|
Fall 2010
The hot growing season of summer draws to a close and for many of us the shorter, cooler days of autumn are a welcome relief. Vacations are over, the school year begins, and the opportunity to settle into a more “normal” routine presents itself.
I’ve come to see the changing of the seasons as a great gift from God. We are somehow refreshed as we move from one season to the next. Our spirits seem to crave and benefit from the variations each new season brings. At the same time, the predictability of the entire cycle of the year gives us a sense of stability. The world might seem chaotic at times, but the regularity of the changing seasons helps us believe God remains in control.
Numerous Scriptural references to “seedtime” and “harvest” speak to how our physical and spiritual lives enter into this natural rhythm of creation. We plant Kingdom seeds in the spring and reap the abundant harvest in the fall. As Mountain of Faith enters this harvest season, there is much for which we can give thanks.
While there was some slight variation in worship attendance during the summer months, overall there was considerable improvement over last year and vast improvement compared to the summer before that. The improvement in 2009 could have been considered a blip. But, when it continued through this summer, we have a trend in the right direction. Predictably, with better worship attendance, our congregational giving increased over last year. Even in the face of a very tough economy, our giving is over 25% higher than it was last year at this time. While we are still slightly under budget, the trend is again, in the right direction.
Gratifying as these attendance and giving measures are, it is even more gratifying that our Kingdom Harvest this fall includes an extremely successful Vacation Bible School effort. The total number of children served by this ministry was over three times what it was in the summer of 2009. Not only did we pay our half of the significant financial cost of the effort, but Mountain of Faith volunteers virtually ran the entire administrative operation. While VBS and Sunday School fueled the spiritual growth of our youth, Ladies Bible Study and the new Adult Discipleship Class on Mark’s Gospel provided excellent opportunities for the adults to grow.
But, perhaps nowhere is this Kingdom Harvest more apparent than in our decision last year to make Mountain of Faith a tithing congregation. No, this does not mean all our members tithe – we are a long way from that – but it means that as a congregation we budgeted over 10 percent of our income to be given away as benevolence. This year so far, we have given substantial gifts to local, national and international organizations doing God’s work. Our president, Mark Merseth will speak more specifically to these organizations in his message to you in this newsletter. We expect to make additional significant gifts during November and December.
God has been glorified through the efforts of Mountain of Faith this year. As we begin the planning process for next year, please pray that we can sow even more Kingdom seeds. And please pray as Jesus told us to in Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 9 when he said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
The potential harvest for God in the Tooele Valley is enormous. Please pray that God the Holy Spirit would move in the hearts of his people and that Mountain of Faith would send more and more laborers into the harvest field.
Blessings for the Journey,
Pastor Rick
|
