01
Oct '19

Living Generously

Posted on Oct 1, 2019 in General |

01
Oct '19
Life is busy, and it is easy for our hearts to be distracted by the demands we face.  As the summer comes to a close we are all evaluating our calendars and gearing up for the change of pace that comes with the change of season. It is a good  time for us to re-evaluate our priorities.
 
Beginning in October we will begin a new series, titled Living Generously. This  series includes a series of short videos that tell the story of the Donovan family as they seek to understand what it means to live the words of Jesus. Each week in worship we will see  a glimpse of their journey as they take risks, experience suffering and joy, and find themselves  transformed by the call of Christ. You won’t want to miss a single Sunday! At the conclusion of the  series we will have the opportunity to make a real-life response through our every member commitment campaign.
 
Generosity is an important part of the Christian life, and an important part of the life of UMCL. The  members of this congregation are generous with their finances and with their time. Here are just two  examples of how generosity is lived out at UMCL:
 
Because of the generosity of this congregation, specifically through the Outreach Committee, I was able to help people in another country. This in turn led me to be generous with my time by serving on the Outreach Committee for a few years.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -Becky Traut
 
Helping Hands and the Ride Sharing ministries started as needs arose in our congregation. Don & Jeris Boyce and John McNally started these ministries to help those who struggled in one way or another. Over the years, these ministries have expanded to helping folks throughout Lake and Cook counties. Our group has expanded to include folks from St. Lawrence Church and the men of UMCL. We pick up donated furniture and appliances that are distributed to people coming out of PADS, The Harbor, and San Palo Church of Waukegan. This ministry continues because there is a need, and because of the joy our people get from helping others.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             -Tom Plohr
 
We will hear more stories of generosity within our congregation as we go through the Living Generously series.
 
Each of us has so many blessings, but often the situations of our lives distract us and our attitudes are less than generous. Together, let’s work through the distractions and learn to live according to the call of Christ upon us!
 
–Jay