Greetings Glen Mar,

This coming Sunday is Commitment Sunday, and by now I am sure you have received your rise-TOGETHER AS ONE information packets. I hope you have had a chance to look those over and, more importantly, pray over them and seek God’s direction for your giving pledge to support the ministry of Glen Mar throughout the next two years.

Remember, this isn’t a one-year operating fund pledge or a three-year pledge toward the capital campaign. This is a fresh approach, utilizing a unified ONE Fund that will cover both the operating expenses and the mortgage/capital piece. It will also allow us to prayerfully consider how God is leading us into new ministries, new opportunities, and perhaps even a few holy experiments as we continue fulfilling our mission of praising God, growing disciples, and serving the world over the next two years.

Within your packet, you also received a rise-TOGETHER AS ONE card.

That rise-TOGETHER AS ONE card is your pledge card, and as you look it over and fill it out for this Sunday, I want you to see how we have given space for different ways to support the church over this two-year campaign. The way you fill it out helps us plan for the next two years. So, for instance, if it is easier for you to give weekly for 104 weeks, then please let us know. However, if you’re like me and find it simpler to give as you are able, but can pledge to give a certain amount, then by all means that works too. Fill it out in whatever way works best for you, your family, and the way God is leading you.

As we consider stewardship, pledging, and tithing, I want us to remember that all of this is related to our discipleship to God. What we give to God through the church is another aspect of following and trusting God with our whole lives. Financial stewardship is one of the ways we learn to trust Jesus more deeply. It is one more way we acknowledge that everything we have comes from God and ultimately belongs to God.

Over the last year, we have seen God doing some amazing things at Glen Mar. Just this past Sunday alone, we celebrated 11 baptisms, 18 confirmations, and welcomed four others into membership. Those aren’t just numbers. They are reminders that God is still changing lives, and through your prayers, service, and generosity, you are part of that work.

So, finally, think about where you’ve been in your giving to Glen Mar through both the capital campaign and the annual operating campaign. Now put those two “buckets” together and let that be your starting point for your rise-TOGETHER AS ONE pledge. But I wonder, could God be calling you to more for this campaign? To sow seeds into the church, the community, and the world for Jesus?

Maybe in response to all that you have received from Glen Mar over your time here, your pledge is a way of giving back and hoping forward for the next generation that will follow after us.

May God fill you, lead you, and direct you in your pledge, and may God continue doing the same for all of us at Glen Mar Church.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris