WE Plant

My grandpa Adolf was a gardener. Not so much roses or hostas or tulips. Tomatoes and peppers and sweet corn and radishes and potatoes were his thing. I was his helper. I loved doing it: digging, planting, watering, and especially harvesting.

Potatoes were my favorite. We cut them up and put them in a brown bag for a few days. We planted them when the snow melted. On the fourth of July we harvested the first batch of baby potatoes. Grandpa took the shovel and dug them up. I got on my hands and knees and like a kid on Christmas Eve, I carefully pulled up each potato and separated them from the roots and the dirt. I washed them and delivered them to the kitchen where grandma boiled the tender potatoes with sausage and onions. It was wonderful bordering on sacred. 

Little did I know grandpa wasn’t teaching me about gardening. He was teaching me about life. He did a lot of that. I’m still a gardener. Church folk call people like me a church planter. This week before thanksgiving, one of the things I am most grateful for is the hundreds of other gardeners who invest so much of themselves in this plot we call The Water’s Edge. 

You will always harvest what you plant. –Galatians 6:7 

You have planted prayers, time, creativity, and energy in our young congregation. You know about the words commitment and sacrifice as you have financially resourced and continue to resource this garden. The harvest is friendships and forgiveness. Faith and freedom. Grace and Gospel. Hope and healing. Laughter and love. 

Our garden is growing. Last November on Sundays we had 600 people per week. This November, that total is 750 people—an increase of 25%. A bigger garden creates a bigger harvest and also requires more planting. We can all make a difference. To exceed our budget goals for 2014, I challenge you to do one of two things: 

1. If you are already giving generously to The Water’s Edge, I encourage you to increase your giving by 10% to 15% (for example, if you gave $5,000 in 2013 your gift in 2014 would be between $5,500 and $5,750). You already know the joy and blessing that comes from giving and the satisfaction from supporting an organization that is making a difference in people’s lives. 

2. If you are fairly new or haven’t started regular giving to The Water’s Edge, I encourage you to become a faithful giver. To plant seeds and believe that God will multiply your gift and do great things in you and through you. Challenge yourself. Sacrifice. Commit to moving toward a tithe. 

When WE do these two things, WE will not only fund our current ministry needs, WE will be planting seeds to fund a future harvest. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig