Stewardship 好管家通訊

Pledge 2022

Dear Members and Friends,

For many of us, 2021 can be thought of as the year that things almost, but not quite, got back to normal. Around us, we see our communities slowly, and unevenly, reopening. We are able to return to many of the aspects of our normal routine, yet things are different, and the world seems like a more fearful place than it used to be. Did I remember my mask? My child’s cough – what does it mean? Can I go into this neighborhood, or will I face abuse because of the color of my skin?

If nothing else, these times have forced us to look hard at what constitutes “normal,” and to distinguish between what’s essential to our lives, and what isn’t; what things to keep and what things to let go. Yet the one thing that we can hold on to with assurance is the fact that we are loved. God created each one of us in the knowledge that we would live through these days, and we can be still knowing that His hand is always on us, that He has not let go of us, and that He never will.

The Body of Christ is still there for you, and our church continues to minister. In-person worship has resumed and is livestreamed for those unable to attend. Our fellowship groups have restarted some in-person meetings, and some have found unexpected blessings during this time. Opportunities to serve and bless others are all around us, if perhaps not in the form that we have been accustomed to.

For 2021 we pray that you will see the presence of God in your life, and that you will be able to restore and deepen your ties to the ATLPC family. As Thanksgiving and Advent approach, please consider attending our in-person worship if you have not already begun doing so. And we pray that, as God has blessed you this year, you will continue to help support the church financially as you have done in the past.

On behalf of Session and the Stewardship Committee, we ask that you prayerfully consider how God is calling you to support both funds. You can place the card in the Joash Chest during our Thanksgiving worship on November 21, send it to ATLPC by mail, or drop it off in the church mail slot (on the Commonwealth entrance). Alternatively, you can pledge online by filling out our Google Form at www.atlpc.org/stewardship2021/.

As of September 30 of this year, by God’s grace and through your generosity, our general fund is very close to being deficit-free, giving us hope that we can end 2021 with a surplus. On the other hand, our Ten Bricks by 2030 fund, used to finance the acquisition of our church property from PCUSA, is running somewhat behind, having received $56,500 year-to-date. This leaves $43,500 to be made up by year’s end so we can lay our second “brick,” our $100,000 annual payment to PCUSA. 

各位會友與親友們，

對我們許多人來說，2021年好像是；卻又並不完全恢復正常的一年。我們看到我們周圍的社區逐漸，卻又並不同步地重新開放。我們能夠部分回到正常生活，然而一切都已經不一樣，這似乎是一個比過去更讓人感到憂懼的世界。我們要常記得：我的口罩呢？或者我的孩子咳嗽了–這又意味著什麼？我應該進入這個社區嗎？或者我會因為我的膚色而遭到歧視嗎？

不出意外，這個時代將迫使我們認真審視什麼是 “正常”，並認真審視什麼才是我們生活中必不可少的，什麼東西要保留，什麼要放下。然而，有一件事我們可以很確定，那就是我們是被神所愛的事實。神創造我們每個人時，已經知道我們會經過這些日子，我們可以仍然相信祂的手一直在我們身上，祂沒有放棄我們，而且祂永遠不會。

教會–基督的身體仍然在繼續傳福音，宣揚神的道。實體崇拜已經恢復，無法參加的人也為大家進行了現場直播。我們的團契小組已經部分重新開始實體的聚會活動，有人在這段時間也經歷了意想不到的祝福。服侍和使人蒙福的機會也就在我們身邊，儘管並不會是以過去我們熟悉的形式。

 對於2021年，我們的禱告是希望你看見神在你生命中的同在，並禱告你能恢復並更加深你與真光教會大家庭的緊密聯繫。隨著感恩節和聖誕節的臨近，如果你還沒有開始參加我們的實體禮拜，請考慮參加。我們祈禱，正如上帝今年賜給你的一樣，你將繼續像過去那樣在財務繼續支持教會的聖工。

截至今年9月30日，靠上帝的恩典和你們的慷慨奉獻，我們的普通基金已經非常接近無赤字，我們有希望在2021年結束時能有盈餘。另一方面，我們的 “2030年的 “十塊磚 基金”，–用於支付從PCUSA購買我們的教會物業，有些落後，今年迄今為止已經收到56,500美元。 這使得我們需要在年底前補足43,500美元，以便我們能夠鋪設我們的第二塊 “磚”，即每年向PCUSA支付100,000美元。  

隨信附上一張2022年的認獻卡，上面有你對普通基金和購堂基金的奉獻承諾。我們代表督會和管家委員會，請你禱告考慮神如何呼召你支持這兩項基金。你可以在11月21日的感恩節崇拜中把認獻卡放在奉獻箱，或通過郵件寄給教會，或者把它放在教堂的郵筒裡（Commonwealth入口處）。另外，你也可以通過填寫我們的網上表格在網上認捐www.atlpc.org/stewardship2021/。