Make October about Others
A few years ago I felt the pressing of the Lord to stretch a little futher and give more generously to help those in our community. In response, we decided as a family to institute and engage in what we call our "thanks-giving" project. (It happened to be around Thanksgiving.) It's a pretty simple project. Every year, we choose a local charitable or non-profit organization that is close to our hearts and give financially to a specific campaign or to their standard fundraising efforts. (It's worth noting that we started this in the thick of pandemic restrictions, so service options were not particularly easy to engage in at the time. Service would also be a great way of giving back!) Caring for others in this way has been a really great, tangible way to show our gratitude to the Lord for all that he's provided for us over the year.
It's also been a great way to teach our kids about generosity and focusing our thinking on things and people beyond ourselves and our personal needs. In fact, that's been one of the most important parts of this annual project: sitting down to talk as a family about what the organization does, why their work is important, and how it integrates with our calling to love and care for others as Christians. What an opportunity! And I can say, that through this, we have been blessed.
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. - Proverbs 11:25
The Lord has prospered us in joy and refreshed us in our desire to spread the good news of the Gospel through our actions. There is great joy in giving. This is a multi-faceted joy. One facet is the intangible joy in the knowledge that someone will have their physical needs met. Maybe a child and their family will have a comfortable place to stay during major surgery or treatment, or; a family might be able to have a hearty meal during a holiday when times are tough. Another facet is the joyous gratitude that God has provided us with more than we need, which enables us to give generously. Still another is the joy that we have in the knowledge of God's faithfulness, that he takes care of those in need. Finally, there's also the joy and thankfulness that, despite our shortcomings and failings, we have been given the opportunity to be co-labourers with Christ; vessels to pour out his blessings upon others.
It truly is difficult to put into words the intangibles that the Lord has gifted to us through this little personal project over the last few years. What is not difficult, is to proclaim that God is good.
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As a church, our current giving focus is to "Make October About Others." Specifically, we are encouraging designations of offerings and gifts to our Care Fund and our Missions Fund. These funds directly impact those in need in our community and those spreading the Gospel globally. Both funds are currently experiencing shortfalls in 2024. If you are feeling led by the Lord and are looking for an opportunity to give directly to "beyond our walls" initiatives, please mark your gift "Care Fund" or "Missions" today.