One of the reasons we so value church planting—beginning new congregations—is that healthy churches are “generative.” That is, instead of being organizations that “take” from their community they are organizations that “give” to them. One wise pastor put it this way “healthy churches live in such a way that if they were suddenly removed from their neighborhood, governments would have to raise taxes to make up for all the good they do.” That sounds like Granite Springs!
Throughout this conversation you’ll hear us repeat the phrase “common good.” That is, as a church community, we want to enhance the general well-being and flourishing of all our neighbors, not just the ones who think like us. One way we do this is by taking regular Mission Offerings each month. Many of the groups we partner with provide unique and necessary ministries. Occasional monthly gifts are wonderful. But what many groups need—and most churches too—is sustained and regular giving over time. In this stewardship journey we want to increase our investment in four strategic partner organizations (World Relief Sacramento, the Salt Mine, the GreenHouse and the Gathering Inn) to sustained contributions. We aim to gather $7500 for each to be raised during our campaign and given away in six quarterly payments (May 2023 to December 2024). During this campaign, each organization will be highlighted as they would during a mission offering. With the intended result that we can give them substantially more than they would receive in a typical month.