Where your treasure is….
Dear First Pres SLO Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus, the one who gives, and who calls us to give.
The weather is cooling, we’re about to get the first rain of the fall, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Sounds like the heart of Stewardship season to me!
As I say each year, I love this part of the church’s life. Pledging annual support to the church is an essential part of being a mature disciple, and so the partnerships we enter into reveal something important about our congregation. We are all in this together—financially, prayerfully, and with our time and talent.
Over these weeks in November we’re looking at things God didn’t say, and reflecting on the real messages we find in the Bible. That gives me a chance to share something that Jesus actually said. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talked about what it means to be a person of faith, and how our faith is reflected in the way we live in the world. In Matthew 6 he says this:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Our culture has other ways of saying the same thing. Anyone ever been told to put your money where your mouth is? We invest in what we care about—in what we believe in. We put our treasure where our heart is.
The key is to make sure our hearts are in the right place.
I love seeing the ways you all are putting your hearts into the work of this church. We are building and growing—adding new people and new ways to serve—and we’re doing it on the shoulders of the wonderful saints who came before us. The history of the First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo challenges us to unleash whatever God has in store for us next.
Isn’t that something?
We’ve been hearing stories of ministries we’ve accomplished together in the last year, and also some new opportunities for the year ahead. It is your pledged giving that allows us to make wise plans, and to discern where we’re deploying support and where we’re stepping out in faith.
It’s time for us to, well, put our pledges where our hearts are—where they’re being fed and challenged and blessed. You’ve all received pledge materials in the mail and as attachments to emails. They will be conveniently placed in the bulletins this week, and also in the pews. Let me invite you to prayerfully consider an increase in your giving for 2024. We have such good work to do together!
As always, if you have questions about the church’s finances or ways to give, please let us know.
Blessings to you and yours, and may the Holy Spirit work in each one of us to make us stronger disciples and a healthier church.
Pastor John