Weekly Update // Pastor John
Dear Asbury Family,
Sometimes when we talk about money in church, people feel uncomfortable. We hear things like, “The church just wants my money.” And honestly, it’s true that we do want your money. But not for the reasons people often think. The truth is, God calls us to invest in His mission, because the way we handle our money reflects where our hearts are. Right now, one of the biggest challenges we face as a church is that we’re only able to spend about 1% of our budget on ministries for youth and children. For a church that believes in passing faith to the next generation, that’s a gap we can’t ignore.
I get it, talking about money can make any of us uneasy. We all have bills, commitments, and limited resources. Just like our personal budgets, the church has responsibilities that keep us running: staff, utilities, administration, and more. But beneath those numbers are stories of real people, our youth, our families, our neighbors, whose lives are touched by what we give.
That’s why our stewardship campaign this year is called “ALL IN: INvolved, INvested, INviting.” It’s an invitation to lean in instead of leaning away to trust that our giving isn’t just about meeting expenses, it’s about fueling ministry that changes lives. When we give generously, we open doors for others to encounter Christ.
Our youth group is growing. For months we’ve had a strong, faithful group of around ten youth who love being together and leading. Recently, they’ve started inviting friends, and for our Halloween party we had 17 youth! That’s momentum worth investing in. Imagine what could happen if, instead of 1%, we dedicated 5%, 10%, or even 20% of our budget to raising up young disciples and future leaders. This is just one exciting example of how your investment makes a difference.
This Sunday, Pastor Emily will preach on Matthew 6:19–21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If your heart is with our youth, our children, and the mission of this church, let’s show it. Let’s go ALL IN and see what the Holy Spirit can do when we trust God with our treasure.
Shalom,
Pastor John
P.S. We are going to send out Commitment cards this week and they will be available in worship. We invite you to prayerfully consider what you are going to commit this year to fund our mission. You can turn those in whenever you are done to the front office or you can bring those to our Commitment Sunday on November 23. Thank you for your generosity and going ALL IN in advance.