Church of The Apostles

Transcription

1 Church of The Apostles 2018

2 CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES Evangelical Anglican We are Christians who Worship in the Anglican Tradition. Our Mission is to Obey, Follow and Bear Witness to Jesus Christ. Church of The Apostles is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. 2

3 at Church of The Apostles The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost November 19, :00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 3

4 As I write the Stewardship Letter this year, I am sitting at the bedside of my aunt who is in Hospice Care. She is an 82 year old year woman whose health has been slowly declining for several years but it plummeted rather quickly in the course of a week and she is now in Hospice Care. This situation got me to thinking about life, and my life in particular. Sometimes we make plans in our head that we will take care of brokenness in our lives just as soon as.. (fill in the blank). As soon as I find the opportunity or as soon as I run into that person again. But this experience has brought it home that someday comes sometimes when you are not expecting it, not ready. During the past week, as I have sat by my aunt s bedside, I ve been reminded of the parable in Luke, chapter 12: A rich landowner said: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. 4

5 Am I being rich toward God, are we being rich toward God? Does God get our first fruits, or something else. First fruits of what? If we consider that what we have to offer God is our time, our talent, and our treasure, then we need to examine each one individually and take inventory in our lives. As we all seek to grow in faith, grow in trust and dependence on Jesus, we must realize we have only a finite measure of time to put Jesus first in our lives. As we grow closer to Him, seek Him first in all things, it will be with great joy and confidence that we will see His presence in our lives and that we are nothing without His grace. When we are filled with His love, we can t help but want to love others, love our neighbors. It is then that we can earnestly ask, How can I serve thee? Our days are numbered and we want to be ready when God calls us home. Thank you, Jesus, for continuing to shape us to be more like you. In the Peace of Jesus Christ, Deacon Deb Adams 5

6 The Scriptures repeatedly emphasize the sacrificial giving of one s income to those in need. This generosity involves not only giving to the Lord s work in the faith community, but also to those outside of the church for the purpose of mission activity. The Old Testament often speaks of the giving of the tithe (that is, ten-percent). Indeed, the earliest reference of tithing in the Bible shows Abram giving an offering of a tenth of everything to Melchizedek, a priest of God Most High, as a thank offering for God s protection in battle (Genesis 14:17-20). In Matthew 23:23, Jesus makes reference to the tithe, noting that it has been distorted by the scribes and Pharisees into a legalistic practice: Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. In this verse, Jesus points out that tithing is meant as a spiritual devotion or witness, on par with showing justice, mercy and faithfulness. It is important to note, however, that during Christ s earthly ministry and after his Resurrection and Ascension and the subsequent establishment of the New Testament church at Pentecost (Acts 2), the requirement to give a tithe or a tenth of one s income is never explicitly imposed on Christians. Rather than stipulating a fixed amount, the New Testament places emphasis on generous, sacrificial, abundant, cheerful giving: God loves a cheerful giver who sows bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), so wrote the Apostle Paul. The New Testament further promises that these cheerful givers will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way (2 Corinthians 9:11). Thus, while Christians are not obligated to give a fixed amount, it is hard to imagine (is it not?) that God would expect the people of the New Covenant to give any less than the ten-percent tithe given by the people of the Old Covenant. 6

7 The New Testament specifically encourages giving to assist others in need: If anyone has the world s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God s love abide in him? (1 John 3:17). The New Testament also places a significant emphasis on Christians financially supporting the needs of the local church and of those who do the work of ministry in the wider-church Universal: that is, the proclamation of the Gospel that proceeds from those called to serve as Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers (See Galatians 6:6). The earth is the Lord s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). The Holy Scriptures teach that God is the owner of all persons and all things, that we believers are but stewards of our lives and possessions, and that (first and foremost) God s ownership and our stewardship must be acknowledged. Planned, sacrificial and systematic giving is an obvious recognition that everything we have comes from God. The practice checks our greed, promotes personal discipline and thrift, testifies to our faith in Christ, promotes God s work in the world, and helps alleviate human need. While tithing is clearly not a requirement for New Testament believers (and is certainly not a condition for salvation), the giving of the tithe points to a very significant Biblical model; one that should be included as a legitimate orthodox theological position concerning what may be considered the minimal standard for Christian giving. Thus, while we are aware that tithing can for some easily become a legalistic requirement of the law rather than a cheerful offering motivated by the love of God shown toward us in Christ, the giving of ten-percent of one s income to the church for the universal work of the Gospel ministry is a good spiritual discipline and a wise and Biblically appropriate beginning point for mature Christians. After all, the ultimate purpose in all that we do as believers is to glorify God! The above article is composed of excerpts from the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference s Statement on Biblical Stewardship. 7

8 Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. (1 Chronicles 29:14) The Constitution and Bylaws of Church of The Apostles states the following about tithing:...members are expected to affirm this Congregation s belief in the tithe the cheerful giving of ten percent of one s income as the generally received Biblical norm and the traditional standard of Christian giving... [Article V.1]. How close do you come to giving what the apostles taught the earliest Christians to offer to the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church? If you are not yet tithing, or have never even considered working toward the goal of doing so, why not pray about the issue of your own Christian stewardship and ask God to guide you in the Holy Spirit as you make your pledge to his holy Church for

9 Trust the Lord Last November I was diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer. When you hear the C word, the whole world around you comes crashing in. I became depressed and lost interest with participating in daily life routines. It took me around 2 weeks to pull myself out of my rut and give it up to God. I could not continue to carry that burden anymore. Once I let it go, I accepted that whatever happens, God is in control and not me. Once I did that, I transitioned from being anxious and worried to being calm and more like myself. Fast forward 2-1/2 months later, a gifted surgeon by the name of Dr. Douglas Dahl removed my prostate in its entirety. The post-surgery pathology report showed that I had clear margins around the prostate and the lymph nodes taken out were clear. I am truly blessed to be cancer free and to have a God that is ready and willing to take my heavy burdens and calm the storms of life. Put your trust in the Lord and he will get you through whatever storm life throws your way. John Adams 9

10 First, I want to say a big thank you from my heart to all my faithful and loving Brothers and Sisters at Church of The Apostles, who for 30 years have loved me, taught me and guided me through both my challenging times and my joyous times. I have been strengthened and stretched in my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our gifted and loving Ministers have taught me so many comforting messages that come right from the Bible, that I didn t know were there! Here are three of them God sees all that we do, God loves us unconditionally and God forgives us when we pray to Him confessing our sins and asking for His forgiveness. These three lessons give me the strength to love myself and then others as well as to give a fresh new beginning to each day. My time belongs to the Lord! What I do with it is up to me! Do I glorify God in all that I do or say or think? No! Do I strive to do His work? Yes. Do I fall short each and every day? Yes. What beauty do I see in this? Every 24 hours God gives us a new day to begin with a fresh slate. I need that! 10

11 So what gifts has God given me? Our awesome God filled me with an abundance of love and sensitivity at the time of creation. I will give you just one example of how I think I use these two gifts. Whenever I meet up with or pass by a stranger or a friend, I feel a closeness or a connection. First I give them a smile and then sometimes I feel God nudging me with a word or two to say. It may be a positive comment about the weather or the situation we are in at that moment or a compliment for them or an honest, pleasing comment about the service they are performing. I am filled with joy inside me, God s blessing. I feel so blessed that God has given me the desire and strength to want to help others and to be able to put a few of His words of love and sometimes encouragement on their hearts. I see my tithing as a thank you note to God for the many, many blessings He bestows on me, everyday! Always remember that everyone of us is God s unique creation. As Brothers and Sisters, when we pray and listen to God, He will show us the ways to love each other. I love each of you. Sandy Restall 11

12 Two things I ask of Thee, do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty or riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9) As I turn 60, I am reflecting back over the years of my life, some good, some not so good. But what I do see is that in every case, God has always given me enough. Enough. It s a word you don t hear in our vocabulary today, because if we heed what we hear from the voice of the world, we are sure that we never have enough; there is always so much more we need to have. That s why I love this proverb, as a matter of fact, I think it is my favorite, because when I get off the track thinking that I don t have enough, it puts it all into perspective. When we read about the Israelites it is clear they rarely thought they had enough, and certainly they knew they were depraved when they traveled through the wilderness those 40 years or so. And when they finally reached the promise land, it was 12

13 wonderful, a land filled with milk and honey, just as God had promised. But as time went on and they continued to prosper and flourish, they claimed that it was their hard labor that brought them all their wealth and, in fact, they did not need God anymore. Where did that get them? It s when I make these proclamations to others that God tests me on this the most, and I really have to pray that He keeps those lies far from me. I need this reminder every day because like so many, I m not much different from the Israelites much of the time. By the Grace of God it s been a good life, and I need His grace daily because I still have a long way to go. And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Cathy Morgan Forever be loved by you. You alone are Jesus Christ our Lord. By prayer let your request be filled. By many you will be loved not by force but by choice. 13

14 My growth in faith in Jesus Christ and how it affects my stewardship: my time, talent and treasure. God has a plan for all of us. As our faith grows in Him the Holy Spirit works through us. For me, I am able to work full time with some of the most vulnerable people. People who either do not know about or have forgotten about God s love. I try to incorporate my faith in my work. I am told all the time I don t know how you can do that job (Child Abuse and Neglect Investigator for RI). I feel my job is my calling. I feel that God has given me a talent to be able to help children and families. Robert McMahon Jr. Jesus calls his disciples to a new way of life the Christian way of life. He calls us individually, by name. Each of us, whether we be minister, clerk, teacher, nurse, mother, father, child, has a personal vocation. God intends each of us to play a unique role in carrying out his divine plan. It is our challenge to discern God s call (our vocation) and respond generously to this call. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) 14

15 At the Church Council meeting held on this past October 19th, our Congregation s leadership collectively made their pledges to the work of ministry here at Church of The Apostles for the year Ten members of the leadership team pledged as follows: Total pledges for 2018: $ 88, This is an average of $ 8, or $ per week for each member. 15

16 Total Annual Weekly Offerings $329, $320, $285, $285, *$283, * Projected Weekly Offering for 2017 based on the current level of giving year-to-date. Five Year Giving History The following is a breakdown of offerings received in the weekly offering envelopes for 2013 through the first nine months of While individuals give in various frequencies (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.), all offerings were calculated to determine each giver s weekly offering. Offering Amount (per week) (Jan Sept) $ or more $ $ $ $ $50.00 $ $25.00 $ $10.00 $ Less than $ Total Givers Average Weekly Offering $46.63 $47.72 $49.03 $55.47 $

17 From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. (Luke 12:48) On Sunday, November 19, Congregants will be asked to bring to the Lord a financial pledge, as well as a commitment of time and talent, toward the work of the ministry of Church of The Apostles for the year Pledges should be made after prayerful consideration. Church members are asked to take the pledge cards that you will receive in the mail with you to worship on November 19 and bring them to the holy Table at an especially appointed time during the 8:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, so that as a community of faith we may present [ourselves] as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is [our] spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). Please continue to pray for the mission of Church of The Apostles as we jointly prepare to make a commitment of our time, talent, and treasure to God for the year For we are the Lord s people: servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1), a people called to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God [Bylaws, Article V.1]. Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High. (Psalm 50:14) 17

18 A Daily Bible Reading Plan for Stewardship DAY 1 God s first gifts to us Genesis 2:7; 1:29-30; 3:21 DAY 2 The first recorded tithe Genesis 14:17-20 DAY 3 The joy of giving 1 Chronicles 29:1-18 DAY 4 The reward of obedience Isaiah 55:1-2 DAY 5 The reward of giving Malachi 3:6-10 DAY 6 The servants choice Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13-15 DAY 7 The freedom of giving Matthew 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31 DAY 8 The disappointed man Mark 10:18-25 DAY 9 The generous women Mark 12:41-44 DAY 10 The dishonest gift Acts 5:1-10 DAY 11 Putting things into perspective 1 Timothy 6:6-10 DAY 12 Regular, planned, proportionate 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 DAY 13 God gives...we give...god gives 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 DAY 14 Let us thank God! 2 Corinthians 9:

19 CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES Evangelical Anglican 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Church Office: (401) Superintendent s Residence: (401) website: apostlesri.org office@apostlesri.org fax: (401) The Holy Eucharist Christian Education, Children & Teens Christian Education, Adults Evening Prayer Morning Prayer Sunday 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Sunday 9:15 a.m. Sunday 9:30 a.m. First Wednesday of each month 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. Superintendent Church Administrator Communications Officer Communications Assistant Director of Christian Education Organist and Music Director Assistant Organist Sacristy Minister Sexton Treasurer Clerk Church Staff The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Gammon Erin Mead Barbara Bickerstaff Kerri McMahon Linda Jones Marianne Salisbury Shyanne Slinko Paulette Donovan Mike Edwards Bob Bickerstaff Barbara Allegretti Board of Elders The Rev. Rob Geoffrey The Rev. Blessing Jacobs The Rev. Conrad Ruppert (Elder Emeritus) The Rev. Mark Galloway (Bishop-retired) Ecclesiastical Dignitaries Lady Linda Greco Lady Sue Pillsbury Board of Servants Archdeacon Bill Sexton Congregational Care Minister Deacon Kathy Kettle Outreach Minister Deacon Deb Adams Stewardship Minister Deacon Doug Stomberg Buildings and Grounds Minister Deacon Emerita Cathy Morgan 19

20 Church of The Apostles 170 Fairview Avenue Coventry, Rhode Island