In God We Trust - Generosity 2021 | First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge
Money is a sensitive issue in our culture, something many of us prefer not to talk about. This year, because of the financial hardship caused by COVID-19, the financial uncertainty caused by the Presidential election, etc., we considered backing off of the “money talk”. But then we felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit. This year, more than ever, we need to hear God’s message about faith and money. This year, more than ever, we need to weigh and examine where we put our trust. This year, more than ever, we need to realize our relationship to money is a spiritual thing. Starting January 17, 2021 our theme for worship at First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge will be "In God We Trust". It will be a Biblical, spiritual, and inspirational journey designed to enrich our understanding of what it means to live every day trusting God in all aspects of our lives, including our money. Then on February 7, we will ask our members and friends to make a commitment to the practice of generosity by making a financial commitment to First United Methodist Church. Our emphasis on generosity is not built on the need of our church to fund its budget, but rather on the importance of giving as a part of one’s own spiritual journey and relationship with Christ. We invite each of you to consider making a more intentional and personal response to God’s grace in proportion to the blessings He has bestowed on your life. To assist you in this process, we encourage you to: • Participate in worship: Online, Onsite, or on TV in the coming weeks. • Prepare your heart through morning prayer and devotional time at 7 am (Monday-Saturday) on www.facebook.com/FUMCBR. For more information visit www.firstmethodist.org/generosity.
Money is a sensitive issue in our culture, something many of us prefer not to talk about. This year, because of the financial hardship caused by COVID-19, the financial uncertainty caused by the Presidential election, etc., we considered backing off of the “money talk”. But then we felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit. This year, more than ever, we need to hear God’s message about faith and money. This year, more than ever, we need to weigh and examine where we put our trust. This year, more than ever, we need to realize our relationship to money is a spiritual thing.
Starting January 17, 2021 our theme for worship at First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge will be "In God We Trust". It will be a Biblical, spiritual, and inspirational journey designed to enrich our understanding of what it means to live every day trusting God in all aspects of our lives, including our money.
Then on February 7, we will ask our members and friends to make a commitment to the practice of generosity by making a financial commitment to First United Methodist Church.
Our emphasis on generosity is not built on the need of our church to fund its budget, but rather on the importance of giving as a part of one’s own spiritual journey and relationship with Christ.
We invite each of you to consider making a more intentional and personal response to God’s grace in proportion to the blessings He has bestowed on your life. To assist you in this process, we encourage you to:
• Participate in worship: Online, Onsite, or on TV in the coming weeks.
• Prepare your heart through morning prayer and devotional time at 7 am (Monday-Saturday) on www.facebook.com/FUMCBR.
For more information visit www.firstmethodist.org/generosity.
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PRAY
SET A GOAL
ACT
PREPARE
CULTIVATE
WORSHIP WITH GRATITUDE
GENEROSITY 2021
IN GOD
WE TRUST
IN GOD WE
TRUST SUNDAY
February 7, 2021
join us for a special morning of
worship, praise & thanksgiving
IT’S ABOUT
JOY
Generosity changes
us, filling us with joy
and filling our lives
with blessing. When
we are generous with
what we have, we find
that unexpected
blessings flow back
into our lives, catching
us by surprise.
Generosity is not our
way of raising a
budget–it’s god’s way
of raising disciples.
IT’S A SPIRITUAL ISSUE
Generosity is directly linked to
following Jesus. How we use our
resources is a spiritual matter, not
just a financial one. Our financial
decisions are often a reflection of
our priorities and what we value.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO JESUS
Jesus spoke openly about the
issue of money and possessions.
As followers of Jesus, we should
not be reluctant to talk about
giving as an outward expression
of our commitment to Christ.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE
BUDGET
God does not need our money;
rather, we need to give it as an act
of thanksgiving and trust. The
temptation in the stewardship
process is to approach the financial needs of the church from a
fundraising perspective–to fund a budget. Our generosity perspective
places more emphasis on the spiritual nature of the effort.
IT’S ABOUT TRUST
WHY WE
GIVE
As we grow in grace, we learn to depend less on ourselves and more on
God: to relinquish attitudes and habits that impede our
relationship with God.
03
MAKING DISCIPLES
of Jesus Christ for the transformation of
the world
[OUR MISSION- it’s what we do]
GOING & FINDING
those who are seeking God, but n
Church, and inviting them to know
[OUR STRATEGY- how we do it]
It is God’s intention that we grow, live generously, and learn to trust
God more as we become more aware of how richly we are blessed.
Between now and In God We Trust Sunday, we invite you to reflect on
your personal giving and how gratitude for God’s grace is reflected in
your practice of generosity.
PRAY
for God to lead you to trust Him more with your life and your resources,
thank God for your blessings and ask for guidance and discernment.
JOIN US FOR
MORNING
PRAYER
Monday-Saturday, 7:00 am online at:
• www.facebook.com/FUMCBR/live/
• https://firstmethodist.online.church
PREPARE
to give proportionately, by setting a goal. Determine your current giving as a
percentage of your income.
• If you’re not currently tithing (giving 10% of your income), start with
a lower percentage, then make a plan to increase it yearly, growing
toward the tithe.
• Remember, the important thing is to begin the spiritual discipline
of regular, consistent giving.
CULTIVATE
a deeper sense of gratitude and discover the joy of giving by trusting
God with your life and your resources.
ACT
Join us for a special morning of worship, praise and thanksgiving on
February 7, 2021. During worship, you will be invited to fill out an
Estimate of Giving card as an act of worship. Cards will be available
onsite and online at www.firstmethodist.org/generosity. This year we will
also host a drive-through drop off time from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the
parking lot of FUMC.
ot connected to the
God by following
LOVE 3
people who are growing in their love of God, love
of themselves and love of others
[OUR MEASURE- how we know we’re getting it right]
IN GOD WE TRUST SUNDAY
February 7, 2021
Celebrate the joy, as we offer back to God a portion of his
generous blessings to us on this special day!
This will be an exciting time in the life of our church as we
seek to draw nearer to God and to affirm our heart’s desire
to live by the words “Trust In God.”
We invite everyone to fill out and turn in an estimate of
giving card on February 7, 2021 during onsite or online
worship.
WAYS TO TURN IN YOUR 2021 ESTIMATE OF GIVING:
Onsite During Worship
Estimate of Giving cards will be available in worship on
February 7, 2021.
Online During Worship
Visit www.firstmethodist.org/generosity to fill out an
Estimate of Giving form online and will be available
online, beginning February 7, 2021.
Drive-through Drop Off
Drop your card off after worship on February 7, 2021 at
our drive-through drop off from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the
parking lot of First United Methodist Church.
We want everyone to feel comfortable participating in this
celebration, so rest assured, all responses will be kept
confidential.
First United
Methodist Church
of Baton Rouge
225-383-4777
www.firstmethodist.org
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