2012 Stewardship Campaign Begins October 9^th.

“Investing for Time and Eternity” is the theme of this year’s annual stewardship emphasis. Be honest. When you first saw or heard this year’s theme, didn’t your thoughts immediately turn to money? After all, that’s what “investing” is all about. Right?

As we’ll see in various ways throughout this year’s program, “investing” does involve money. But it’s not limited to money. Investing also includes other resources that God has given to us, including time and talents.

Robert G. Lee, a well-known pastor for many years in Memphis, wrote:

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,400 that carried no balance from day to day, allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and finally every evening canceled whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day, what would you do? Draw out every cent – of course!

Well, you have such a bank, and its name is “Time.” Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off – as lost – whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries no balances. It allows no overdrafts. Each day, the bank named “Time” opens a new account with you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.”

In other words, when it comes to time, it’s use it or lose it! And how we use it determines whether it becomes an investment or is simply used up for this life only. Jesus said we are to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. When we use our time to do that, when we make God’s work a priority in the use of our time, we are making a wise investment that will pay eternal dividends.

The same is true of the talents, gifts and abilities God has given us. We can figuratively bury them in the sand and refuse to use them in the Lord’s service. That’s what happens in many churches and even sometimes in this church. In most churches, regardless of size, 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. One pastor expressed it so distinctly when he lamented, “As much as we could use additional giving from God’s people, our greatest problem is not money. We just can’t get anybody to do anything.”

So “investing for time and eternity” includes how we use our “time” and “talents.” It also includes the use of our “treasure.” We are managers and stewards, not owners. God owns it all! When we give, we are simply giving back to God that which rightfully belongs to God.

As you consider your time, your talents and your treasure, will you be one who is “investing for time and eternity” by stepping out in faith to Harvest Church’s call for your response to their 2012 Stewardship program beginning Sunday, October 9^th.

God Bless You Abundantly,

Harvest Finance Committee