Blessed to Be a Blessing -

Annual Stewardship Campaign

November 13th,

Consecration Sunday

The theme for this year's campaign is

Blessed to Be a Blessing and is inspired

by Genesis 12:1-3.

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in

you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

The goal of our Blessed to Be a Blessing campaign is to teach the biblical principles of generous and faithful giving so that you and I might understand more deeply the connection between following Jesus and financial stewardship and experience morefully the joy of giving.

Churches that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians give to their

church merely as a way to pay the bills. The Bible focuses on the need of the giver to give, rather than on the need of the

church to receive. As opposed to treating you like members of a social club who are obligated to pay dues, Holy Covenant will treat you like disciples of Jesus Christ who are learning to walk in a trusting relationship with the Lord and who want to give cheerfully and see God glorified through the mission and ministries of our church.

Blessed to Be a Blessing will encourage our congregation toward proportionate and planned giving, in response to the

question, "What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?" During the Consecration Sunday worship service on

November 13th, we will ask all active participants and members of Holy Covenant to make financial commitments to our church's mission and ministries in 2012-those within our church and those that touch people "beyond our walls."

All commitments will be made voluntarily and confidentially.  Those present in worship on Consecration Sunday will be given

the opportunity to complete an Estimate of Giving card. Even if you have some resistance to completing a card, we urge you to attend. The process for filling out and turning in cards will be done in such a way that no one will feel personal embarrassment if he or she chooses not to participate.

Your Blessed to Be a Blessing team has amazing plans for the worship service on Consecration Sunday on November 13th. In addition, there will be a catered meal and great fellowship immediately following the 11:00 a.m. service. Since we will not

be making home visits to ask people to complete Estimate of Giving cards, it is our hope that you will make every effort to be present for worship and the meal on Consecration Sunday.

We look forward to journeying with you through Blessed to Be a Blessing, as we give thanks for the many ways in which we, as God's people, have been blessed and recognize how we are called to "pay it forward" and become a source of blessing to "all the families of the earth" (Genesis 3:3).

Rev. Andy Lewis

Pastor