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Dear First Pres, It’s time to think about giving! Candy-giving, Thanks-giving and Church Giving. We set aside a little time each year to encourage one another to grow in our pursuit of Christ in that area where it sometimes hits the hardest — the checkbook. At First Pres, we believe giving to God’s work and Kingdom is a part of mature Christian discipleship. It isn’t primarily about funding the church, but about encouraging one another to grow in our trust toward God. Can we even trust Him with our money? The Bible provides a model for the people of God, begun in the Old Testament and recognized by Jesus in the New Testament. It is called the tithe. The tithe is the spiritual discipline of returning the first 10 percent of your income to the Lord — your firstfruits. God first — even in your bank account. At a prior church, I knew a couple committed to the tithe from a very young age. He said to me, “Tim, there were times when 10 percent of my monthly income was only $20. But we gave that $20 to the Lord, saved a little and tried to live off the rest. And God was faithful. We never lacked, and looking back I was so glad I stayed faithful to Him through those rough years.” Jesus does not want us walking in guilt and shame. Giving more to God does not make God love you any more — He already loves you fully! So much that He gave His only Son. As those saved by grace, freed from sin, living in gratitude and shaping our lives more and more after the life-giving patterns of Jesus, we want to prod each other on this month. How close are you to giving 10 percent? Maybe take one step closer this year and see how it goes. Jesus talked a lot about money. It was one of His favorite topics. Why? Because nothing chains our hearts and robs our souls of joy faster than our financial anxieties. It may seem strange, but putting God first in your finances can set things in a new order and can truly set you free. Let’s explore more of this together, as we believe and teach a Giving Way of Life.
Yours in Christ,
Tim
GivinG changes us
Kate Fugate, Elder Before we were married, my husband Brett and I were both on staff with the Navigators. We fundraised for our living and ministry expenses — it was a really humbling process. One older relative lived on a fixed income in an assisted living facility. She cut her cable and supported me for two years, saying she’d think of me and pray every time she wanted to watch TV. Of the hundreds of people who supported us, she’s the one who left the strongest impression. Having our needs met purely through God moving in people’s hearts had a huge impact on us, right as our relationship was forming. When we got married, there was no question about whether we would give. There’s a fruitfulness in forming a giving habit just like there is in a prayer habit or a devotional habit. Giving is a reminder for us that these aren’t our resources — we are given them so we can bless others. We get to come alongside God in the work He’s doing all over the world. We still support friends on the Navigators staff, and now we also support First Pres. This is where we’re rooted. This is where we’re building our family. We don’t know all the needs in this city, but together with our church, we want to be faithful with what we’ve been given so that ministry can move forward to meet those needs.
Nancy (center right) prays with Aswan team
Kate, Brett and son, John
First Pres elders share how God has used the spiritual discipline of generosity to change them from the inside out.
Nancy Erickson, Elder The truth is, giving is not really about “giving.” It’s more about “giving back.” God in His grace affords me the privilege of returning to Him what was never mine to begin with. Everything I have comes from the Lord, and I get to steward it as wisely and generously as I can. In 2015, Rick and I chose to “Give Back the Blessing” through the special Palm Sunday offering, which helped rebuild the crumbling facility of First Pres’ partner church in Aswan, Egypt. Little did I know then that God would call me to Egypt in 2016 and that I would pray atop the construction site that is the fruit of that gift. As a follower of Jesus, I trust in God’s provision when I respond to Kingdom needs by giving back my financial resources. Each time I give back, Jesus grows me as His disciple and renews my desire to live out of the “fullness of his grace and truth.” (John 1:14) 9/16 | www.first-pres.org | 3
first pres GivinG Chan
Launchpoint at Café 225
By raising up young worshippers Launchpoint meets monthly at Café 225, bringing together a community of people in their 20s and 30s — to worship together, share a community meal and then launch out into deeper places of mission, community and discipleship in our city. Throughout the summer Launchpoint was dedicated to worship that connects people with the Lord and with each other. Participants asked, What is God awakening in this generation? How are we faithful and responsive to God’s movement in the millennial generation and beyond? First Pres generosity in its support of Café 225 provides for a beautiful meeting space and hospitality for these worshippers. By feeding the hungry The Marian House Soup kitchen is a ministry of Catholic Charities of Southern Colorado, one of First Pres’ strategic partners in our goal of ending chronic homelessness and providing housing solutions in Colorado Springs. In 2016, First Pres volunteers served 31,200 meals to hungry people, with our giving providing 5,000 of those meals. First Pres soup kitchen team 4 | www.first-pres.org 9/16
nges colorado springs By energizing low-income schools First Pres’ relationship with District 2’s Panorama Middle School, began more than 10 years ago in partnership with Solid Rock Christian Center as we combined to provide an annual Back 2 School Fair and the Play it Forward program involving donating band instruments that sat unused in basements and closets! Last year, during City Serve weekend, a First Pres team showed up with paintbrushes and a no-strings attached offer of help. Principal Elizabeth Domangue was so grateful for the hands-on encouragement. Our long-term relationship with her school was renewed. In December 2015, First Pres gave needed financial support to provide computer technologies for the classroom. By giving refugees practical skills for a new life This July and August, First Pres collaborated with Lutheran Family Services to host classes in English as a Second Language (ESL) for refugees from Cuba, Iraq, Burundi and Congo. First Pres‘ giving made it possible for 35 men and women to participate in six weeks of classes, four days per week, while their children were lovingly cared for in our First Pres nursery — all at no cost to participants.
Members of 2016 ESL class 9/16 | www.first-pres.org | 5
first pres GivinG Shapes the lobal missions is a tiny foretaste of the scene in Heaven, where worshippers from every tribe, tongue and nation will declare the praise of the slain and risen Lamb. Because of this, First Pres Global Missions is built around partnerships with local churches and national leaders in the countries where we serve. From Mongolia to India, Cuba to Egypt, we believe that local Christians bring into their own cultures the most wisdom and sensitivity when it comes to introducing the transforming love of Christ. In all of the countries where we partner, formal theological education is expensive — in Cuba and Mongolia, prohibitively so. So First Pres’ intentional and consistent investment in seminarians is literally changing the shape of the future church in those countries. Mongolia
Zulaa and Baatarsuren Buyanmandakh, Mongolia
The Gospel has only taken root in Mongolia in the past 25 years. In the last days of the country’s communist regime, which fell in 1990, believers in Jesus numbered in the single digits. Today, 32,000 claim Christ — about one percent of the population. In the early days of Christianity in Mongolia, churches popped up everywhere to provide spiritual homes for new believers. But church leaders were themselves brand new Christians, and many didn’t have the theological training and leadership experience to keep their flocks intact. As a result, half of Mongolia’s churches have closed in the past six years. The need for trained pastors is urgent, and opportunities are scarce, as it is currently impossible to complete an M.Div. in country. In response to this deeply felt need, First Pres has supported four seminarians in nine years through East Asia School of 6 | www.first-pres.org 9/16
Theology (EAST) in Singapore and one through Beeson Divinity School in Alabama. We currently support a Mongolian student at Moody Theological Seminary. One graduate estimates that the stakes for the church in Mongolia are as high as they can possibly be: “This is God’s moment for the Mongolian Church,” said Baatarsuren Buyanmandakh, serving with the MCCC Global Church Movement. The future growth or decline of the Church in Mongolia hangs on the question of whether enough godly leaders who know the Scriptures will rise up to lead her. India
Saraswati Koirala, India
First Pres has long supported Union Biblical Seminary in Pune, India, in its mission to “provide scholastic, vocational and spiritual training for the varied ministries of the church.” Recently, the opportunity
e Future of the global church arose to make our contributions more personal by designating them to support Saraswati Koirala, a student from the Presbyterian Free Church of Kalimpong (PFCK), our partner church in India. Saraswati completed her Th.M. and returned to Kalimpong, where she now serves with Hariyo Kharka, PFCK’s church growth and discipleship ministry. Sara will also play the key role of administrator when Union Biblical Seminary opens an extension in Kalimpong, hosted by PFCK, providing an avenue for even more Indian church leaders to be theologically educated.
both came to saving faith in Christ. Since his conversion, Fernando has sensed a strong call to vocational ministry. Now 19, he has completed his required military service. In August, he began seminary classes at Matanzas Evangelical Theological Seminary. At least two participants in First Pres mission trips to Cuba have designated gifts to help Fernando complete his degree. Egypt
Cuba
Tharwat Wahba, Egypt Fernando Machado, Cuba
As in Mongolia, the church in Cuba is experiencing a crisis of leadership with waves of pastors leaving their posts due to the country’s social and political climate. A new generation of church leaders is desperately needed, and First Pres mission teams to Cuba have had the opportunity to see one young Cuban leader grow up before their eyes and embark on the education that will allow him to answer that call. Fernando Machado began visiting First Presbyterian Church of Havana because the church has a library in his neighborhood — an almost unheard of treasure in Cuba. He made so many visits to the library that, over time, both he and his single mother built relationships within the church and
First Pres directly supports Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo (ETSC) as it equips church leaders to serve throughout the Arab world. Tharwat Wahba, chair of ETSC’s Missions Department, is a living example of First Pres’ commitment to raise up leaders who in turn raise up more leaders. Because of our longstanding friendship with ETSC and a desire to help develop its mission department, First Pres supported Tharwat in the completion of his Ph.D. at the London School of Theology. After returning to ETSC, Tharwat founded the Lay Pastors Training Program to meet the needs of over 120 Egyptian Christian churches that do not have and cannot afford a pastor. He also personally mentors ETSC students and graduates who are part of the Cairo Presbytery and who are gifted in evangelism. 9/16 | www.first-pres.org | 7
n Joshua chapter 3, God does an amazing thing: He causes the Jordan River to heap up and cease flowing. The whole nation of Israel crosses the riverbed on dry ground to take possession of the land God has prepared for them. Truly, a miracle. In Joshua chapter 4, God does a funny thing: He tells the Israelites to send one man from each tribe back into the riverbed to pick up a rock. In obedience, they go and retrieve the rocks, carry them to their camp and set them down. This pile of rocks becomes a reminder, ever after, of the great work God did on His people’s behalf. The powerful spiritual moment happened, rocks or no rocks. But God
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knew — and knows now — that His people are a forgetful people. We forget His goodness. We forget His promises. We forget His relationship with us. So He gives us tangible reminders. And sometimes He calls us to create reminders for ourselves, so that when the powerful spiritual moment has passed, we have something concrete by which to remember it. Commitment Sunday Throughout the month of October, we’ll spend some time exploring the role that giving can play in our individual and collective discipleship. Expect that God will speak to you, encourage you and challenge you. And when those conversations with God have passed, plan to build your
giving to
First Pres in
2017:
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own pile of rocks to make tangible the giving commitment God calls you to. This year, you’ll receive in the mail a commitment card that looks a little different from the cards of years past. Of course, there will be a place to pledge an amount that God has called you to give. If this traditional way of making your commitment is meaningful to you, by all means pledge! But if pinpointing a
number seems impossible, you’ll be able to describe what God has called you to give in other ways too. You might simply say, “I’ve never given before and God is calling me to start.” Maybe God is challenging you to give a certain percentage of your income — if so, say so! All of these are ways to build your own pile of rocks — to commemorate in a concrete way a spiritual commitment that you have made to the Lord. On Sunday, October 16, we’ll take time during worship to build a community pile of rocks, bringing our commitment cards forward all together. Will you take time to pray now that the Lord would begin speaking to you and preparing your heart for that day?
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PraY God doesn’t need our
money. The whole earth is His to begin with. But He uses our giving to accomplish His work both in our lives and in the world around us. Therefore, our giving should be rooted in a thoughtful conversation with our Lord, asking Him to reveal where we might be holding on to our finances too tightly and inviting Him to lead us as we decide what to give.
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commit Commit In a few days, you’ll receive a card in the mail that you can use to make your giving commitment concrete. Write down an amount you plan to give or choose a different way to state what you’ve heard God calling you to give. In worship on Sunday, October 16, we’ll celebrate and bring forward our commitments as a community.
Give Throughout 2017, you can give via whatever means is most convenient for you — whether it’s dropping a check in the offering plate during worship or setting up a recurring gift online. You’ll receive more information with your commitment card, and you can learn more at www.first-pres.org/give.
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address
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R E Q U E ST E D
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