I have had the privilege of being in on conversations with our Building Campaign chair, Gordon Kinne. He has a statement that I’ve heard him say several times when he talks about a particular experience he had with God: “I had taken the church for granted.”
I have an appreciation for that sentiment, though my experience of it is different than Gordon’s. When we moved to Springfield in 2012, we sought a new church for the first time in 17 years. I had taken for granted that all that time spent and the relationships built would always be right where I wanted and needed them—that nothing would change.
Thank God for Schweitzer. After visiting several churches, we felt starved, but on our first visit here, we knew we would stay. For several months, it was not unusual for one or both of us to experience tears during the service. Neither of us knew if they were tears of joy, relief, feeling at home, or just what they were. Being at Schweitzer just felt “right.”
And yet, we still had much to learn: Where are the Sunday School rooms? Who might be teaching our children? When does the youth group meet? How do we give our tithes and offerings?
Fast forward to today… I think I’ve taken for granted and assumed that you all know things you might not. So many of you have been long-time members and attendees of Schweitzer that I expect everyone to just know how to give, how to write or designate checks, and the avenues for giving that exist.
To help you better understand how to give in alignment with the purposes God has placed on your heart,
I can give a little guidance. If you are intending…
- Schweitzer Church to use the money for general operations, ongoing ministries, salaries, building upkeep, etc., write a check for Schweitzer Church or choose the “Tithe/General” option in the giving space on the website or church app.
- the money for the Growing Together building campaign, write the check to Schweitzer Church, and put “Growing Together” or “Building Campaign” on the memo line. Choose the “Growing Together Building Campaign Fund” option online.
- the amount you give to grow and give interest and benefit to the church over a long period of time, give to the Schweitzer Church Foundation by either making them the payee or designating “Foundation” on the memo line of a check made to Schweitzer.
- to give money for Flourish or the Food Pantry, you may write a check to Schweitzer Church and designate “Flourish” or “Food Pantry” on the memo line. Online, choose “Flourish.”
Thank you to all who are so faithful in giving to God through the tithes and offerings at Schweitzer. No matter “what you have decided in your heart to give” (2 Corinthians 9:7), now you know avenues to follow through on your intention. Your giving is what makes Schweizer’s Annual Report for 2024 a story of trust in the Lord. Your giving shows how God moves in and through his people, as he transforms all of us into thankful believers. The numbers on these pages tell the story of how His heart moves our hearts in ministry toward one another in the body of Christ and outward into the community in compassion and welcome.
As we move forward together in ministry, thankfulness, and faithfulness, I am glad to be with you on the journey. Let’s not take each other for granted as we praise God for the future he’s bringing us into.