Dear Church Family,
Michael and I arrived at San Ramon Valley UMC ready to connect with young families and to bring the outreach culture of Southern churches. Pastor Kim has asked us to share our passion for all forms of stewardship with you this season.
Time. To prepare for this role, we studied where the church has been and its vision moving forward. We met with several church leaders to share what stewardship looked like in our past churches and how our experience informs our hopes for San Ramon Valley UMC. We also prayed about it and read Scripture. Paul’s familiar guidance in Romans 12: 6-8 resonates with us. Please take a moment now to revisit the passage we know so well. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Treasure. We do need a budget to support our church’s ministries. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Our budget demonstrates where our heart is as a church. This year’s Stewardship Campaign will cover the ministries that your financial generosity supported. As we review 2021 and beyond, let us provide for these ministries and reflect even greater external orientation for serving God’s world and its people. For more information about the church ministries or our annual budget, please contact the church office at (925) 837-5243. Please pray and consider your own resources.
Talent. Only one of the seven spiritual gifts mentioned in Romans is about giving money. This message about sharing of multiple gifts often gets lost in our busy lives but it doesn’t make it any less real. At SRVUMC, you can engage in any of many different ministries, and we rejoice in the range of talents and skills our church family brings to each of them. Visit https://srvumc.org/ministries/ to explore the ways our church already serves our community or reach out to Pastor Mantu about small groups in action. Perhaps you will think of a new way for us to fill a need in the world around us.
This year, our call to action is to do more than just fill out a pledge card. Please take the time to think about your own spiritual gifts and our church; pray about how you can best use those gifts; and then make a commitment. If that commitment is financial, then we have provided details on our stewardship campaign page. If that commitment is another gift, then we look forward to serving alongside you as you share it.
Thanks for your prayerful consideration and commitment.
Megan and Michael Thompson