Giving is Loving

“Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.” Romans 12:1-2 The Message

One winter morning, two brothers decided to visit their neighbor. They had to cross a pond. But since it was frozen over, their father said they could walk across it. He sat on the porch with his binoculars to watch and make sure they would be all right. Along the way, the boys came across a crack in the ice. Their father watched as the 13 year old knelt down by the crack. He put his knees on one side of the crack and his hands on the other, and then told his 3 year old brother to walk across his back so he’d be safe.

We practice giving when we’re willing to put ourselves in the middle of a situation in order to help others get where they need to be. At times we’ll be able to actually offer our gifts as a means to move from one place to another. At other times, such as with the current disaster in Haiti, we aren’t able to be directly involved. However, our prayers and our gifts are providing love offerings as the money we send provides food, shelter, water and medicine to those in need.

We are so blessed that sometimes it’s hard for us to decide how we can respond to such overwhelming disasters. It’s not as easy as spreading ourselves over a crack in the ice so that someone can cross safely. How much is God calling us to give? Some have suggested one day’s salary.

A faithful response may also be as straightforward as making sure our giving allows our church to meet our primary mission goals first this year. Our apportionments are a – portion – meant – for – others. These are mission dollars that allow us to have the “bridging” structures in place to make sure that as soon as a disaster strikes, United Methodists are there offering help and wholeness in the midst of brokenness. What is God calling you to give today?

--adapted from WI Annual Conference newsletter

God Is Still In Control!


Miss Lladale Carey
Web Producer
http://www.umcgiving.org/
United Methodist Communications
lcarey@umcom.org


To Learn how you can be good stewards in the United Methodsit Church, click here.

Mickey’s Story

My mother’s foster cousin died recently and we attended her funeral at the Baptist Church in Wild Rose, Wisconsin. When we arrived for her funeral service on a cold January morning, we were amazed to see the parking lot full of cars. We knew we were the only ones arriving from our side of the family. Once inside we waited in line for over 30 minutes to connect with her son. Who were all these people? Later we learned that many were relatives on the other side of her family, and a good number were members of her church and the community.

While she only had one son, we learned that Mickey was known as “Mom,” “Ma,” “Grandma,” or “Grandma Mickey” by most everyone in town. The pastor told a wonderful story about taking the youth group Christmas caroling just a few weeks prior. When they arrived at her house, all of the teenagers jostled for position on the little porch of her trailer because they all wanted to ring the bell and get a Grandma Mickey hug! We also learned about the missionary student from China who called her his “summer mom,” because he lived with Mickey and her son during his summer breaks from college.

Mickey was described by the congregation gathered there as a compassionate, non-judgmental believer who always had a smile for everyone. Her life had been tough from the beginning. Yet instead of being bitter and angry, she chose to offer God a giving heart that was humble and loving. She lived as a steward of all the mysteries of God. She offered all of who she was, and all of what she had, in gratitude for the love she received.

Sometimes we think stewardship is just about money. Mickey reminded me once again that it’s not just about money. Stewardship is about how we live the Good News of the love of Jesus Christ every day.

-Rev. Jean Ehnert Nicholas, Wisconsin Annual Conference

God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
Web Producer
www.UMCGiving.org
United Methodist Communications
lcarey@umcom.org

To Learn how you can be good stewards in the United Methodsit Church, click here.

Stewards in an Unexpected Place: A Personal Story

I find tremendous examples of stewardship in all kinds of places. Recently, I encountered great stewards on a somewhat remote beach on a rainy Saturday morning. Here’s the story.

I recently presented at a conference for North American stewardship leaders. On the morning of our departure my daughter and I decided to visit Tigertail Beach, a somewhat remote beach to look for seashells.

Upon our arrival, more people were at the beach than we anticipated. There was a local scheduled clean-up event that morning and we were stopped at a registration area to sign up. I told the three local women seated behind the registration table that we would be on the lookout for debris, but we came mainly as tourists.

As we wandered the beach, our eyes gazed through the shallow waters, the squishy sand, and the mangrove edges searching primarily for shells and then for trash. We did find some shells, but we found various items of trash including a fabulous pair of jeweled sandals which captured our attention and imagination. How were these sandals lost? Who was wearing them? Where were they lost? Oh, the imaginative stories that a dad and his daughter can create! Beside the stories, we talked about environmental stewardship – caring for God’s creation. This was a hands-on teaching moment that parents too often miss but I took full advantage of.

As we walked back, I thought about these women. I knew that we would see them again. I could now walk by them with my guilt relieved. Yes, I was feeling slightly guilty for telling them earlier that we were just there to take from the beach as tourists, instead of give back. After spotting those sandals, we became more than tourists. We helped clean up the beach. We were . . . well, stewards. I could tell the women that we had done our part.

It was just a last minute decision to go on a short excursion to a beach tucked at the end of a dead end street. Yet, it’s one of the most memorable experiences from attending a professional conference on fund development and stewardship!

Granted, the lists to the right certainly are not exhaustive for creating stewards, especially in a faith-based context. However, these stewardship lessons will serve most of our faith communities very well. I am reminded, and hopefully you are, too, of the important opportunities that we have to ask boldly for financial gifts and to embrace a life of generosity, hope, and passion.


God is Still in Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
Web Producer
UMCGiving.org
United Methodist Communications
lcarey@umcom.org

Giving is Loving

“Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.” Romans 12:1-2 The Message

One winter morning, two brothers decided to visit their neighbor. They had to cross a pond. But since it was frozen over, their father said they could walk across it. He sat on the porch with his binoculars to watch and make sure they would be all right. Along the way, the boys came across a crack in the ice. Their father watched as the 13 year old knelt down by the crack. He put his knees on one side of the crack and his hands on the other, and then told his 3 year old brother to walk across his back so he’d be safe.

We practice giving when we’re willing to put ourselves in the middle of a situation in order to help others get where they need to be. At times we’ll be able to actually offer our gifts as a means to move from one place to another. At other times, such as with the current disaster in Haiti, we aren’t able to be directly involved. However, our prayers and our gifts are providing love offerings as the money we send provides food, shelter, water and medicine to those in need.

We are so blessed that sometimes it’s hard for us to decide how we can respond to such overwhelming disasters. It’s not as easy as spreading ourselves over a crack in the ice so that someone can cross safely. How much is God calling us to give? Some have suggested one day’s salary.


A faithful response may also be as straightforward as making sure our giving allows our church to meet our primary mission goals first this year. Our apportionments are a – portion – meant – for – others. These are mission dollars that allow us to have the “bridging” structures in place to make sure that as soon as a disaster strikes, United Methodists are there offering help and wholeness in the midst of brokenness. What is God calling you to give today?

--Wisconsin United Methodist Ann Conf.

God is still in Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
Web Producer
UMCGiving.org
lcarey@umcom.org

Justice "issues" always begin with a story

The Nebraska Youth VIM team was putting a new roof on the house of an older couple in Springfield, MO. After a couple of days of work, the afternoon break came and the man who owned the house invited them to rest for a bit and enjoy refreshments. He began to share his story.

He had worked for the sheriff's department for more than 30 years. He worked around 38 hours per week, had wanted to go full-time but never was allowed to.

He got cancer and he and his wife went through all their savings and eventually declared bankruptcy trying to pay the medical bills because working only part-time he didn't have adequate health insurance.

At the time the VIM team was there, the cancer had progressed to the terminal stage and the man's last wish was that he not leave his wife with a leaky roof.

The Youth VIM team had performed a significant act of mercy and now they were confronted with the rest of the story...the injustice of a health care system which was not accessible to those who truly needed it.

The youth returned home understanding that in order to serve Christ in a wholistic way, their service needed to include acts of mercy and acts of justice to advocate for change in unjust systems which affect people's lives in dehumanizing and destructive ways.

Two Feet of Christian Service

Mercy - Direct service, such as a food pantry, or homeless shelter. Support charitable agencies. Provide transportation. Provide cultural opportunities. Listen. Care. Deals with individuals. Is spontaneous - no attempt to analyze the cause. Requires short-term help. Tends to be non controversial. Is program-orientated. Tends to be more personal. Does not address power imbalance. Is exemplified by the Good Samaritan and Jesus healing in the Temple.

Justice - Social changes. Political action. Judicial action. Institutional change. Organizing. Education. Deals with systems, policies and structures. Is analytical-asks "what are the causes?" Requires long-term struggle. Can be very controversial. Is policy-focused. Addresses the way society is ordered. Advocates for power sharing. Is exemplified by Moses confronting Pharaoh and Jesus turning the tables in the temple.

---Peace With Justice Ministries, Nebraska Conference UMC,

Please give generously to the Peace With Justice Offering on May 30, 2010 or anytime of the year. To give online click here.

God is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
Web Producer
UMCGiving.org
lcarey@umcom.org