Last night we engaged in one of the most mundane tasks of ministry and yet one of the most important. We finalized the budget for 2008 that we are going to present to the congregation at the Annual Meeting of the Church on January 27th.
I don't think the average person in the pew appreciates what goes into the process of making ministry happen in the local church. It begin with dreams and a vision of the way we can serve the Lord.Then the vision has to be communicated and lived out.
Some parts of that dream can be accomplished by people volunteering their time and energy. A good example of this is when someone volunteers to teach a Sunday School class or offers to cook the meal at the Interfaith luncheon. Our ushers on Sunday morning and members of the choir also are good examples of people who jump in and volunteer their gifts to make ministry happen. Each week it happens in dozens of ways and we could not serve God if it didn't.
The dream also requires money though. It calls for us to give to the ministry. Our money pays for oil to heat the sanctuary. It allows us to call a minister (thank you!) to lead us in worship, to help us grow in spirituality and to minister to our needs. Our giving supports the volunteer efforts of our congregational leaders by providing Sunday School materials, choir music, Bibles and hymnals, light bulbs and paint and so many other supplies.
When we put together a budget, it allows us to plan and be good stewards of God's ministry. So last night we celebrated your faithfulness in answer to our call for pledges and volunteers. It is going to be a good year. I pray that God will bless you for your part in this process and bless the ministry that we all have been called to be a part of in 2008.
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