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​As we think about Eleanor Powell's quote, "What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God," we first thank God for who we are and all the various gifts that are given. We then ask ourselves how we want to take those gifts and become and do something extraordinary as a gift back to God. As we ponder this idea, we will understand that Christian Stewardship is not about selling a ministry or personal preference but about our relationship with God - how we use what we are given.

All are asked to prayerfully fill out your 2022 Estimate of Giving Card recently mailed to you and return it to the church. You can return it by using the self-addressed envelope provided to you, or you can bring it to worship on October 31st. Please return your card by November 2nd.

We look forward to seeing how we can give wonderful gifts back to God that will be blessings for our church family, community, and world.

To hear Sue Loeffler, a member of Church of the Pines, share why she chooses to give her time, talents, and resources to God through the church, click on the box below.

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​LETTER FROM PASTOR MARK:

​​Dear Church of the Pines Family,
 
There was a beautiful piece of needlework hanging on the living room wall when I was a child. 
It was a simple piece with words stitched on a simple background, yet it seemed to catch your eye. I know it captured my imagination as I learned how to read and pondered what it said. It was many years later that I realized that it was a quote from Eleanor Powell which said. “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”
 
I didn’t know much about Eleanor Powell and still don’t. I know what a quick internet search can reveal that she was an actress and dancer in the mid-1900s. Yet her words have stuck with me and show a profound truth about God. I remember at first liking the idea of God giving me a gift or of being a gift. It made me feel special that I was a gift from God. As I got older, it was the second part of the quote that kept my imagination. ‘What we become…’ it filled me with a sense of potential and responsibility. I wondered at the possibility of what I could become as a gift for God, not just any gift but a good gift.  
 
I continue to think about this quote, and what is unique about it is that it is timeless. It is valid for every moment of our lives. Who we are right now, all that we have and are is God’s gift to us all. Likewise, every moment is an opportunity to become, do, act, and give a good gift back to God. As we prepare for the life and ministry of the Church of the Pines in 2022, I want us all to ponder the gifts God has given and what gift we want to give to God.
 
It is simple. First, thank God for who you are and all the various gifts that are given. Then ask yourself how you want to take those gifts and become and do something extraordinary as a gift back to God. To help us, we will hear from a few people in our church family about how they answer that question. Next, we will hear about how others give gifts to God through the Church of the Pines. As we ponder this idea, we will understand that Christian Stewardship is not about selling a ministry or personal preference but about our relationship with God – how we use what we are given.
 
Finally, prayerfully fill out your 2022 estimate of giving card and return it to the church. 
You can return it by using the self-addressed envelope, or you can bring it to worship with you on October 31, 2021. It will be beneficial for us if you can return your cards by November 2, 2021.
  
I am excited to see how we can give truly wonderful gifts back to God that will be blessings to our church family, community, and world.
 
Blessings
Pastor Mark
 
If you would like an ESTIMATE OF GIVING CARD FOR 2022,
​please contact the church office at 715-356-3041
or send an email to office@umchurchofthepines.org.