The Time Is Now: Reaching OUT - Doing Justice & Mercy
1. A Prayer for the People of God
Shepherd of Israel,
hear our prayer
as your Son heard the plea
of the criminal crucified with him.
Gather into Christ's holy reign
the broken, the sorrowing, and the sinner,
that all may know wholeness,
joy, and forgiveness.
Amen.
6. “Pastors who take cues
from Paul are called to
nurture economic
Christoformity
(which means):
(1) care for the poor,
(2) wise use of
money/resources,
(3) unity ,
(4) worship,
and (5) equality.”
7. “Care for the poor runs deep
in the Bible, especially from
Deuteronomy on, in contrast
to the predominant attitude
of the Greco-Roman world.
That world nearly uniformly
despised the poor and did
not see almsgiving as
a virtuous activity.”
8. “When Paul tells the Galatians,
’Let us work for the good of
all, especially those of the
family of faith’ (6:9-10), he is
dealing in the language of
alms and economic relief.
These two verses echo
Galatians 2:10’s exhortation to
remember the poor…these are
not (vague generalities) but
’cruciform morality.’”
9. It is not that I am trying to lift the burden
of others only to burden you. But to restore
balance*, you who have more should give
to the ones in need. Then when they have more
than enough and you are in need,
they can help you. This is what I mean
by restoring balance.
* “equality” or “fair share”
2CORINTHIANS 8:13-15 (FNV)
10. “To ask whether we should
translate isotes as ‘equality’
or ‘fair shares’ or ‘fair balance’
is to steer the cart into the
ditch. The issue is mutual
material availability and
accountability
to one another…Paul thinks
all Christians are drawn into
a network of supplying for
one another.”
11. “What is even more clear is
that those living in abundance
are immediately summoned
by Paul to become generous
to those
in need. ‘The aim, for Paul,
of economic redistribution is
not that Christians with
something to give might
impoverish themselves, but
that a state
15. 1.Re-launch hosting in our building,
providing space for 2wks at a time;
we’ll provide volunteer oversight
for one of the weeks, FP will
arrange other volunteers for the
2nd week
OUR PLAN for 2023
January 15-
29
2023
16. 1.Re-launch hosting in our building,
providing space for 2wks at a time;
we’ll provide volunteer oversight
for one of the weeks, FP will
arrange other volunteers for the
2nd week
2.Invite + challenge all
existing/future MCs to embrace FP
host weeks as their designated
“OUT” that month
OUR PLAN for 2023
January 15-
29
2023
17. 1.Re-launch hosting in our building,
providing space for 2wks at a time;
we’ll provide volunteer oversight
for one of the weeks, FP will
arrange other volunteers for the
2nd week
2.Invite + challenge all
existing/future MCs to embrace FP
host weeks as their designated
“OUT” that month
OUR PLAN for 2023
January 15-
29
2023
18. 1.Based on Oct giving ($13,146)
we need to average $26,500/mo
for Nov/Dec + $23k YEG to meet
budget/protect reserved savings
the REALITY ofOURSITUATION
19. 1.Based on Oct giving ($13,146)
we need to average $26,500/mo
for Nov/Dec + $23k YEG to meet
budget/protect reserved savings
2.So far we’ve received just under
$8,700 in giving in November
the REALITY ofOURSITUATION
20. 1.Based on Oct giving ($13,146)
we need to average $26,500/mo
for Nov/Dec + $23k YEG to meet
budget/protect reserved savings
2.So far we’ve received just under
$8,700 in giving in November
3.If we don’t recover, we’ll start 2023
with serious prayer/discussion
about how we proceed re:
staffing/savings
the REALITY ofOURSITUATION
21.
22.
23. End-of-Year Giving - 2022
The Time Is Now to Support Vintage Church
Your generosity is needed and greatly appreciated!
24. Prayer
O God, in your Son Jesus Christ
you richly bless us with all we need:
bread from the earth and the bread of heaven,
which gives life to the world.
Grant that we would live with
grateful hearts to sing your praise,
in this world and
the world to come.
Amen.
