1. Winterim 2014 January 26 th 9:30am

2. Winterim 2014  I am the Church, you are the Church, we are the Church together.”  We lift our voices, we lift our hands, We lift our lives up to You, we are an offering.”

3. Winterim 2014  Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses… Let us run the race not only for the prize. But as those who’ve gone before us, let us leave to those behind us The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.” The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.”

4. Winterim 2014  Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”

5. Winterim 2014  Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise” Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise”

6. Winterim 2014  Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect and use Every power as Thou shalt choose.” Take my intellect and use Every power as Thou shalt choose.”

7. Winterim 2014  The Church in America is dealing with a seismic shift toward a post- Christian culture.”

8. Winterim 2014  18% of the population in the USA attends church (i.e. worship) in a given week.”  85% of U.S. churches are not growing—or are dying.”  In 50% of churches last year, no one came to faith.”

9. Winterim 2014  Only 2 in 10 young adults who had been active churchgoers in high school are now in church regularly.”  80% of the congregations of the LC- MS reported 3 or fewer adult confirmations in 2010.”

10. Winterim 2014  Challenges (Opportunities) facing our congregation: Lack of clarity in our vision for the future. Lack of involvement of members in worship and ministry. Space.Staffing. Updating our facility and maintaining it. Funding.”

11. Winterim 2014  Lack of clarity in our vision for the future.”

12. Winterim 2014  Lack of involvement of members in worship and service.”

13. Winterim 2014  Funding.”

14. Winterim 2014  Christian stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God’s family the Church, in managing all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes.”

15. Winterim 2014  Brothers and sisters, the challenge we are facing at Trinity is greater than a lack of information about the financial condition of our congregation!”

16. Winterim 2014  The biggest challenge to funding in our congregation is the culture in which we live.”

17. Winterim 2014  The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” (Luke 8:14) The Parable of the Rich Fool:  This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21)

18. Winterim 2014  A consumerist culture has infected and afflicted the Church in America.”  Since 1929/The Great Depression, Americans are 450% richer after taxes and inflation…

19. Winterim 2014  …But giving as a % of income among American Christians (to their congregation) is lower today compared to the height of the Great Depression.”

20. Winterim 2014  The human heart is the greatest challenge or threat…”.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

21. Winterim 2014  There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse. Of these three, it may well be that we moderns find the conversion of the pocketbook the most difficult.” (Martin Luther)

22. Winterim 2014  Demographic study of congregation indicated that the Financial Potential of membership…also labeled Estimated Congregational Household Median Income was……

23. Winterim 2014  Almost 37 million dollars!”

24. Winterim 2014  @ 2%=$735,000 @ 3%=$1,102,000 @ 3%=$1,102,000 @ 5%=$1,837,000 @ 5%=$1,837,000 @7%=$2,573,000 @7%=$2,573,000 @ 10%=$3,675,000 @ 10%=$3,675,000

25. Winterim 2014  What does this mean?”  It means our congregation has the capacity to ask an amazing and exciting question on July 1 st of every year.”

26. Winterim 2014  What are we going to do with the surplus giving from the past fiscal year?”

27. Winterim 2014  Video: The Plate”