Halfway Point to 2021
“We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
Colossians 1:9-14
FROM RYAN’S DESK
Here we are, already passing the halfway point of 2021!
We want to take this midpoint to give you an update on the giving and finances of Living Waters so that you can be with us in this as we walk out financial recovery after a difficult 16 months!
Financial giving is down approximately 25% percent year over year when comparing to 2019 and 2020. This means we continue to tighten our belt financially to weather this season without having to lay off anyone on our staff or pastoral team or cut significant ministries. Thankfully as a church, we carry no debt and have savings to draw on – this has allowed us to navigate through. But, if giving doesn’t rebound very soon, the hard reality is that we will have to reduce payroll, ministries, and other vital components of our church.
Living Waters relies solely on your monthly generosity to run the church and build a budget.
We want to use this mid-point in the year to invite those who have joined Living Waters but haven’t yet partnered with us financially to give in to this church. Even if your gift is small, it matters to us, and in faith, we believe that God blesses generosity of all amounts and multiplies it for His Gospel and Kingdom to take root in our region.
We invite those who have been a part of Living Waters for a while but haven’t yet been able to partner with us financially to pray and ask the Lord to lead you into healthy monthly giving. We understand that giving is a risk and is often done sacrificially. We honor that and believe with you that God is our provision and He will not leave you without as you trust Him in a new step of faith.
We invite those who have stopped giving in 2020 to reengage with us physically and financially. This last year has been a year of disruption and reset for all of us, but we sense it is time for all of us to come back together (as soon as you are able) and recommit to making time and space in our lives to gather and to give. After a long season, it will be challenging to step back into spiritual disciplines and rhythms, but it is so worth it! We have an opportunity to model faith and generosity over the next few months, and we are thrilled to invite you into it with us!
We ask for lots of grace as we engage in this conversation that can be awkward and confusing for a church. But we know that you have the spiritual and financial maturity to hear what is going on and respond as God leads you.
Ryan & Kate
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