From this year’s General Assembly the call has gone out via the Moderator Rt Rev David Arnott for the Church of Scotland to embark on a national stewardship campaign.

For many churches this will begin and end with a call to raise more money as they face the difficulties of trying to pay their bills to keep the doors open.

We have heard it asked “Is your glass half full or half empty?”  I am in the privileged position of being minister in a fellowship which as a general principle see our glass as half full.

While many churches  will be sending out begging letters or raising the guilt level to its members I do not share that view.

I have always been encouraged by the fact that Troqueer is a giving church. Hence I very seldom preach about the need to give more in our offerings. It is in our DNA because each succeeding generation has responded to the gospel being proclaimed.

Our starting point and end goal is the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. This is not driven, governed or measured by how much the accounts balance. We are led and governed by the Gospel and our welfare will be dependent on that.

We give out of a sense of gratitude and not because we fear our doors are going to be closed. What we should fear is dishonouring a God who has given us so much.

You will be asked to review your membership vows to consider your time, talents and giving but not because we are worried about our finances but because we want to honour God and see the Kingdom advance and God’s people blessed.

In God’s economy the more we give away the more blessed we are.  It is really quite simple. If you have joined the church of Scotland then you took covenant vows. If you honour those vows you will be blessed.  The pages of scripture reveal that to be a Kingdom principle.

We dishonour God when we withhold our time, talents and money.

We live in times of great opportunity to serve God and you will be hearing of ways to involve as many people as we can.

As we are caused to review our contribution to the on-going work of church life let us remind ourselves the starting point has to be giving our heart in worship beautifully put in the Christmas hymn we will be singing soon by Christina Rosetti:

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.