|
|
Weekly Events
|
|
New Year Resolutions With God In Mind
A New Year among other things is
often about making resolutions. These
resolutions are often things we want to change or improve on in our lives, starting
with a so-called “clean-slate”. And
isn’t that what life is all about, taking care of what God has given us: our
families, knowledge, possessions, skills, environment, wealth, etc.
In this new year of 2008, please keep God in mind as we
make our resolutions. Without him,
we’d have nothing. Not only consider
what you give and do for Deerfield Lutheran Church and the larger work of the
ELCA, but also yourself, family, community and country.
Happy New Year,
Stewardship Committee
Monthly Offering Envelopes In ECHO
Thanks
to the Stewardship and Finance Committees each household will now receive
your Deerfield Lutheran Offering envelopes in our monthly ECHO! You
will no longer need to remember where you put your envelope boxes since the
offering envelopes will arrive each month in your newsletter. (NOTE:
you contribution number appears in the upper corner of your address label and
is correlated with the envelopes enclosed.) The Echo itself is now
mailed in a large envelope that allows us to include regular and special
offering envelopes inside along with the newsletter.
Our special thanks to
Dave Riggle for getting these large envelopes printed, to Pira Mueller, Mark
Ziety, Rae Ponath and Arlyn Turnquist for the work they have done to
correlate our Echo and offering database.
We realize that some
of you make your contributions by writing a check monthly or on a semi
monthly basis – you may continue to do so! Also, those who give by
direct deposit can continue to give in this fashion. However, since we
have already purchased enough offering envelopes for all our household, this
system enables everyone to receive regular and special envelopes on a monthly
FROM THE TREASURER:
It was just a while back that I had real
difficulty even thinking in terms of automatic payments on my bills. I
like to know the exact amount and on what date payments are made. What
changed my thinking was our mortgage payment, which occurs on the same day
each month and is a specific amount. I don’t gave to write a
check, mail it in or worry about on-time payment if I am out of town. It
was a relief!
I found out I could do the same with my commitment
to the Lord’s work. I choose when I will pay and how much is to be
deducted from my account. When I am gone for the weekend my support is
still there!
Nor did I thin about how important this would be
for a congregation until I became the Treasurer and have responsibility for
paying the bills and sending our contributions to our ministries throughout
the world. Let me tell you – automatic transfer makes a difference. This
was the first summer in years we did not have to borrow funds in the
summer. A major reason was that we have a number of families who are on
automatic transfer this year. These are dollars we can count on no matter
what the families are doing or where they are each week.
Perhaps you are among those who send a check by
mail when you don’t make it to worship, or you make up for past non-payments
when you miss worship, in either case honoring the commitment you have made
to our ministry. There is an easier way to assure your timely support, and
the beginning of a New Year is a good time to start!
If you are interested in automatic transfer, you
may pick up a form at the church or get one directly from your bank. Thrivent
for Lutherans will also handle this for you at no charge. I would appreciate
knowing both the timing and the amount if you sign up, so I know prior to the
end-of-month bank statement what is transferred and when. Automatic
transfer giving is a great way to share the gifts with which we have been so
richly blessed.
Arlyn Turnquist, Treasurer
IT’S
NOT HOW MUCH WE GIVE,
BUT
HOW MUCH LOVE WE PUT INTO GIVING!
Mother Theresa
STEWARDSHIP AT DEERFIELD
LUTHERAN CHURCH
(DLC)
Many think that Stewardship is the church’s way of
getting money. This is not true. Education is the cornerstone of Stewardship.
Helping people to use what they have wisely and thankfully is the goal.
Almost all families, at one time or another, have financial stress. The
church¹s stewardship program can help people clarify priorities and develop
healthy relationships and attitudes toward material things.
A new educational aspect of Stewardship at DLC is our environmental
stewardship program "Caring for Our Mother". We continue in our
efforts to reduce our garbage by using the china, rather than plastic and
Styrofoam, for fellowship events. The paper from the office is being
separated for recycling. A number of DLC women have sewn fabric shopping bags
and gift bags. The use of such reusable bags will reduce the amount of
plastic and paper bags and wrap which goes to the landfills. The bags are
offered for sale periodically after worship.
We have each been blessed. The vast majority of us enjoy good health, we are
employed and we are able to live in a country that allows us to live where we
want, vote for our representatives in government and we are free to exercise
our faith. As Christians we sense that all that we have ultimately comes from
God. In gratefulness we give a portion of what we have to the ministry of
Jesus Christ. We do that in many different ways. While some of our
contributions are financial, our contributions of time volunteered to help in
the neighborhood, at church, the food pantry, the school or another
philanthropic organization is also important.
DLC has a history of celebrating the financial commitment of its
members. During each season of the
year members complete a Time & Talent
survey to allow the leadership to better utilize the talents and
interests of the people in congregational and community projects and
programs.
DLC is also committed to support missions beyond our congregation. We support
Lutheran Social Services, Lutherdale Outdoor Ministries, and the World Hunger
Appeal of the ELCA and the Jail Ministries on a regular basis by receiving
special quarterly offerings.
Please contact us if you have any ideas for other stewardship programs, if
you would like to serve on the Stewardship Committee or make contributions to
any of the programs.
|