Three years ago our church started to think differently about year end giving. We had always relied on increased generosity in December to make our operating budget work (and we still do!) but we wanted to do more than simply make ends meet in our own church. We wanted to bless others by working through our ministry partners to meet specific needs in the lives of the people they serve. One of my greatest joys as a pastor has been watching RCC respond to this vision each Christmas.

This year we sensed God leading us to three distinct focuses for our year end giving: alleviating poverty, building the church, and investing in long-term community development. As I told our church, we want to meet real and tangible needs that will make an immediate and specific difference in people’s lives by working to alleviate poverty in our city and around the world. At the same time, we absolutely believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift the church can ever give the world, which is why we want to plant and build churches. We also believe that real change occurs over time. This is true in our spiritual lives and in community development work, which is why we want to invest in long-term projects that have the ability to change the trajectory of entire communities.

I’m mentioning this because I would love for you to consider joining us in this year end giving initiative. You can get more info about our projects, partners, and vision by clicking here.

I say this knowing that you’re being asked to give to a number of wonderful causes this time of year. If this isn’t the right opportunity for you, I totally understand. But if one of these projects or partners grabs your heart, I would love for you join our church in giving generously.