Stewarding God's Love in 2027...and Always
A Note from Pastor Ryan:
When the word stewardship comes to mind, most people automatically think of money; yet stewardship is quite simply the job of caring for something that has been entrusted to us. I would say money is certainly one of the things we are called to steward in each of our lives—how we use our money is an indication of where our priorities lie—but stewardship is so much bigger than money, especially in how it lends to the mission and ministry of Christ’s church.
This is Jesus’s church, and we are called to be good stewards of it. I believe we do a good job of that at Lebanon FUMC. We do a good job of stewarding our campus to make sure it is a safe place where ministry happens and where our community gathers. We also do a good job of stewarding the gospel we are called to share to the world. Finally, we do a good job of steward-ing our community. This church is called to be a leader in Lebanon, to influence outcomes in the community so as to have a positive impact on all who live in it.
This past Sunday, we began spending some time talking about how we also steward love. Love is a deeply theological word that we do not give enough credence to. Love is something that there is not enough of in the world. We believe this church is called to love and serve Lebanon. As we care for the love that has been given to us by God, and look how we can best share it with the world around us, we maximize the impact we can make. I know people are hurting right now in a lot of ways. Rising food, gas, rent, and healthcare costs are hitting people hard. Many people have lost hope with all that is going on in the world, with all they are dealing with in their own lives, and with loved ones. This is what makes the work of the church so important. It’s what we were made for!
Our work is measured by how we love. We love our children and youth, giving them a safe environment to nurture and grow their faith. We love our senior adults, creating opportunities for sharing in community. We love our families by building a welcoming place for worship and fellowship. We love our young adults by giving them support in the midst of big life changes. We show our love of God by how we worship and grow in the image of Jesus. And we love our community by providing all we can for those in need around us.
One of the many ways we work to love is by preparing a responsible budget for ministry before each year begins. We all participate in this process by completing good faith estimate of giving for the year. These commitments help us ensure we are maximizing our impact as the church.
Enclosed is your Estimate of Giving card for 2027. I hope you will prayerfully fill it out and bring it forward during worship on November 15th or before. On that day, we will consecrate these “first fruit” commitments to God at the altar and ask God to use them to help us love and serve Lebanon in the upcoming year. If you have any questions about any of this, or if you would like help setting up your giving, feel free to reach out to our business administrator, Cori Brantley at 615.444.3315 or
Notice that also on this card, there is a place to make a commitment to our missions fund (which is our outreach arm to feed people and do other community service), and the building fund (which helps to maintain and improve our building and grounds).
In addition, you may use this card to ask for more information on estate planning. We have an endowment fund with over a million dollars in it currently. The principal of this fund cannot be touched, but the interest is used in many different ways to help the church leave a lasting legacy of love. Over the last few years, it has helped the church purchase a strategic house adjacent to our campus, do major repairs on our steeple, upgrade our on-site and online worship capabilities, and perform several critical campus maintenance projects. With the simple act of including your church in your will, you can be part of this ongoing legacy.
Finally, as burial costs skyrocket, we want to remind you that we offer a comforting and cost-efficient ministry for end-of-life planning with our columbarium. If you would like more information on how to purchase a niche, check the box on the Estimate of Giving card, and we will connect with you.
As always, if I can serve you in any way, please reach out to me at 615.260.8412.
Blessings,
Ryan