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RICH
TOWARD GOD |
Giving Statements
In an effort to help make the church office more efficient and productive,
we are reducing the number of times we mail giving statements from each quarter
to twice a year.
The first biannual statement will be mailed in September,
dated January through August, and the second will be mailed in January, 2011,
dated January 1 through December 31, 2010. You will notice this change on your
upcoming September giving statement. If needed, exceptions to this schedule may
be requested through the church office at (410) 838-8081.
Did you know
LCGS has the ability to receive offerings via automatic, electronic giving? You
can elect to set up automatic deductions from your bank account, and you will
be able to track your offerings on your bank statements every month. It is a simple
process, and it only takes a few minutes to get started. You can change your giving
amount at any time. For more information about e-giving, please contact the church
office. |
DARE
TO LIVE FEARLESSLY....
Saint Paul wrote in Ephesians 3: And so here I am, preaching and writing
about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity
of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created
all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all
along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary
plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels! All this
is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ
Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold
to go wherever we need to go. [The Message]
How do we trust God so
that we can dare to live fearlessly (be bold to say what needs to be said and
go wherever we need to go)? To truly trust someone you need to communicate well
with that person, to have a solid, healthy, honest relationship. It is the same
way with God. God gave us the gift of prayer so that we might be able to communicate
and to be in relationship with him. Good communication is a two way street—it
requires not only talking, but also listening. If you do all the talking when
in prayer, how can you listen for what God has to tell you?
In Psalm 42
we are told, “Be still and know that I am God.” God often comes to us in the still
and silent spaces. It seems to me our culture is not comfortable with silence
or stillness. It is as though we always need noise and activity—phones, MP3 players/iPods,
TVs, video games, computers, etc. If we are to hear the Holy Spirit “whisper in
our ears” the words of comfort, understanding, encouragement and challenge we
need to hear, so we may dare to be about God’s work, then we need to take time
to both talk to and listen to him. In order to do this we need to block out distractions
and turn our attention to God.
When preparing to teach a FED hour class
on prayer, I found “Six Simple Suggestions Toward An Honest Prayer Life” in notes
from a class I took on prayer and would like to share them. Be
persistent in the effort to take time for prayer. When
starting prayer, scan the horizon of your life for needs and opportunities, for
epiphanies and evidences of God’s presence.
Allow
concerns hidden within your own mind to bubble up into your prayer. At
least once a week, read Scripture with no ulterior purpose than to be with God.
Trust
that God accomplishes good things through prayer.
Regularly
talk with someone about your faith and spiritual journey, either formally or informally.
My
experience has been that the “epiphanies and evidences of God’s presence” (#2),
become clearer not only as I read Scripture, and books on the Christian faith
(#4), but also, as I discuss what I am reading with my husband and/or a friend(#6).
Bible study groups are excellent for exploring faith and faith questions, and
for keeping each other praying.
There are many prayer methods and devotionals
that can be used to help you focus on God and many, many books about prayer—I
can even suggest a few and I am sure Pastor Cary can too. The important thing
is to take time every day to pray in a focused and intentional way. As your prayer
life becomes a part of the fabric of your life, you will be amazed at how blessed
you already are and how ready you will be to “dare to live fearlessly” for God.
~Vicki Beilfuss
WAYS
TO GIVE TO GOOD SHEPHERD
Planned
Gifts: Bequests (Wills and Trusts)
A bequest provision in your will or
trust will allow you to make a significant gift to ministry without reducing your
current income. You can specify a specific dollar amount or a percent of the estate’s
residual value to: Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1515 Emmorton Road, Bel
Air MD 21014. You may designate what fund it is to go to if you wish.
Life Insurance
By changing the beneficiary of your policy, you can
make a gift to ministry. Or, transfer the ownership of the cash value life insurance
policy.
Qualified Retirement Plans (IRA, Keogh, 401K, 403B)
Your qualified retirement plan can provide a significant gift to ministry. The
IRA Rollover for charitable gifts has been extended for 2008 and 2009.
The examples and information here is for illustrative and educational purposes
only and should not be considered legal advice. Please consult your tax or legal
advisor about proceeding with your estate plans.
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