The Tuesday after Thanksgiving was World Generosity Day which is also known as Giving Tuesday! Giving Tuesday was founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, New York City (NYC global center for culture, connection, and enrichment) and the United Nations Foundation. In 2023, nonprofits raised $3.1 billion on Giving Tuesday in the United States! I wonder how much was raised in 2024? Giving Tuesday's mission is to transform communities and the world by unleashing the power of people and organizations.
As Christians, we are called to generosity every day! Generosity of our giving flows from being loved by God and others, and it gets expressed in deeds born out of love. We are powered by God’s love when we let it use our hearts, bodies, souls, and minds (Mark 12:30).
Mother Teresa expressed this clearly: “What matters is not how much we do, but how much love we put in what we do.” Think about how you give to God? How you give to the church? How you give to others? How you give to the world? Our giving can easily come out of our duty or our own needs or our guilt or even through inappropriate use of power/busyness/anxiety. If we think further about it, people do not always need to be gifted things first. Rather, people need to be welcomed, known (in a deeper than skin level way), loved, and finally served in appropriate ways. The gift of our self-giving time, and hospitality out of love. Let the love we receive from God, be your response through time, hospitality or resource. Your giving, with love, makes a difference!
Here are ways you can participate:
· Donate to a charity or church – like Christ the King!Perform an act of kindness.Help a neighbor.
Your love was evident in this past week around church and in our community:
· This past Sunday we asked for a donation of a snowblower for our refugee family. By Monday, you responded, and we have a snowblower! Thank you!
· Ruby’s Pantry had over 40 volunteers distributing, 250 shares of food and even bouquets of flowers!
· Fellowship Hour served by the No Basement Church Ladies - “Crumb Crew”. Well done!
· Each week it takes over 25 volunteers to help with worship, fellowship, and Sunday School. You make it happen!
Let God’s love work generously through you and your faith to bring God’s love to life!
Pastor Nate 😊
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