Sustaining Generosity

by Clay Stauffer

April 05, 2019

We are officially kicking off our spring stewardship campaign with the theme “Sustaining Generosity.” Paul writes in II Corinthians 9: “Those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly; those who sow generously will also reap generously…the Lord loves a cheerful giver.” Mark and Kasey Clymer will be our chairs this year and I am grateful for their leadership and passion. The stewardship campaign is different from the capital campaign. The stewardship campaign happens every April and it funds the basic ministries and operations of the church. Here are some of the reasons that we are called to give to the church:

• Generosity is part of being a faithful Christian
• Generosity is a spiritual discipline and practice
• Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 7)
• The church is completely dependent on the support of its members to function and operate
• Annual commitments allow the leadership to responsibly set the operating budget
• Giving our financial resources away is a blessing to the giver
• Giving allows Woodmont to remain heavily involved in mission & outreach in the community & world

Here is a pie chart that shows how our stewardship dollars are currently being used at Woodmont:

It is divided into Worship, Spiritual Formation, Mission and Outreach, Children and Families, Youth and Young Adults, and Administration. These are the basic functions that we have as a church. Everything from worship to children’s ministry, from music to outreach, from education to recovery ministries, is made possible by our generosity. In recent years, we have been blessed to grow the operating budget and ministries of the church. Our goal is to keep that momentum going in the future. We also look forward to breaking ground on our new addition this summer that will house more children’s classrooms and a brand-new, multi-use chapel. Jesus also reminds us that the attitude we have towards giving is also very important. We give because we know that God has blessed us in many ways. We give to show our gratitude. Join me in making a commitment to this year’s stewardship campaign. Commitment Sunday will be April 28, the Sunday after Easter.