HI All,

Yes, it may seem a bit early to be talking about January already when we haven't even hit Thanksgiving or Christmas, but we have to be planning ahead in a church the size of Buffalo Covenant.  

In January, we will be pursuing a united effort to better understand what God is calling us to do and be as faithful stewards. We will be talking about stewardship of life, which includes more than just finances. It includes our time, talent, and treasure. It includes the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of life. It is really talking about our HEART.

And so in three ways we will focus on stewardship during that month:

First, Pastor Max will be teaching us from the Book of Malachi.

This book is really about giving your all and your best to God. It is about worshipping God with your heart, soul, mind and strength. It has a message for today's American Christians which is counter-cultural to today's society.

Second, we will be offering an adult Sunday School class on stewardship. 

There should be a couple of options, depending upon how the building remodel affects space issues. We are right now planning on offering two classes, one during each education hour. One will be taught by Randy Watermiller and myself. The other will be taught by Michael Passig and Taylor Pack. All of these men have been profoundly influence by quality Biblical teaching on stewardship. You will love hearing their stories and learning from them as they take us through the material.

Third, we are encouraging all Small Groups to join the Stewardship Team.

Dr. Oliver Blosser and Pastor Mary have written a great study guide on tithing called "The Lord's Plan for Financing the Gospel". It is filled with Old and New Testament teaching on this key subject. It would be appropriate for small groups to work their way through during the month of January. I just sent out notice to small group leaders this week and have already heard from several of them that they will be joining the Stewardship Team for the month, so that we can make this a truly church wide learning experience. If you don't know if your small group has joined yet, please speak to your small group leader to find out, or give me a call.

Stewardship of life means recognizing that all we are and have is from God. When our life is oriented towards God's plan for us we experience a high level of joy and peace in our day-to-day existence. 

My prayer for Buffalo Covenant Church is that we experience the awesomeness of the Lord's presence and power in our lives.

In Christ,

Pastor Bill