Whiteboard: Stewardship Kick Off

With a huge assist from our friends at the Center for Faith and Giving, I'm happy to present my Whiteboard rendition of this year's Stewardship Logo!

This Sunday we are kicking off our Stewardship Campaign!

We have adopted the theme “Go & Do the Same,” which comes from Luke 10:37. At the end of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (a story about putting your faith in action) Jesus instructs us, “Go and Do the Same.”

So all throughout our Stewardship Season we’ll be talking about the ways that we take our faith and put it into action. As we’ve done for the previous two years we have adopted a Narrative Budget. That means that we’ve taken the proposed budget that our Treasurer has put together and translated it into the three broad categories that define our work here at FCC Scottsdale: Worship, Mission and Ministry.

(As a brief reminder, we take those three defining words right out of our Mission Statement. Every Sunday at the beginning of worship I proudly proclaim “At First Christian Church Scottsdale we are a Christ-centered community inviting everyone to seek and celebrate God’s love through joyful worship, mission and ministry!” So, of course, when it comes to describing the work we do we’d use those words.)

Our Stewardship Season will last four weeks. This Sunday we’ll kick off the campaign and focus on Worship! On Sunday October 30 (which is also “The Fifth With First”) we’ll focus on Mission with a special sermon at the worship service in the sanctuary from Rev. Al Beasley. On November 6 I’ll preach about Ministry, and then we’ll wrap up the whole campaign on Dedication Sunday, November 13 where we will turn in and bless our Pledge Cards.

We’ll kick off the campaign this Sunday where I’ll be presenting the first look at our Narrative Budget (including everyone’s favorite: The Pie Chart!). Then next week you’ll be getting your own detailed copy of the Narrative Budget along with a Stewardship Letter as well as your 2017 Pledge Card.

Come and join us!

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Luke 10:25-37 The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’

Luke 7:36-8:3 A Sinful Woman Forgiven

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet.You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

Some Women Accompany Jesus

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him,as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.