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Bob Shelly shared his reasons for coming to church...
Dear Friends of Faith UCC,
Twenty-five years ago in October of 1999, our church embarked on a stewardship campaign. As part of that campaign, several of us were asked to share our thoughts on stewardship and why we attend church.
A lot has changed in our church over the past twenty-five years. Attendance at Sunday morning services isn't as high as it used to be, some may say that our Sunday School and youth programs aren't as robust as they once were and our financial position certainly isn't as strong as it was twenty-five years ago...BUT...the number and breadth of mission programs that we do today has never been higher and the leadership position that our church has taken in the community supporting Betty Lou's Pantry along with our administration of the Samaritan Fund, has never been stronger.
As it relates to my thoughts on stewardship and why I attend church, nothing has really changed over the years. My thoughts are still the same. So, at the risk of perhaps a little embarrassment, I'm going to "recycle" what I said twenty-five years ago and if you happened to be here that Sunday in October and have a good memory, what you read below may sound familiar.
When I was asked to share my thoughts on stewardship and why I support the church with my time, talent and dollars, it made me reflect on the past eighteen years of being a member of this church. Soon after joining the church, I served on Consistory and the Budget & Finance committee. Since then, I've also been active on the Staff Relations, Bylaws, and the Enduring & Memorial Gifts committees. I also serve as one of the financial secretaries.
I support Faith Church with my time and talent because my participation not only allows me to get to know some of the members of the congregation better, but more importantly, it fulfills a need that I have of giving something back...giving something back to God in gratitude for everything that he has given me. I truly consider myself to be very fortunate.
For many of us, volunteering of our time goes beyond the walls of the church as we support community agencies and other non-profit organizations. And I'm sure for many of us we may find that at times we spread ourselves pretty thin. But when I get to that point, I think of what my father-in-law likes to say..."God gave us two hands, one to help ourselves and one to help others." It makes me feel good when I know my contribution to a group or a committee has helped make a difference.
I support Faith Church with my dollars because I'm so thankful for the religious education my daughters, Alison & Deanna received every Sunday morning. It began years ago in Sunday school with Miss Brenda and Miss Doris and continued through their confirmation with Pastor Bruce. We have a very dedicated group of Sunday school teachers and I'm thankful to them for their sharing of their time and talent.
I support Faith Church with my dollars for the weekly "renewal" of my faith that I receive by attending our worship services. There have been times over the years when I needed to draw down deep into my faith...times of dealing with the loss of a loved one, dealing with a health concern, or sometimes just making difficult decisions. But the Sunday morning messages that I hear from OUR pastor, and the spiritual music that I hear from OUR organist and OUR choir, gives me the "renewal" that ultimately keeps my faith strong.
I support this church with my dollars because I recognize from a practical standpoint, it takes money to maintain such a property and it takes money to further support our mission work in the community and beyond.
Supporting our church with your time, talent and dollars is a personal decision. For me, it's been a relatively easy one. I'm very grateful to God for everything he has given me and giving something back through our church makes me feel good.
Respectfully,
Bob Shelly
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