Friends-
Tomorrow is going to be a good day as the people known as First Baptist Church Pine Castle set aside part of our morning to worship God together. Thankfully, we’ll be able to worship together in-person tomorrow at 10:30am – as of 4:30pm this afternoon, we have power!!
I invite you to join us in person for our 10:30 worship service or you can join us online at https://live.fbcpinecastle.com or through our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/fbcpinecastle).
A temporary spot for the kids. Since we’ve had some water damage in our education building, we’re not going to be able to host any of our Bible study groups during 9:00 or programming for children ages 3 and older during the 10:30 service. We’ll make sure the service is (as always) ready for your kids. One room in our preschool was unaffected, so our friendly volunteers are ready for kids from 6 weeks to 2 years while you’re in service.
Ways to give. Remember that giving is an act of worship – you can give in person tomorrow morning or If you’re going to worship remotely, you can give securely online at www.fbcpinecastle.com/give
An appeal to give. Since we’re talking about giving, allow me to share with you a concern I have as your pastor – we’re family after all, so it’s perfectly natural for us to talk about tough topics.
The economy is nowhere near where any of us want – all of us feel the burden of higher costs in every part of our life these days. We’ve had to make adjustments to make ends meet but let me encourage you to remain faithful in giving to the things God values most.
It seems since God miraculously provided the resources to pay off the entirety of our debt at church, the level of giving has decreased. While I join you in thanking God for His provision, let me remind you that we still have ongoing expenses that require all of us to walk in obedience to God’s command. The Bible says that the purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your life (Deuteronomy 14:23) and is a reminder that God is the one who has given us everything we have. Also, God has invited us to give with a promise of blessing for our faithfulness (see Malachi 3:10). We honor God by giving back – He uses your generosity to allow us to do whatever it takes to help people find, follow, and serve Jesus.
My concern. Giving has fallen short of our giving requirement by just over $55,000 as of last Sunday. We have a large insurance payment coming up next week (ironically). That, plus an upcoming payroll cycle and other recurring expenses present an opportunity for us to meet some significant needs.
The request. I have met with the finance committee, and we are praying that God leads us to raise $50,000 over the next two weeks. Will you prayerfully consider how God is leading you to give to help us meet the needs we’re facing?
Why now? As your pastor, I’ve got to pay attention to everything and strive to make wise decisions based on what I discover. Why? Relegation and inaction have a cumulative effect. Over time, what may have been initially considered a nuisance not worthy of attention can become a disaster too costly to remedy. I see the results of that reality every day. I’m sure you’ve experienced that truth in your life too.
Thankfully, that’s not how our story is going to end – I still believe God has great things in store for His church and I’m grateful you and I get to see the results of His plan. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness.
Thankful to have a God more powerful than any storm-
Pastor John Sanders
Senior Pastor, FBC Pine Castle