The PCC would like to thank all givers for their gifts at this vital time.
Now that lockdown is lifted and life is slowly beginning to return
to something like normal, it is time to take stock and focus our thoughts and
prayers on how we move forward. A lot
of what All Saints normally does has been put on hold and now, as we begin to
reopen, we need to look around at the world that has changed around us to see
what is needed. Our hope is that in a spirit of thankfulness, we will be a church
community that is generously looking outwards; keen to provide practical
support and keen to share the good news about Christ. ‘Those who are generous are blessed because they share their
bread with the poor’
However, at the moment, as a church, we are living beyond
our means just to keep things ticking over.
This is not sustainable in the long term. And we want so much more than to just keep
things ticking over! It would be
wonderful if we could create a solid financial foundation for All Saints, one
that frees us up to think big thoughts and dream big dreams. We would love to see regular giving in the
church increase, but not to build up our coffers, so that we can be a generous,
outward-looking church. We are very
grateful to those that already give regularly to the church, thank you so
much if that is you. Please don’t
feel any pressure to give if you cannot afford to. But if you can afford to and do not
regularly give, then please prayerfully consider what you could give. Or if you already give, are you in a position
to increase your giving?
During the next few weeks, we will be thinking in church
about the topic of thankfulness and generosity.
We are asking everyone if they might commit to spending some time to
pray about this at home as well – that both as individuals and as a church we
might grow in thankfulness and that we might understand what it means for us to
live generously.
Our God is a generous God.
He gives us so much, in fact, he has given us everything. When we give joyfully and generously, we
become partners in God’s generosity. ‘Those who are generous are blessed because
they share their bread with the poor’.