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The spot for the good news, the good word, the quick reports of the many, many wonderful news items I hear all the time and want to share with the rest of you. Expect to find the good news when you come to check out "what’s the good word?"

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

PAT - A Testimony

Last year the world church encouraged each member to try to increase their generous response by $10.00 a week; the cost of a movie or a couple of fast food meals. We were reminded that the increased giving would have the power to really change lives. While $40.00 a month does not seem like a great deal, when you are trying to live on a small pension and already coping with increased living expenses it seemed an impossibility for me.

I was well aware that the majority of our small Wiarton congregation were trying to live on small pensions also. The Wiarton branch has always given generously in the past and I knew they would desire to meet this new challenge; but I wondered “HOW” we could possibly do so.

After prayer, and considerable contemplation of my already tight budget, I decided the answer, for me at least, was preauthorized monthly giving (PAT). I was aware that despite faithful attendance and giving in the past, I was not always faithful in putting in my local offering when I was absent due to illness or attendance at another branch or mission event. (Thankfully however, many in this congregation were already doing so.) Also, I acknowledged that sometimes the current sum in my wallet on Sunday morning had some relationship to my giving. I knew too that I did not always give equally to the world church and the local congregation.

When I estimated the difference a small increase and consistency through PAT could make, I shared my “awakening” with the priesthood, Sunday school and 11:00 a.m worshipers. I do not know how many used my particular method to increase their contribution, but I was thrilled to report to the congregation in January that Wiarton had increased their giving by not 8 or 10%, but by 12.5%, AND it was almost equally distributed between local and world church initiatives.

I just wanted to pass this on. Little changes and “consistency” can make all the difference! It’s a brand new year, give it a try.

- Dorothy Burdette, Co-pastor Wiarton Congregation

Editor's Note: The PAT form can be found on the CEM website or by clicking here.

1 comment:

  1. what an excellent testimony!

    maybe i should give it a try!

    john

    ReplyDelete

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