“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou

At Peoples Church, we may not all believe the same, but our shared values burn at the core of our community: justice, equity and compassion, worth and dignity, generosity and interdependence, to name a few. It has only been a few weeks, but I can already see and feel these shared values at work! From our first days in Cedar Rapids my wife Casey and I were welcomed warmly with food, phone calls, cards, and more. Through Peoples Church we found we belonged and had more than enough to get through a stressful move and life transition. I learned first hand that generosity is a way of life at Peoples!

Perhaps you can relate? At Peoples Church we all receive so much. We are seen and appreciated. We are encouraged to grow. We are comforted in beloved community. It feels good to receive so much. But Peoples Church cannot continue to give all of this from a deficit. As you may know, the 2016 budget, which was passed as a deficit budget, was subsidized by a withdrawal from our endowment, a practice that is not sustainable. Therefore, the Stewardship Committee has been dreaming big and working extra hard this year! They are asking everyone to increase their annual pledge by 25%. With almost half of the pledges in and more than half of the goal reached, we are well on our way to securing the future of Peoples Church!

So, if you haven’t already, please turn in your pledge card today! We need 100% of responses in by September 30th in order to move forward toward 2017 with the integrity of knowing our full financial picture. Those of you who turn in your pledge cards before September 10th will not be hassled at all with any further emails or phone calls in connection with the campaign. How cool is that?

In today’s economy, no other decision beside how we choose to spend our resources has a greater influence on the world. Our financial decisions, each and every one, impact our ability to live meaningful and purpose-driven lives. As Maya Angelou once said, “giving liberates the soul of the giver.” So this year, let’s commit to the spiritual practice of generosity. Let giving to Peoples Church connect your most deeply held values with your resources. We can do this!

In faith,
Rev. Rebecca