July 23, 2009

With a prayer and a stamp, Melanie sent off a check for our June apportionment giving. Her prayer was both for the ministry that our gift will bring and for God's blessing upon our church, so that our personal giving will continue to meet the needs of our budget including all of the ministry we do right here in Rolando. In these tough economic times we are all being asked by the grocer, the government, and the church to stretch a little thinner than ever before.
Perhaps it was fate, or a divine plan that we chose this year of all years to commit to giving 100% of our apportionments. Our apportionments help fund ministries around the world and right here in our own back yard. We help fund missionaries in Cambodia, and METRO in down town San Diego. We agreed as a church in November of last year that God was calling our church to give our apportionments fully and in turn for each of us to give our portion to the church to support this goal. Since then the economy has completely tanked, the unemployment rate has almost doubled, and the signs of recovery are still very small.
The economy has made it clear that only through prayer will we be able to meet this goal. Only with prayer and trust in the one to which our prayers are lifted will we succeed in the mission God has set before us. I want to encourage each and every one of you to lift up the our church, its ministries, and the ministries of the greater United Methodist Church. I also want you to lift up the community around our church, your home, and your office. With a prayer and a stamp the combination of all our prayers is being heard around the world. Please pray that we continue to send out our gift of love and hope, Amen!

God Bless,
Pastor John