Dear Church Family,

It was time for the monsoon rains to begin and a very old man was digging holes in his garden.

"What are you doing?" his neighbor asked.
"Planting mango trees," was the reply.

"Do you expect to eat mangoes from those trees?"

"No, I won’t live long enough for that. But others will. It occurred to me the other day that all my life I have enjoyed mangoes planted by other people. This is my way of showing them my gratitude."

The vast majority of people attending Church of Today now are enjoying mangoes that were planted for them by those who came before them. I often think of the handful of people who put up with horrible, less-than-adequate conditions in public schools and hotels in our early years and I am incredibly grateful to them for their faith and gifts which eventually moved us into a lovely rented facility in Mission Valley. I think of those who not only endured several years of capital campaigning, but contributed gifts of $1,000; $5,000; $10,000 and more--above and beyond their weekly gifts--to raise the down payment for this home that we all enjoy today. And I am deeply grateful.

Each group that came before, planted mangoes that made the church better. We have a church we can be very proud of. Together we have created a place where all are welcome regardless of their past, their lifestyle, their economic or social standing, their race or religion. A place where love is felt and lives are changed. A place that provides programs and services of the highest quality to everyone—whether they contribute or not. A place that gives away thousands of dollars every year to make the world better through such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and Oxfam.

We can do this because we are blessed with a very special core of people. People who have made the decision to plan their giving based on the value they receive and the good they know the church is doing for so many others, rather than giving based on what they have left over from their paycheck at the end of the week.

It is time now for that core to grow. It is time now to answer the question before us: What will we—the current Church of Today family—do to not only care for what we’ve been given, but to plant seeds for those who will come after us?

This is our special once-a-year invitation to all who attend the Church of Today. We ask each of you to prayerfully and thoughtfully consider your financial commitment to the Church for the coming year. And we ask each of you to remember that all we do—or hope to do—is directly determined by what you do.

With God’s help, and your gifts and prayers, we can continue to make a powerful and positive difference in the lives of thousands of people each and every week.

Accomplishments During 1998

New Goals for 1999

1999 Income Goal Objectives

to accomplish the new goals we’ve set for 1999

to continue to provide the programs and services we currently offer which include …

Programs and Services

Dynamic Sunday Services with outstanding music

Vibrant Youth and Family Ministry

Prayer Ministry and Healing Services

Radio Ministry Outreach

Personal Development Classes

Special Events, Parties and Social Activities

Bookstore and Tape Ministry

New Product Development

Maintaining our Church Home

Mortgage, Bonds and Notes

Utilities, Insurance, Janitorial, Landscaping

General Upkeep and Repairs

Administration

Our Paid Staff

(Full Time Staff)

Minister, Business Manager/Facilities Director, Executive Director, One Executive Assistant, One Administrative Assistant and an Office Coordinator

(Part Time Staff)

Director of Music, Vocalists and Musicians, Data Entry, Handyman (bearded angel), Child Care Providers

$850,000

Note:

1. this represents only a __________ increase from last year.
2. A gift of $___ per person per week would exceed this goal.
3. If only ____ people earning _____ per year, were to begin tithing, their tithe alone would result in $_________.

A Word About a "Touchy" Subject (for some)

Many people feel awkward when discussing the subject of spiritual giving. As the Wizard of Id cartoon below illustrates:

I apologize for my baby’s crying in church … she is teething.

No problem … but why was your husband crying?

He’s tithing!

We have trouble fitting together the subjects of money and spirituality.Yet, unless we begin to see the relationship between those two seemingly unrelated things and find the role that spiritual giving has in life, it will be difficult for us to grow spiritually.

Because of this awkwardness, most people do not give much thought to what they give their church. They simply give from what they have left over at the end of the week or what they can spare. Unfortunately, giving from what is left over is not the kind of giving that empowers us and draws greater good into our lives. The principle is as you give, so shall you receive. And the question is: Is God a first thought or an after thought in my finances?

On Sunday morning everything Church of Today has to offer is given away for free to everyone who attends. You can go to no other place and receive so much and not be charged for it. Even those who give nothing in return can leave with new information, personal insight, positive feelings, and inspiration, having heard a meaningful message and enjoyed wonderful music. Those who give in return will leave with something more, however, They will also leave with the gift of growth and transformation because they did not merely witness the service; they invested themselves in it.

We know there are some who really can give only a little. But there are many who could easily give more and do not. There are probably many reasons. Perhaps they think the Church has a wealthy benefactor. Maybe they’ve never thought about the direct link between what they give--or do not give--each week and the Church’s average operating costs of $60,400 each month. Perhaps they figure somebody else is doing it, so they don’t have to. Or they believe that since there are no hard appeals for money and the church is already built, we must have all we need.

It is a significant turning point for a person when he or she decides to factor into their weekly budget a gift that reflects the value of the spiritual support and instruction they receive from their church and give accordingly.

Every time the offering plate goes around at the Sunday service or we send in our monthly pledges, we have an opportunity to decide what our spiritual growth is worth to us. Our giving is a statement of the priority we place on our growth. Many people spend far more every week on entertainment, dining out, and other diversions than they spend on their spiritual growth. Where we put our money reveals our priorities, and we will never reach great spiritual understanding until such an understanding is our clear priority.

Yes, we are grateful for every gift we receive. And we are especially grateful to those who have learned the joy of giving, those who practice the principle of tithing, and those who give much more than the $25 a week per person needed. They make up the difference that makes the Church of Today possible for us all.