Pastor’s Letter: The Fruit of Unexpected Blessings

Enjoying a long Indian summer in Fernley, Nancy and I just picked the last of our tomatoes.  We’ll send some over to the Food Pantry and enjoy the rest as they ripen from pink to red. 

Remember that cold snap back in September?  Temperatures plunged to the mid-twenties, and we thought the warm weather was over.   But you can’t predict Nevada weather.

Neither can we predict the movements of God’s grace.  Surely, God’s will is loving, and God’s purpose is sure.  But God doesn’t always let us in on the next act of His plan!  We wonder sometimes.    God has a way of keeping us guessing.  But always for our good. 

In our Fellowship there’s an air of expectation as we anticipate what God will be doing next.   Our Council has set November 22 as our annual pledge Sunday (see article below).  Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming.  We’re reaching out to our community, letting people know we’re here, helping the hurting, and welcoming newcomers into God’s grace.  Exactly how that will happen, we don’t know.  That’s the adventure of living in faith. 

I’m enjoying the tomatoes, little gifts of God to enjoy even in November.   God’s goodness keeps on surprising us.  I look forward to sharing those surprises with you.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Developer Paul Theiss

“THANKS AND GIVING” CONSECRATION SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22

All members and friends are invited to consider in prayer their giving to our fellowship.  On Sunday, November 22 worshipers who choose will offer their pledges for coming support along with their regular offering.  After worship we’ll enjoy each other’s company at a potluck Thanksgiving feast.  While we eat the pledges will be counted, and then the total for the day will be announced!  Come and enjoy the day, and see faith in action among God’s people.

We invite everyone to reflect on their giving in the light of these three Scriptural principles:

1.  Proportionate Giving:  Setting aside a percentage of my total income as a gift to the Lord, acknowledging that God has given me everything I have.

      I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.  For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.  And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.  For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.    II Corinthians 8: 8-12

2.   First Fruits Giving:  Setting aside my planned gift first, and living on the rest.

      On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn…   I Corinthians 16: 2

3. Growth Giving:  Evaluating my giving yearly, and if I am sufficiently blessed, increasing my giving by 1% of my total income. 

     The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.  As it is written,

          ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever.’

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.  – II Corinthians 9: 6-10

Small Group News

The Women’s Daytime Fellowship Group meet on Fridays.  Contact Alice Person at 835-0943.

The Joyful Noise/ Family Fellowship Group meet on Thursday evenings at 7pm.  They are welcoming new members.  Contact Nancy Satterford at 835-3104 or Marcie Vallejo at 575-6332.

The Men’s Fellowship group meets Thursday mornings at 7am at the Wigwam.  Contact Jim Stewart at 575-4035.

The Monday evening group meets on Monday at 6:30pm.  Contact Mike Patterson at 359-4675 or June Dawson at 835-8502 for further information