Some things have struck me over the last few weeks. Since I've been your pastor, we have used the word community a lot. And we should. That's what we are.
But when a community really does life together, they become a family. And that word changes everything.
Because families are easy and complex. They are agreeable and able to disagree. They are willing, hopefully, to dig in and get messy if need be. And when families are at their best, they want to do all they can for each other.
In our most recent Vision Leadership Team meeting, we were discussing the budget, and one of our members said, "This is my family. I want to do what I can for my family."
I've thought about those words a lot.
We are in a moment when this family needs a little extra help.
I know that isn't necessarily what anyone wants to hear, especially at a time when the cost of nearly everything seems to be increasing. Groceries, utilities, insurance, and the everyday expenses of life are stretching household budgets. And those same rising costs affect the life and ministry of Second Baptist.
But here's what I also know. We are not going to stop being the church God has called us to be. We are not going to stop welcoming people into a place of belonging, caring for those who are hurting, nurturing children and youth, or reaching beyond our walls to serve our community.
Those things matter too much.
Our budget is not simply a collection of numbers on a spreadsheet. It is an expression of our commitments and our priorities. Behind those numbers are people, relationships, ministries, and opportunities to live out Love. All. Now.
And sustaining those commitments requires all of us.
I recognize that we do not all have the same financial resources. For some, giving more may be a genuine hardship. For others, there may be room to stretch beyond what has become comfortable or routine. But I am asking each of us to prayerfully consider what sacrificial generosity might look like in this season.
Not because we are trying to meet an arbitrary financial goal, but because the work we do together is worth supporting.
Families are not held together because everyone contributes the same amount or has the same abilities. They are held together by a shared commitment to care for one another and to do what they can.
And that brings me back to the words spoken in our VLT meeting.
"This is my family. I want to do what I can for my family."
I hope those words will stay with us as we consider our giving in the weeks ahead. Not as a burden or an obligation, but as an expression of the love and commitment we share.
I am grateful for the generosity that has sustained Second Baptist for generations. And I am grateful for the opportunity we have to continue that story together.
Because this is our family. And what we do together matters.