When we talk about salvation here at St. Matthew’s, we talk about the purpose - to restore the image of God, which has been corrupted by sin.  God is in the restoration business. If we are going to restore that image that was corrupted by the Fall, we have to ask ourselves, well, who is God?  The Bible tells us many, many things about God’s character, and of the many things we know about God, we know this. He is a giver.  John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He Gave…..

In light of that, we are talking more about giving.  Many of us enjoy a good cup of coffee.  And while Andy prefers plain, black coffee, many of us us enjoy a good latte or cappuccino. A large black coffee at most shops costs $3, a latte is around $5, and some of the larger/fancier cups are about $7.  

We have recently launched “Grounded in Giving.”  We are asking our members to give up a cup of coffee a week and donate the savings to the church.  We have approximately 200 persons/families who give to the church. If everyone gives up a cup of coffee a week, that would come to an additional $31,200 to the ministries of our church; if we give up a latte, it would be $52,000; and if it is that more fancy cup, it would be $72,800.  

Now, some of you may be thinking, I don’t drink coffee. If that is you, first, we need to have a conversation. But second, for our church, this drive is truly about increasing generosity, not about the coffee. As you’ve heard me say recently, our church has a real opportunity to impact our community in a unique way.  For this to happen, though, it will take all of us.  This is a tangible way for us all to increase our generosity and giving. Together, we can do this.  If you are a coffee drinker, I encourage you to participate in this with us.  If you aren’t, you can still join us by sacrificing some equal treat at least once a week and donating to our church. It’s all about that shared sacrifice and giving. In doing this, we are recovering part of God’s image, the image of giving.  

Thanks for being a part of our church and being Grounded in Giving. God is and will continue to do great things here!  For more info, message Andy!