Top Ten Reasons to Give Your Cold Hard Cash (Especially When You Think You Can't Afford To)
Amy Greene and Thomas Reuter
One of my earliest memories of going to church when I was a little girl was getting out my white patent leather purse and putting inside it a tissue, a stick of Doublemint gum, a pencil for marking up things and a nickel or dime (or, if I was feeling really generous, a quarter). From my earliest days, going to church has been synonymous with giving some of my money. When I was asked to give a stewardship statement, I sat down with Thomas and we came up with this list of Top Ten Reasons to give.
10. You probably don¹t need any more toys, at least not more than you
need the things you can get here: community, acceptance, love, a place to serve, hope.
9. Nothing is free. This is a nice, comfortable place. But it costs money to
keep it open. The utility companies don’t care how talented we are.
8. We have a trained, professional staff and they are worth paying for. We
do not want to go to an all-volunteer system, believe me!
7. You get more when you give more. Everybody already knows this.
Studies show, whether it’s therapy or healthcare or food or anything, if you pay for it (even a little), you will appreciate more than if you get it for free.
6. You get to REALLY be part of something bigger than yourself. You
support the historic mission and witness of this place and you get to know in your heart that you are part of why it is still standing. You can know that you are helping it survive and thrive.
5. It shows respect and gratitude for our elders, for all the folks before us
who sacrificed to keep the doors open and have a place for all of us, many of whom had given up on the institutional church.
4. It will be here for your children and godchildren and loved ones, people
who, like you once did, will discover it and be grateful. You are investing in the future.
3. It keeps your priorities straight, especially when times are tough. Many
parents, like Thomas and me, are worried about sending off kids to college, how in the world to pay for it. There are so many demands on our paychecks. But Thomas and I don’t regret one single dime we¹ve put into this place over the years, because without Oakhurst we would be sending very different boys off to college.
2. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I’m
going to let that speak for itself.
1. You said you would. If you’ve been here at all, and ever stood and read that covenant on the wall, you said you would give sacrificially and systematically. You said you’d do it. Do it.