Thus says the Lord, the one who created you, O Israel, who formed you, O Jacob: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” – Isaiah 43:1
Dear Siblings in Christ at First Lutheran,
We are called!
God created us with gifts and called us through baptism into communities of faith where we can share those gifts. In this season, we are pausing to notice some of those gifts within ourselves and our communities, pausing to see what God might be up to in our midst.
As we consider the many ways we offer ourselves and our time, we encourage you to notice how others in our congregation and community are making an impact by being the person God created and called them to be. There is a display at church where we invite you to name ways you see people using their gifts to serve others, bring beauty to the world, share kindness – anything that represents them being who they are in ways that positively shape our common life. Enclosed and at the display you’ll find paper to write those down. Bring them to church or send them in to the office if you can’t make it in person. As each individual gift is shared we will begin to see a deeper picture of the ways God has created and called us as a whole faith community.
As we look then at what we are being called to in this place and time, we also offer our financial resources to support the ministry to which we have been called. We invite you to prayerfully consider a percentage of your income to offer to the church in the coming year. You might especially consider how you might grow by a percentage or stretch a bit further as you respond to God’s call to share your gifts. As a way to note your commitment to yourself and to help the congregation think about its capacity for mission in the coming year, we invite you to fill out the enclosed “estimate of giving” card and bring it to worship with you on October 29th or mail or email it to the church office in advance. You can also make a pledge directly on our website at the link below. Then join us on Sunday, November 5th for a celebration at a coffee hour.
Throughout these weeks we will be reflecting in worship and in other parts of our ministry about this question of the gifts we are being called to share. We hope you can join us as we celebrate God’s movement among us.
In Christ,
Pastor Emily Hamilton, George Brickley, Joanne Leisk, Anne DiSciullo
(the Stewardship Team)
First Lutheran Church 