Advent Lutheran Church

This church budget “shortfall” that we find ourselves in at year end is sobering and frankly,

disappointing. It’s not who we are as a community – numbers on a spreadsheet.

I know stewardship for some here is an obligation or duty. But for a large number of us it’s more

of an investment – a commitment to something bigger than ourselves – a sacrifice with purpose -

a response to inspiration and hope.

There are inspiring and hopeful things taking place here:

-Intuitive and powerful Faith Statements by our Confirmands.

-Sunday School with an increase of almost 40% in attendance and a newly formed

leadership team. Their gift of song at last week’s 9:30 worship.

-Consistent weekly attendance in Confirmation of about 98%, youth and adults building

relationships with God and each other.

-God’s Kids and Justice League raise almost $600 collecting coins, making and selling

sheep to purchase animals from God’s Global Barnyard to help break the cycle of poverty.

-Faith Stepping Stones connecting families as we nurture faith journeys.

-A Mission Team successfully fundraising and seeking out opportunities to restore and

rebuild communities – in Mexico, TX, Osawatomie and other places and projects yet to be

named.

-The response to Children’s International.

-A Leadership Retreat Saturday morning where church members gathered, shared Bible

study and a meal and agreed to meet and lift each other up once a quarter.

-the Fellowship Hall Redo ... yes, the fellowship hall redo...

a loving memorial gift of $10,000, ideas hatched by staff and a member designer who waived her

fees, scads of volunteers and many hours of labor (some at unspeakable heights) additional

donations of materials and supplies. All this and in what seemed like forever but was only a few

months, a tired space was given new life where now everyone is clamoring to gather. Inspiring

enough for the Jr. High. Leadership Team to pool half the money needed for tables to finish the

space, then challenge the congregation to match the funds and in one Sunday raised the

balance! Wow!

These are only a few examples – there are countless other humbling ways that people in this

community are inspiring lives of faith by sharing their gifts and serving.

This is who we are as a community – not numbers being totaled on a calculator. So now what?

Here’s the reality – this physical space where we come together and how we come together costs

money: utilities, insurance, debt repayment, program resources and materials, salaries.

The work we want to do beyond these walls cost money: mission trips, restoring homes &

families, feeding the hungry, the privilege of hosting an intern.

So lately, we’re asking ourselves line by line – Can we afford it? – this is the wrong question. We

need to challenge ourselves with more relevant questions like – Can we afford not to?

Afford not to build relationship with God, with each other, with those outside these walls, build and

restore community? How do we place a value on that? How much are we willing to sacrifice and

commit?

We need to challenge ourselves to look at our own family’s giving – what value in cold hard cash

are we willing to sacrifice and commit to the work in this community? I’ll confess it was a humbling

experience for me recently when we crunched the numbers at my household. We decided to eat

out less so we could give more.

Let’s make the investment, commit financially to something bigger than ourselves, sacrifice for a

purpose. Let’s thoughtfully consider taking ourselves from the columns and rows on a budget

proposal to a faithful community of love, compassion and inspiration to others in God’s Kingdom.

That’s who we really are. Thank you, Sherry Owens