From Our Senior Pastor

There seem to be so many things in our life and in our world that weigh us down. The news cycle, personal finances, keeping up with other people, busy schedules all seem to burden us from time to time. God wants us to be able to break free from these things that keep us from fully living the life that God intends for us and wants us to find the joy and peace that only comes from Jesus Christ.

One of the most effective ways we can break free from these things is by committing ourselves in generous giving as we live into the words of Christ who taught that “where our treasure is there our heart will be as well”(Matthew 6:21). So many of you give generously and know the joy and hope that it is to live from a place of abundance, truly using your gifts and belongings for God’s ministries. Over this past year, your generosity through FUMC of Arlington has made it possible for us to see more and more people in worship, connect with more children and youth, and reach out into our community with the love of Christ. I am so thankful for all of your gifts that have made these things possible, but we have so much work left to do.

For 2020, I deeply pray that we might break free from the constraints of our worldly possessions and feelings of financial scarcity and offer our money and time so that our church can be the hands and feet of Christ in even more ways, to even more people. I envision a church family where we are clearly communicating with people of all ages and backgrounds that they are loved by God and by our church as we strive to truly “love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12:31). In addition, I dream about how we can better “love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength” (Mark 12:30) through vibrant worship and life-long discipleship – becoming more like Jesus every day.

It is only by your gifts and generosity that we will be able to offer the ministries of love and grace to the congregation we love and the community/world around us. I pray that you might consider how you can participate in that exciting opportunity. If you have not given regularly before, I urge you to consider giving a percentage of your income back to God (even if it is only 2% to begin with) and see how offering your gifts to God changes your relationship with material things and changes where your heart ultimately finds itself. If you are already giving, please consider increasing your pledge and giving by a few percentage points so that we can do the new and expanded ministries that God is calling us to be a part of here and now.

When we give generously, we can break free from our culture of more and we can find the true joy and hope that comes from investing in Christ’s love. If you have any questions about generous giving please feel free to contact us any time and prayerfully consider returning the enclosed card with your planned 2020 gift no later than November 24, 2019 so that we can budget and plan for the year to come. Thank you again for your generosity!