Giving

(Our Guest blogger today is Cam Johnson)

On this Stewardship Sunday, I’d like to share a story with you, but first remind you of next week’s Pledge Sunday. What is a pledge really? Practically speaking, it’s an estimate of your giving for the coming year, which in turn, helps fund everything we do as a faith community. Spiritually speaking, your pledge is your response to God’s abundance in your life. It is both a statement of thanksgiving and an outward sign of our commitment to follow in the way of Jesus, by giving as God continually gives to us. A pledge can thus help you to grow in your faith and trust in God. By giving in a regular, committed way, a pledge can turn your giving into a spiritual practice just like prayer or worship which helps keep God a priority in our lives. I’ve found that when I give in a committed way, it helps to keep me focused on God.

As John Wallgren mentioned when he spoke last Sunday, we love hearing and sharing stories from you about what stewardship with God and our church means to you. We received the following meaningful story from Andrea Johnson:

“I’ve been in the church my whole life, but my journey as a more faithful giver began when I came to Winnetka Covenant. Before I came to Winnetka, I had always had a scarcity mentality when it came to my finances and my giving. I never gave to the church in a regular, planned way. I gave a little here and there, not from the first fruits of my labor. I wanted to be generous, but I was always afraid that I wouldn’t have enough for my own needs. Now I’m a lay person here, but when WCC called me as the Pastor of Discipleship and Outreach in 2006, I brought with me a sizable amount of debt from school loans, credit cards and a loss on a home sale. Two church members asked me if I had debt, out of concern for my financial health. They didn’t want financial worries to interfere with my flourishing as their pastor. I shared the number with them. They said they wanted to give me a no-interest loan for the whole amount that I needed to pay off all of my debt, with the expectation that I would pay them back with monthly payments that would work for me. I was blown away. I was so amazed at their generosity toward me, for the sake of the church and my well-being. I was so grateful. I accepted their gift and sent them each a monthly check and paid them back in full over several years. They saved me thousands of dollars in interest. But more than that, they inspired me to be generous like they were, and also responsible with the gifts that had been given to me. I was able to send them monthly checks, but I simultaneously began giving to the church almost a 10th of my gross income. I felt free to give more to special projects and needs expressed. I continue to do that to this day. The generosity of those individuals made a lasting impact on my life. I have found joy in giving, not a burden. This church is a generous church, and that generosity inspired generosity in me. So, I first want to say “thank you” to this church, and I want to encourage anyone who is holding back to let loose and experience the joy of being generous.” 

I’m grateful to Andrea for sharing this story and grateful to all of you here and those watching at home for your steadfast support of and participation in this church family.

Cam Johnson