On May 23, this congregation made the bold and faithful decision to move forward with the proposed building project on our Christ South land. Though we reviewed the design, sifted through the numbers, and walked through the timeline, this was a vote about the mission of Christ Lutheran to reach beyond our walls and further the work of the Kingdom of God. And for that, we were all in unison.

Now What?

Now comes the hard part of enacting that vote first by raising the three million dollars necessary for this project. Fortunately, because of the sale of our garden next to the office on Providence along with a large and generous gift, we already have about one million dollars in the bank towards this goal. God is good!

This week we are sending out a letter and brochure from Pastor Matt and me to all the households of Christ Lutheran. When you receive this, I’m asking you to consider three things:

• First, read through the material carefully, get a good understanding of what was proposed and agreed upon, and start talking this up with other members of Christ Lutheran. We need a well-educated and informed congregation.
• Second, dedicate this project to prayer. Pray for this mission to grow in our hearts. Pray for the Spirit of unity to permeate our church. Pray about your own financial commitment.
• Third, consider your gift to this project. How much is God placing on your heart to bring this mission to life? That number should make you pause, perhaps even gulp!

We need to raise two million dollars payable over one year. To hit that goal, we will need several larger gifts of $50,000 to $200,000. If you are considering such a gift, please reach out to Pastor Matt or me to help discern your contribution.  

If such a large gift is not possible, then how much should you consider? Let me ask you this. How much do you give each year to Christ Lutheran? If everyone gave an additional 50% more and directed it towards this project, we would be in excellent shape in moving forward. For many people, that would be an additional gift of $3000-$6000 payable over one year. Could you do that?

What a rare and precious blessing it is to be a part of Christ Lutheran. While many churches shrunk during Covid, we expanded our reach with our online ministry. While other churches saw their finances dwindle, ours remained strong through this past year. And while so many churches coming out of Covid focused inwardly to recoup any losses in members and programs, Christ Lutheran continues to reach beyond our walls with a bold and faithful mission to reach even more people with the Good News.

Such a blessing to be here with this congregation filled with such a sense of mission. As Jesus promised his disciples, he now continues to direct us to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Charlotte, Waxhaw and to the ends of the earth!

May we be found faithful to that calling!

God is Good,

Pastor Scott