Pastor's Report 2008

Dear Members and Friends of St. Peter Lutheran,
Our 150th year of ministry has been one of rich blessings. The council report included a few of the year’s highlights that only begin to testify to the work of God among us. We crafted these reports to include with the budget in order to draw your attention to the ministry that takes place when you support the work of God in this congregation through your prayer, participation, time, and offerings.
One important line item that has been added to the budget is benevolence giving. We are asking the congregation to take a step of faith with us and practice a principle known as “First Fruits Giving.” What we are proposing is that 3% of all undesignated offerings to our church will be given directly to the Synod, in addition to the designated offerings that some of you have already been passing on to support the wider church. Beyond its administrative role, the Synod carries out a wide variety of charitable and mission work throughout the region, nation, and abroad. We begin giving these first fruits at the rate of 3%, expecting that we will be challenged to grow to give away more in years to come.
I look forward to addressing this principle of first fruits giving in my sermon on December 7th. But I want to stress that our congregation will certainly be blessed by this action of giving something “away.” Our budget should reflect those things to which Christ has commanded us. The same God who commands us to worship the Lord in holiness and teach and preach the Word has also commanded us to care for the poor, the outcast, the sick, and make disciples of all nations.
The timing of this budget increase may seem odd, as we are entering hard economic times. Additionally, in recent months it has been a challenge for us to meet our current budget as we continue to pay for the renovation projects. But trusting God’s abundance – that God will provide everything we need– is the key to faithful living. We have so much to be thankful for. This church has been blessed with many resources (and no debt!), so to share of our God-given abundance with others will be a true joy and blessing for us.
This proposal will require your continued and increasing support in order to become a reality. Are you ready to take this step of faith with us? We pray your answer – and your vote – will be YES.
In Christ, Pastor Katherine