Sunday, November 8
RRUMC approaches financial stewardship from a biblical perspective, which means we do not view giving our tithe to the church as a way to pay our bills. Instead, giving money back to God through the church helps people grow spiritually in their relationship to God by supporting our church’s ministries and mission.
It’s about your story connecting with God’s story, building the community of faith.
We have used Consecration Sunday for many years as a way to teach this spiritual principle of giving a portion, or a percentage, of your income back to God. Some of you have heard this your entire life, while others may be hearing this for the first time. We know that when people respond to the biblical witness of generous giving, proportional sharing, and first fruits giving, they discover the truth that giving money is ultimately a spiritual act of faith.
God created us to give generously, but sin causes us to hoard and not trust God. We find joy and freedom in giving because that’s how God made us. It is WE who have the need to give for our own spiritual development, not the church’s need to receive.
Instead of treating people like members of a social club who should pay dues, we treat people who attend RRUMC as Christians who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship.
So we base this day of giving on the biblical witness of proportionate and systematic giving when we ask you to respond to this question: “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?” At the end of each morning worship service, we will ask you to answer this question by completing an “Estimate of Giving” card. We use “estimate of giving” instead of “pledge” because it more accurately reflects your intent. Because life changes may cause your income to go up or down, you need to feel free to change your estimate at any time as needed. In other words, it is not written in stone.
Estimate of giving cards were mailed to the congregation during the first week of October. If you did not receive one please contact the Church Office at office@rrumc.org or 440.331.7676 so we can mail one to you. Everyone who completes this estimate of giving card does so voluntarily as an act of discipleship and worship.