Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Luke 19:8
In this coming Sunday’s gospel, we will meet Zacchaeus, a 1st Century tax collector from Jericho. Because of the crowds and his short stature, he runs ahead and climbs a tree to see Jesus who would be passing through town that day.
Instead, Jesus sees him. He commands Zacchaeus down from the tree and announces his plan to be a guest in the tax collector’s home.
Grumbles about the company Jesus chooses ensues to which Zacchaeus replies with a verbal Statement of Intent: to give half his possessions to the poor and pay back four times what he cheated anyone from in his tax collecting. (Tax collectors commonly up-charged in those days.)
The Risen Lord community of Christ followers has been asked to turn in their own Statements of Intent, offerings they intend for Risen Lord’s ministry in 2023.
How is your giving a response to Jesus seeing you, calling you by name and offering you grace? Does your giving reflect your hope for a reconciled world where all are welcomed into Christ’s midst, where wrongs are made right, and where the poor are provided for?
Please read the article below about one of the ministry initiatives for 2023 that was included in last Sunday’s bulletin. Continue to read over the Stewardship Appeal brochure you received in the mail. Attend a Stewardship Information Session after worship on either 10/30 or 11/6. Pray about your response. Bring your completed Statement of Intent to worship on Appeal Sunday on November 13.
Then, on Sunday, November 20, we will share one worship service with Tapestry Church at 10:30 a.m. and a Turkey Dinner to follow. We can’t wait to give thanks together for all that God has done and is doing for and through our congregations. Thank you for being a part of Risen Lord.
Get the Word Out!
From 10/23/2022 worship bulletin
Here at Risen Lord, we want people to know the daring confidence we have in the grace of Jesus—that God’s unconditional love is for everyone! We need to get the word—God’s word—out there.
During the pandemic, congregations learned to be resilient, using technology to offer online worship and bible study. Risen Lord struggled to continue those efforts when we returned to in-person worship due to inadequate technology and financial scarcity.
Because of our partnership with Tapestry Church, we have access to recording equipment that will help Risen Lord provide quality, online worship. Those who are homebound, immuno-compromised or traveling can worship with us. Those who want to find an open and inclusive Christ-like community can find us.
This ministry initiative requires little cost, but it does require congregational support. We will be forming a Technology Ministry Team to ramp up these efforts to proclaim the Good News to a broader audience.
Not only do we plan to offer online worship, we also hope to improve our presence on media platforms through story videos and more. Please discern if you’d like to help in those efforts in some way.
Let’s come together to grow in our generosity and embrace the resilient faithfulness the Spirit is stirring up at Risen Lord. Our 2022 Stewardship Appeal helps us reach our goal of financial stability. This is not for our sake but for the sake of our mission to grow in sharing God’s love in all that we do and say, now proclaiming it to a larger audience online.
The goal of our Resilient Faithfulness 2022 Stewardship Appeal is to increase gifts and offerings by $30,000. Pray for a generous response, and please prayerfully consider increasing your gift for the coming year.
With your help, more people will know there is a church for them no matter who they are.
Resilient Faithfulness
Our gifts, joined together, accomplish ministry that is blessed by God.
The chart below gives a picture of our current giving. Find your current level and ask yourself:
“How does my giving level compare with other ways I use my money?” “How adequately does my giving reflect my gratitude to God for all of my blessings?”
Resilient Faithfulness – 2022 Stewardship Appeal
Goal: $30,000 increase in offerings to help our ministry thrive
What if 50 households gave $50/month more ($12/week)? Together, we can do this!
Ministry Initiatives for 2023
Get the Word Out through Technology
Grow School Connections
Equip Visitation Ministry
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