Covenant Church

It is December—the Month of Giving. For the record, all of Christmas began with The Perfect Gift (2 Corinthians 9:15).

God gave. He gave generously. He did not give second-hand. He did not give leftovers, hand-me-downs, rejects, or something that had been given to Him which He did not like or need. He gave what He loved most!

He gave his Only Begotten Son, Jesus – Emmanuel: God with us, "for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

Heaven celebrated with angels saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men" (Luke 2:14). Shepherds celebrated. Wise kings traveled far to bring gifts.

Love was poured out by a virgin mother and an adoptive father. Mary and Joseph surely shared many a whispered night as they talked about Jesus being born in a manger with angels proclaiming, kings bringing gifts, and a little boy who was the wonder of their village. God chose earthly parents for His Son, parents who would listen to the Holy Spirit for instructions on how to guide and protect Jesus in his infancy.

Yes, we need to be called to a time of giving. We need to be reminded that it is what we give away with love that we take with us when we depart. It is the substance of how we impact other people's lives, pointing them to God. This is what matters to the God who gave His Son to teach us love. Learning love, we learn to give. It is impossible to love and not to give.

Covenant Church has for several years served as the regional collection center for shoe boxes filled with gifts to be shipped around the world by Operation Christmas Child International, a segment of Franklin Graham Ministries.

In addition, approximately 100 paper angels have been taken by Covenant parishioners. Each angel has the name of a needy child and a request for a specific nice gift. Amazing how many children have requested Bibles! (Don't forget to bring these gifts in by this Sunday.)

Our government and tax laws are designed to encourage giving to special needs. Charity is people caring about people. Gifts are tax deductible. If you give stock or real estate, you are able to take the full value as a tax deduction. For example, you paid $10,000 for stock. It is now worth $100,000. You get tax credit for the $100,000 and pay no taxes on the capital gains.

Allow me to share five worthy things that you might consider for a special gift:

1. A special ministry of Covenant Church, e.g., prison ministry, street ministry with children, ministry with university students, improvement of current facilities, new van, etc. You may call to ask for ideas.
2. Building Fund: Architectural plans will be presented to the congregation on January 28 at 5:00 p.m. We pray for the day when we will have a facility to allow worship and Bible classes at the same time.
3. Missions: A bicycle for $60 can change a missionary's life. A motorboat will enable a missionary to go from island to island or cross rivers; a church building for as little as $500. Call and ask for ideas.
4. Juba, Sudan Project: Covenant is building a team for an aggressive evangelism effort in Southern Sudan. Land has been purchased. Engineering plans are completed for a 600 seat cathedral. This is Phase I. Phase II will be a school for Grades 1 thru 12, with additional classrooms for job training and Bible teaching for adults. Unemployment is about 70 percent. This is a bold vision!
5. Hope Community Center: Covenant helped to launch this inner city project which serves 449 homes in one of the neediest areas of Charlottesville. Hope Community is a 501(c)3 IRS foundation. This is an opportunity to give to missions that you can see. Covenant has precious parishioners who live in this community, and each week Covenant Church brings children from this neighborhood to our campus for ministry. A computer center is being installed to train children and adults. Adults will also be able to use the computers to resource jobs. Funding for programs to elevate the future potential of residents is a major need.

You may have other ideas for giving. I assure you that one of the most wonderful feelings in the whole world is to give to those who have not or to cause to happen that which would not if you and God had not intervened. To sit and think: "God and I did that!" puts meaning into life that cannot be equated with buying something new for oneself or even having a wonderful adventure.

Self-satisfying gifts have limited value. But to know that you have given in a manner that blesses another person and changes the course of his life, is a treasure you can carry in your heart. And, if you serve God you will carry the treasure of GIVING with you when this life is past and you enter into the sinless eternal presence of Jesus. You will hear him say: "Well done!" (Matthew 25:21).

So, I say, give—not recklessly, not in the name of Santa Claus. Give in the Name of Jesus. Give love, and give gifts that tell of your love for Jesus!

If you are giving stocks, bonds, property, cars, etc., the church office will be glad to advise you for collaboration to insure proper tax credit. If you prefer to give a monetary gift, make your check to "Covenant Church" and designate appropriately. Thank You.

The spirit of Giving is the spirit of Christ!

Sharing and Caring,

Pastor Bare
James 1:17