of God. He had been in that position for 14 years and had served as the Latin American Regional Director for 8 years, a total of 22 years in leadership positions. Before his leadership roles he had spent 28 years on the mission field for a total of 50 years of missionary endeavor. I would like to quote a paragraph of his last letter as Executive Director to the missionaries, both active and retired. Here it is:
“I don’t know of a time when the church has had more opportunities. The work our missionary pioneers did to establish good foundations and correct missiological principles are bearing tremendous benefits today. Being a part of what is happening in our world through this Fellowship is a privilege. I am a great believer in the Assemblies of God and all that our churches and members have done to make this Fellowship successful. We are living in great days, but I believe even greater days are ahead.”
I agree. I believe we are living in the most exciting epoch of church history! We should all feel privileged to be able to live, worship and work in these exciting times.