Hi Church!
This week we kick off a new sermon series that’s all about our relationship with money. Over the course of the next three weeks we will be diving into John Wesley’s advice on money from his sermon “The Use of Money.” There Wesley shows how money is a tool that can be used for great good if handled properly and if we have the right relationship with it.
My hope is that through this series we can gain a deeper understanding of we are blessed in order to be a blessing. One way your tithes, gifts, and offerings are being used for great good right here in Statesboro is through The REACH Fund. This ministry is a critical link between our church and the community.
On Wednesdays, volunteers take time to meet with those who need assistance from The Reach Fund. One recent Wednesday, I was greeted in the church office by a young mother and her son. They had come in to get help with their power bill and to get a bag of groceries. We chatted together in the office before our REACH volunteer guided them to the conference room for consultation. What happened next warmed my heart: the volunteer asked for the young woman’s name and her child’s name, she greeted them warmly and welcomed them well before proceeding to provide assistance after a short interview. I hustled off to get a bag of groceries for the family from our food panty, and when I returned, the family was being invited to join us for Wednesday Open Table and Sunday worship. They prayed with the volunteer before they departed. What our REACH volunteer had provided this family was both assistance and dignity.
Your generosity has made interactions like this possible. Since June, we have been able to come alongside 125 families to provide funds for power bills, water bills, gas bills, meals, and even temporary housing.
Still, there are many more families experiencing economic hardship during this turbulent season. I want to challenge you, over these next three weeks, to not only make a new commitment to support the church, but to also make a special gift to our REACH Fund. These special gifts will allow us to continue to give real relief to those in greatest need. You can give by dropping off a check at the church office, by mail, or online at PittmanPark.org/give.
Your wealth is a tool that can be used for great good and we have been blessed that we might be a blessing to others. May we continue to be a church that loves and supports our community and the least of these among us.
God bless,
Jonathan
For Jesus. For People. For Community.