In a previous newsletter, we used the analogy of comparing our Building Faith campaign to learning to shift gears in a car. If you have had the experience of driving a standard shift (stick) transmission, you will agree that first gear is the most difficult (don’t stall it out!), and second gear is a bit of a confidence builder (momentum!). Should you get up enough speed to shift into third gear, you immediately gain confidence and begin to believe that you’re going to make it all the way to fourth gear. It’s a moment of great encouragement.
Third gear is where Faith Community Church shifted into in May 2018. Third gear finds us moving along quite well, but we are still quite a ways from our final destination (fourth gear) of worshipping and doing ministry in a new church home. In the months ahead, we can be sure to face times of encouragement and joy, as well as challenges and even snares. Please continue to pray for God’s mercies to Faith Community Church.
Here is an excerpt from our communication in late May that announced the results from our time of celebration:
We are so thankful to the Lord for His kindness to Faith Community Church and our plans to build a new church home for our growing ministries. Our hearts are filled with a joy that is best expressed by the passage below:
Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29: 10-13)
During the Month of May, God has worked through His people to move us very close to our financial goals. Prior to May, our Building Faith had reached $875,000. Through May, we received additional cash gifts and “Willingness” cards, indicating the giving intentions of our church members and friends over the next three years. Here are the totals as of May 23rd:
- Building Faith Fund (cash) beginning of May: $875,000
- Building Faith Fund (cash) as of May 23rd: $1,223,134
- My Willingness, God’s Sovereign Provision Cards: $928,000
We praise the Lord for blessing our progress in such a mighty way. It enables us to move into third gear and begin the next big phases of our project.