Congregation Shows Gratitude
What a joy it was to announce the strong level of support for the Allison and Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund by an appreciative congregation at the celebratory event on Sandy’s last Sunday, February 5.
The congregation acted mightily with gifts of all sizes to tangibly demonstrate both their love for the Willsons and with their intention for this ministry to permanently take wing.
Gifts to the Allison and Sandy Willson Fund total over $850,000 as of this date.
While the fund is a permanent one held within the Foundation and thus gifts may be received at any time in the future, please be aware that a dollar for dollar match will continue to be made by the Foundation on cumulative gifts up to $500,000 until June 30, 2017.
More Blessed to Give
At a recent event, Sandy Willson was honored by current and former members of the Board of Directors for his devoted service, strategic leadership, and encouragement to the Second Presbyterian Church Foundation over its 18-year life. At this celebratory event, he gave a devotion and encouragement for the continued faithful work in the stewarding of God’s provisional resources.
His devotional focused primarily on Acts 20 where Paul, prior to his leaving for Jerusalem, asked the elders of Ephesus to meet with him so that he might offer a final encouragement before leaving them for good. Paul’s final charge is found in verse 35. “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Sandy shared a number of reasons why he believes it is more blessed to give than to receive and why it is an important work not only for our Foundation’s directors and our church’s deacons and stewardship committee but also for the encouragement of our members to be thinking about every financial resource they have or will have, how it is to be managed, and how it is to be given.
When we give, we have the satisfaction of helping other people. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise." It is wise to care for the poor and the lost and a blessing to be able to do so.
When we give, we join in a community of givers. When we belong to a community of generous people, we are inevitably blessed by such a community and are amazed and blessed by the type of people that we get to spend our lives alongside.
When we give, we experience provision from the Lord. In II Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul tells us that when we give, “God is able to make all grace abound in you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” We are blessed that we cannot out give the Lord.
When we give, we will be rewarded in the last day. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” This is not to say that we are earning our way to heaven, for such is impossible. Through Christ’s work we have been raised to a high place where our Father also uses our giving as an additional reason to lavish good things upon us.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, it is more blessed to give than to receive because this is what Jesus did. When we seek to give generously and sacrificially, we are identifying with Christ and enjoying his intimate fellowship within us. II Corinthians 8:9 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich."
It is Sandy’s prayer for the Foundation and for the Church that we give generously and in light of the truth that our giving is directly representative and reflective of Christ’s provisional and sacrificial generosity to us.
Board Honors Sandy Willson
As part of celebrating the gift of Sandy's service to the Foundation, the leadership gives thanks and offers praise to our gracious and loving Heavenly Father.