Give thanks, with a grateful heart

At the beginning of July we noticed a challenge in our budget. There was a growing gap between our budgeted income and our actual giving. Although we weren't spending as much as we anticipated, our falling income was enough of a concern for us to decide we needed to take action. So we began to pray and set a date for a special offerings, a Gift Day. The response was remarkable.

On the day we raised nearly £10,000, a truly awesome response from everyone. Every single extra gift given that day made an important contribution to the budget of the church, but it said so much more. It said we are ready to rise to a challenge. If we can respondd to this challenge in this way, what challenges will God offer us to rise to next? I believe we are more ready to respond than we may have realsied before. We know that a lot of homes are coming to our area, and this is a great boost to our faith in respect of what God will do in our midst in the coming years.

It's a thrill to see the rising expectations and the extension of prayer that has continued beyond addressing the early financial need. Of course we now face the challenge of investing these extra gifts in the kingdom, and the ongoing challenge of bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse (Mal.3). But it's an exciting time for us, and we can all give thanks with grateful hearts that God has used these events to stir our faith and move us forward in our walk with him.