Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for
yourselves treasure in heaven... for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
(May/June 2011)
By Pastor Keith Diehl, Mountainview Parish, Wellsboro
Three years ago, I was appointed to a four-point charge and quickly fell in love with the wonderful people I am blessed to shepherd. After one year, I set a goal to encourage people to “give and live.” Give from the riches we all have and live a life that shows everyone the joy of the Lord.
Almost monthly, we have an opportunity to fellowship and serve through fundraisers. However, it’s easy to become focused on raising the money instead of on the ministries that money supports. My mentor suggested a way to use this as a learning experience.
At the next Administrative Council meeting, I respectfully suggested we stop doing fundraisers unless we were willing to tithe the income and give it away to those in need. We talked about the discipline of tithing, and the group decided to give it a try. After the next fundraiser, I received the following report. Look at the results after we began to tithe:
2007 - $ 738.79
2008 - 831.59
2009 - 788.70
2010 - 1,028.00
After all expenses were paid and we gave away our tithe, we still were blessed with a large increase. We have been given the template for Godly living if we can just discipline ourselves to follow God’s will.
We also established a Friends in Deed account with the proceeds from a fundraising venture. This is an account the pastor may use to help anyone in need for any reason. We’ve since given away thousands of dollars (never in cash) to anyone in need. We’ve paid utility bills, purchased groceries, provided housing, fixed cars, and paid for rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol. And, guess what? The account just continues to remain full, even in these difficult times.
I am sure many of you have similar stories of churches that are alive and well. The people of the Mountainview Parish are involved in many missions outside the walls of the church. And it all starts with a heart for giving. Giving and living the Word.
For more information contact Phyllis Bowers at (local) 717-766-5376 or (toll-free) 1-877- 619-5974 or e-mail
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