LIVING IS GIVING

Beth Hughes, a stay-at-home mother in Oklahoma, was about to pay the grocery store cashier for food for her family's Thanksgiving dinner last November when a customer tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Ma'am, I'm going to pay for your groceries."

The woman stepped in and swiped her credit card, paying the $214 grocery bill, and then left, according to KJRH-TV. Hughes said she was so shocked that she can't remember if she said thank you. She shared the story on Facebook and said her friends said they were encouraged to do the same thing. (10 Inspiring Acts of Generosity, March 5, 2015, CBS News)

Living is Giving is our 2023 Stewardship Campaign theme. This year we will observe our stewardship theme on Sundays, October 22 and 29, with Estimate of Giving Cards be received on the 29th. Generosity begets generosity! On two different occasions this past year, I have had someone in front of me in a drive-through line paying it forward and I was the recipient. I have even done the same act for someone else that I did not know. These simple acts often go unnoticed in our world overrun with bad news and media. But generosity is really out there. We just have to look for it. And more importantly, we are called to be generous ourselves.

As we approach God’s Word for this year’s stewardship series, I would like to simply ask you, “Why do you make Good Shepherd your church home?” and “What are you going to do to keep it going for generations to come to encounter God’s good news of salvation in Christ?” This is where generosity comes in. This is where Living is Giving. This past year has been turbulent for us financially. There is another reality that is before us. And it is this! We need everyone to give of themselves to the glory of God so that Good Shepherd keeps being a place for people to come and to experience the love of God, to be in community, and to offer ministries that reach out to the hurting in our community. No gift is too large or too small, and no gift is more important than another.

You can pledge to give in the following ways, as stated in your membership vows.

1. Your prayers: Pray for the church!
2. Your presence: Show up!
3. Your gifts: Be generous!
4. Your service: Volunteer
5. Your witness: Share your story of faith and live like Jesus!

While I am retiring from vocational ministry, I do believe Good Shepherd is somewhere that is still making a difference in the lives of people, where faith is strengthened through Word and Sacrament, and where all may come to experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ. We are called as followers of Jesus Christ to be generous in our hearts, lives, and wallets, and we are called to pay it forward. Let’s be surprised at how far our generosity can go. May you really know that Living is Giving. Thank you in advance for your partnership in ministry at Good Shepherd.

In His Strong Love,

Pastor Tim