What if Everyone Took One Step?

There are moments in the life of every church when we have the opportunity to ask an important question:

What kind of church do we want to become?

Not just what programs we want to offer or what our building looks like, but what kind of impact we want to have on our community and on the next generation.

As we wrapped up our last fiscal year, we learned that we finished about $128,000 behind our budget. That's not the news any of us hopes to hear, but it's also not the story that defines us. This is not because our members gave less, it’s because our expenses went up. Our members actually increased their giving it was our expenses that went sky high.

Here's what caught my attention even more. Currently, about 24% of our members financially support the ministry of our local church.

Think about that for a moment.

This isn't about percentages or spreadsheets. It's about participation.

Because the mission of the church has never been funded by "someone else." It has always moved forward because ordinary people decided to become part of what God was doing.

Here's what I know about our church.

You love this place.

You celebrate when someone is baptized. You care when someone is hurting. You volunteer. You pray. You invite friends. You believe our church matters. Imagine what could happen if more of us also decided to invest financially in the mission we already believe in.

Not because the church needs your money.

Because God wants your heart.

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." He wasn't trying to raise money. He was reminding us that our hearts have a way of following our investments.

That's why generosity changes us before it changes anything else.

One of the most surprising verses in the Bible is found in Malachi, where God says, "Test Me." Throughout Scripture, God rarely invites people to test Him. But when it comes to trusting Him with our resources, He says, "Go ahead. See what I will do."

That's an incredible invitation.

If you've never taken that step, can I encourage you to try?

Don't think about someday.

Don't think about what everyone else is doing.

Just ask one simple question: "God, what's my next step?"

Maybe it's giving for the very first time.

Maybe it's becoming consistent.

Maybe it's moving toward generosity in a way you've never experienced before.

Wherever you are, take one step.

Because here's what I believe.

The future of our church isn't determined by a budget. It's determined by a group of people who trust God enough to take their next step.

I believe our greatest days are still ahead.

I believe there are families we haven't met yet who desperately need hope.

I believe there are students who will discover purpose, children who will learn to love Jesus, marriages that will be restored, and neighbors who will find a church they can finally call home.

And I believe every one of us has the opportunity to be part of that story.

Thank you to those who have faithfully given over the years. Your generosity has made ministry possible in ways you'll probably never fully know until heaven.

And if you've never joined them, this is your invitation.

Take one step.

Trust God.

Then watch what He does—not only through our church, but in your own heart.

The best chapters of our story are still waiting to be written.