Living the Covenant - Practice Makes Perfect

In addition to the covenant between God and us, the members of the congregation also make agreements each time a new member is welcomed into the community. We are a covenant community. First Church strives to follow the model of a Christian covenant community described in the Bible. United Methodist Church Bishop Schnase outline those practices in a now famous book and several years ago First Church brought them into our awareness and adopted them. The form the next circle of our graphic.

Each of these practices has an inner and an outer component.  We are present for each other in our worship, and present with God in prayer. We develop Faith Forming Relationships through our small groups studies and Sunday School classes, and relationships with God through our Prayer.

Risk-taking Ministries are carried out through service, and our gifts are given individually and privately through caring for each other. Extravagant Generosity describes how we give our gifts of money, a private covenant with God, and our gifts of time and talent through Service to the First Church community and the world.  

First Church has adopted one of those practices, Extravagant Generosity, as the theme for our annual financial stewardship emphasis which begins October 7. As members of the Circle of Stewards, you are well equipped to be leaders for this congregation in the various studies and activities during that emphasis. I hope you will in particular take part in the Heart Card component that enable each of us to share our spiritual growth experiences, and our ministry dreams for First Church. 

I have a poster by my desk at the church that uses the first of each of these practices: Passionate, Risk-Taking, Radical, Extravagant, Faith Forming. These are strong words. These are bold words.  Did you think the life of a Steward should be boring and morose? I think God is calling us to have an adventure.