IT IS A NEW EXPERIENCE IN GIVING! What in the world is a Faith Promise Your active faith, day by day, will unlock the resources that you will need to complete your commitment. Don’t forget the assurance that Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 9:8. “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” What a promise. We can’t lose because God never fails. So make your commitment now and watch with marvel what God does as He responds to the cry of your heart. Let us pray. Father, open our spiritual eyes that we might see the eternal suffering of the lost. Open our ears that we might hear the cry of those in darkness who have never heard of Jesus. Open our hearts that we might love them as you love them and let that love guide us in our response to their need through our committed giving today and throughout the next 12 months. In the name of our Lord, Amen. IT IS A NEW EXPERIENCE IN GIVING!

One Half Of The World Is Without An Adequate Gospel Witness. Did you know that one-half of the world is without an adequate gospel witness? Yes, one fourth of the world has never even heard the name of Jesus! And another fourth of the world’s population has not received sufficient gospel to be able to make a decision for Christ. This means that over 3 billion people are unaware that Jesus died for their sins and that they can be saved! We have been commanded to reach everyone of them. Every man, every woman and every child, in every nation on this earth, has the right to know that there is eternal life. WE HAVE BEEN COMMANDED TO REACH THEM!

WE HAVE ONLY TWO CHOICES: 1. WE MUST GO AS MISSIONARIES - Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 or 2. WE MUST SEND OTHERS - Paul wrote, “And how will anyone go and tell them unless someone sends him?” Rom 10:15 If we as Christians are going to obey our Master, we have only two choices. We must sell everything that we own, tell our family and friends goodbye and go as missionaries because Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Or, if God has not called us to go, then we must send others through our prayers and our faithful giving. Paul wrote in Romans 10:15, “And how will anyone go and tell them unless someone sends him?” Our committed giving makes this possible. COMMITTED MONTHLY GIVING MAKES THIS POSSIBLE.

OUR CHURCH MISSIONS GIVING LAST YEAR Faith Promise Adults $3,850.00 Children 108.00 Actual Giving Peru Missions money $12,755.00 Love Offerings to Missionaries $923.00 Total Missions Giving Total Church Giving $250.000 Missions % 18.7%

KINDS OF MISSIONS GIVING 3 Emotional Giving - One gives only when moved to do so Token Giving - One who seldom fails to give but only amounts so small that little effort is required Committed Giving - One who takes seriously their responsibility to help evangelize the world There are three kinds of giving common to missions. There is emotional giving where one gives only when moved to do so. There is no consistency in this donors giving. Then you have token giving where the donor will nearly always give but in amounts that are so small as to require little effort. This type of giving does little to advance the cause of missions. Finally, there is committed giving where the donor takes seriously their own responsibility to help evangelize the world. Our focus will be on committed giving since it carries the load of missions today.

A Faith Promise: IS NOT YOUR REGULAR OFFERING IS NOT JUST A PLEDGE Your offering comes from what you have . IS NOT JUST A PLEDGE Committed missions giving is not the tithe from your income. The tithe already belongs to God and should be brought to the local Church. Why? Because it is God’s will and because a strong Church will be better able to reach the world for Christ. Committed missions giving is not just a pledge. A pledge is between you and the Church. In many denominational Churches, if you get behind in your pledge, someone from the Church office will call you and ask that you bring your payments up to date before the first of next month. Since your commitment is between you and God, no one will be calling or sending a reminder if you should fall behind in your missions giving. The Church office will not contact you if you fail to make a payment.

MACEDONIAN CHRISTIANS, PAUL WROTE ABOUT THE MACEDONIAN CHRISTIANS, “For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,” 2 Cor 8:3 (NASV) Committed missions giving is not the tithe from your income. The tithe already belongs to God and should be brought to the local Church. Why? Because it is God’s will and because a strong Church will be better able to reach the world for Christ. Committed missions giving is not just a pledge. A pledge is between you and the Church. In many denominational Churches, if you get behind in your pledge, someone from the Church office will call you and ask that you bring your payments up to date before the first of next month. Since your commitment is between you and God, no one will be calling or sending a reminder if you should fall behind in your missions giving.

COMMITTED GIVING, EXPRESSED IN TWO WAYS, SUPPORTS MISSIONS “according to their ability” BUDGETED GIVING Paul identifies two kinds of biblical, committed giving: First, there were those who gave “according to their ability”. We can call that BUDGETED GIVING. The second group gave “beyond their ability”. This is giving that requires a source beyond ourselves. We call that FAITH PROMISE GIVING. Both of these groups are dedicated to obeying God and the work of missions would not survive without their faithful and committed giving. “..beyond their ability..” FAITH PROMISE GIVING

BUDGETED GIVING MEANS: To give regularly House Car Tithe Missions Food  To include missions in your monthly budget as a priority item Budgeted giving means to give a definite amount, regularly, each week or month. It is included in the budget as a priority item, just like your tithe, housing, food, car and other necessities. It means to give what you can truly afford. Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, “…Give as freely as you have received!” (TLB) To give what you are truly able to afford

FAITH PROMISE GIVING LIFTS US TO A HIGHER LEVEL – A NEW EXPERIENCE IN GIVING It is not based solely on your ability to pay but rests confidently in God’s ability to provide as your faith ascends to new heights. There are limits, however, to the amount that we can afford to give. Some people have discovered that they can increase their giving beyond their own ability through the Faith Promise. Faith Promise giving lifts us up to yet a higher level of partnership with God. Although our promise may be beyond our own ability, we rest confidently in God’s ability and willingness to provide as our faith learns to ascend to new heights of trust. So what is a faith promise? It is not just a promise. We make promises on the basis of what we know we can afford. A Faith Promise is based on our faith in God’s ability to provide through us far beyond our own capabilities.. Someone has said, “God will give much more through you than He will ever give to you.”

Weekly – Monthly - Annually WHAT IS A FAITH PROMISE? It is a sacred act. It is your total reliance upon God for divine provision. It can be given: A faith promise goes beyond ourselves. It is a sacred act. It is a solemn moment when you enter into partnership with God and complete your faith promise card. It is a spiritual agreement between you and God that, with His help, you will give a pre-determined amount to your Church during the next twelve months to be used in world missions for the evangelization of the lost. It is your total reliance upon God to provide the finance for the Faith Promise that you are making. And remember, just keep praying and believing. God is going to keep his part of the agreement and he wants you to keep yours. Weekly – Monthly - Annually

WHO SHOULD MAKE A FAITH PROMISE? Every family should make a faith promise Children should be taught to make a faith promise Who can make a faith promise? Every family unit should make a monthly commitment to missions. That means that every couple, family and single adult can make a faith promise. Children and young people should also be encouraged to make a faith promise and should be taught by the example of their parents. If we have not been called to go as missionaries, we should remember that we have been called to send missionaries. We must be either goers or senders. If you can’t go,you are called to send others.

FAITH PROMISE GIVING IS: Faith Promise giving is the great equalizer. Although not everyone can afford to give the same amount, no one is limited in how much they can believe God to provide. So it doesn’t matter if it is a child on a small allowance, a teen with only a part-time job, a single mother trying to survive, a growing family stretching their budget or an older person on a limited retirement income. Everyone has the same right to believe God to provide. No one is unimportant to missions and no one, regardless of circumstances, is excluded from making a faith promise. THE GREAT EQUALIZER

IS YOUR PROMISE REALLY MADE IN FAITH? If it is an amount that you can afford to give, it doesn’t require as much faith. If the amount you have promised to give isn’t a challenge to you, it may not stretch your faith. So, now for the question! Is your promise really made in FAITH? Are you making a faith PROMISE or a FAITH promise? If you are thinking of promising an amount that you can afford, an amount that you already have in the bank or will easily have available each month, it doesn’t require as much faith as it would to believe God for provision beyond your own ability. If the amount you have promised to give isn’t a challenge to you, it may not stretch your faith.

WHY MUST I FILL OUT A FAITH PROMISE CARD? Missionaries cannot leave for the field until the monies needed are provided Some may ask, “Why must I fill out a faith promise card?” Missionaries must raise their full budget before they are cleared to leave for the field and the Division of Foreign Missions must have a record of each church’s commitment to the missionaries they intend to support. The leadership of the your Church must know how much income to expect monthly from the faith promise that you make today before they can make a monthly commitment to the missionaries. Your faith promise helps them know how much they can budget for missionaries who are seeking regular support. Faith promises play an important role in order to plan for the future. When the leaders see God’s people believe God, it challenges them for new opportunities.

I DON’T WANT OTHERS TO KNOW WHAT I AM GIVING! Amounts, but not names, will be announced. Confidentiality will be maintained. For those who are thinking, “I don’t want others to know how much I am giving.” Don’t worry. The congregation will never know. The amount of each faith promise will be read when total faith promise giving is tallied but your name will not be announced. Confidentiality will be maintained. Only those who are involved in the administration of missionary funds will see your card. If you desire absolute anonymity, then merely place an amount on the card.

IF I MADE A FAITH PROMISE LAST YEAR, SHOULD I MAKE A NEW ONE? Yes, because each faith promise is made for one year. Yes, because you MAY want to increase your giving for next year. You may ask, “If I made a faith promise last year, must I make a new one today?” The answer is yes, yes, and yes. Yes, because most faith promises are made on a yearly basis. That means that your new faith promise will begin today and will continue for the next twelve months. Yes again, because you should want to increase your giving for next year. You have seen God’s hand in providing the funds for you to fulfill your faith promise made last year. This means your faith should now be stronger than it was a year ago. And a third time, yes, because we start fresh today. If you made a faith promise last year and were unable to complete it, don’t let that keep you from making a new faith promise today. Close the book on the past and ask God’s guidance as you seek Him for the amount that you should promise for this coming year.

WHEN DO I GIVE MY FAITH PROMISE? __________ 20___ WHEN DO I GIVE MY FAITH PROMISE? The Last Sunday of February. HOW DO I GIVE THE MONEY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? Where, how and when do I pay my faith promise? Most Churches set aside one Sunday each month as Missions Sunday. You may place your faith promise in this offering. Some have chosen to pay their faith promise more frequently, upon receipt of their salary check paid every week or every other week. Some will pay what they can on a regular basis but will not be able to make full payments until God has provided. They will continue to believe God for His provision. Missions giving can be placed in almost any offering in the sanctuary but should be clearly designated, “Missions”, so that it may be directed to the missions fund. Merely place the amount you want to give under missions.

HOW LONG DOES A FAITH PROMISE LAST? 365 DAYS ONE YEAR 52 WEEKS 12 MONTHS UNTIL OUR NEXT CONFERENCE

May our hearts reflect the same giving attitude of our Heavenly Father Calvary demands our best! God does not want our leftovers but that which is most precious to us. David once said, “I will not make an offering to God that has cost me nothing.” There is no bargain basement when serving God! May our hearts reflect the same giving attitude of our Heavenly Father

So, How Much Should My Faith Promise Be? Here’s a revolutionary idea. HE WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOUR FAITH PROMISE SHOULD BE. So, How much should my faith promise be? Here’s a revolutionary idea. Just ask God. He will tell you how much your faith promise should be. JUST ASK GOD!

ACTIVE OBEDIENCE WILL LEAD YOU TO MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT NOW! Your active obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit will lead you to make a commitment now. The question should not be whether you will give to missions but whether you will give according to your abilities or beyond your abilities. It’s your choice. Paul said that “each one must do as he has made up his mind…” Go ahead. Move to a higher level of giving. Test God, at His invitation, and you will discover that He is always faithful with divine supply. “Each one must do as he has made up his mind…” 2 Cor 9:7 (RSV)

ACTIVE FAITH WILL UNLOCK THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO COMPLETE YOUR COMMITMENT “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” 2 Cor 9:8 (RSV) So, you see? This is not the end. It is just the beginning as we join together to tell the world about Jesus.

THE END THE BEGINNING THIS IS NOT IT’S JUST So, you see? This is not the end. It is just the beginning as we join together to tell the world about Jesus.