Pass It On

What does Generosity of Spirit mean? The theme verse this year for our Stewardship Campaign was “The world of the generous gets larger and larger” Proverbs 11:24 (The Message). To me, generosity of spirit is about passing it on to others – those in your family, those in your church, and those in your community.

Who taught you to be generous with your time? My family is blessed to have my parents as members of this church. They have been active here since the church began. We have watched them volunteer as ushers and greeters on Sunday mornings, help with mailings during the week as well as support the Care team. In the early days of the church (before I came on staff and did it for a living), my husband Steve and I served on various teams throughout the church (Finance Team and Building Team), volunteered for Vacation Bible Camp (me not him), and mission trips (then and now). I say this not to impress but to show that while we loved doing all these things, at the same time we were teaching our children how to be involved in the community we call Stonebridge UMC and beyond. It was important to us to serve the Lord and at the same time teach our children the values of being generous with our time.

Who taught you to be generous with your money? Each week I watched as my parents set the example both growing up and here at Stonebridge UMC supporting the church with their finances. We give to the church through payroll deduction and through a monthly check to the church. We talked to our children as they were growing up about the importance of giving. Each year as the Stewardship Campaign kicked off, Steve and I would discuss what our family would do to try to increase our gift to the church to work towards reaching a tithe.

Who are you teaching about weekly worship and fellowship with others in the church family? Sunday mornings at 8:15, Mom and Dad are here (and if they are not I get a little worried) setting the example that worship is important. When our kids were growing up we were at church every Sunday usually sitting on the front row (yes they could be distracting but they learned how to behave in church) after Sunday school. Now the boys are in college and attend when they are home, and our daughter is married living in Dallas where she and her husband have found a new church home where they attend weekly. I believe that the lessons they learned at Stonebridge UMC from the many people that touched their lives have helped them become the adults they are today.

In your Stewardship Campaign packet, there was a Personal Goals and Commitment card. Take a moment and go back and fill it out with your family. Think about how you can pass on your generous spirit to the next generation so that we continue to spread the message of the love of Jesus Christ to the world.

(Now on a Finance Ministry Team note: We have approved a budget for 2010 of $1.95M which is the same budget that was set for 2009. To date we have received 225 pledge cards. If you have not had an opportunity to turn in your card, please bring it to church on Sunday or drop it in the mail.)


Peace,
Cindy MorelandExecutive Director

GriefShare

Recently, Pastor John invited our staff to share our passions for the ministries we are involved in here at the church. As your Administrative Assistant and a GriefShare facilitator here at the church, I wanted to take a moment and share my passion for a program in which I am involved. GriefShare takes a healthy approach to dealing with bereavement and the healing process after the loss of a loved one. Furthermore, GriefShare takes you through the steps of grieving, helps you experience coping skills and reveals how God can be in control while your life is turned upside down.

Grieving takes on different meanings for each individual who is experiencing a loss. The Dictionary defines grieving as, “keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss, sharp sorrow, or painful regret.” For some people grieving can take on the metaphor of an "unwanted houseguest". What’s important is not so much how you define it as how you deal with the emotions at hand.

The GriefShare support group is a safe place to come and share your emotions, thoughts and pain as a result of the loss of a loved one. Just knowing there are others who are making this journey with you can help in the healing process. When we reflect on the poem "Footprints in the Sand", the message we receive is that God carries us through our most difficult journeys. On the journey of grieving, there are two things of which you can be sure. One, your emotions will be changing throughout the process. And two, God won't change. He has always been there for you and always will be there for you.

One former member, Correnda, reveals: "The GriefShare program was a big help to me as I had just recently lost my mom. This program helped me to realize that all people grieve differently in their own way. I now understand much better what the grieving process is all about and how to accept my mom's death. The GriefShare program is an excellent one that I would recommend to anyone who has experienced a loss and is having a difficult time. I have become good friends with some of the people that were in the group with me."

As an acting GriefShare facilitator, I have had many opportunities to reflect on my own experiences. God has taught me how to embrace the love and memories I hold dear in my heart for those loved ones that have gone on before me. I am grateful to be a part of the GriefShare program and the healthy approach it offers individuals who are going through bereavement.
If the opportunity should ever arise and you feel the need, please join Cindy Halderman, Sadie Varela and myself on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in room MC252.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven: a time to be born and a time to die....a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4

Many Blessings,
Toni Peyton Grace