2008 Theme

Glorify God with Your Gifts:
A Community Enriched by Generosity

The first time the 2008 Stewardship Team met, Ruth led us in a bible study on 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9.  Read through the following passage out loud and write down all the words and phrases that jump out at you.  At the end, you will see what the team saw (or hear what the team heard) and how our theme was inspired by Paul’s writing to the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians, Chapter 9
Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, (2) for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.  (3) But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; (4) otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking.  (5) So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you, and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a voluntary gift and not as extortion.  (6) The point is this:  the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  (7) Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  (8) And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.  (9) As it is written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”  (10) He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.  (11) You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; (12) for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.  (13) Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, (14) while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you.  (15) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

These are the words / phrases the team highlighted when we read the passage:

"One who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully"
"Make a voluntary gift" not "an extortion"
"God loves a cheerful giver"
"Produce thanksgiving to God"
"Indescribable gift"
"Every blessing in abundance"
"Multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness"
"Receive surpassing grace from God"
"Glorify God"
"Joy given and received"
"Cheerful giver"
"Enriched by generosity"

As we looked at the words we had written down on the flip chart, “Glorify God” and “Enriched by Generosity” jumped out at us.  We wanted to include the idea of “community.”  So the theme became “Glorify God with Your Gifts: A Community Enriched by Generosity.”