We all know people we would describe as generous by nature ... People whose generosity makes them give. But what if we’ve got that backwards? What if choosing to give makes them generous people? Actually shapes who they are? Who would we all be 10 years from now if we chose to give generously? Who would we be if we didn’t?

Whether we have a little or a lot is often a matter of comparison. And it’s easy to assume we don’t have enough to make us responsible for making a difference for others — or that we’ve worked hard enough to earn the right to enjoy the fruits of our labours. What’s in your hand? Where did it come from? What good could it do if you chose to be generous?

Whether we possess a lot or a little, we can all at times feel like “enough” is just out of our grasp ... Like contentment is elusive ... Like ambition and striving will eventually get us there, if we just persist. What would it take? What do we need to possess or accomplish or understand to be content?

We can all agree the 2019-2020 ministry year has looked very different than any of us might have predicted or hoped. But make no mistake — God has been at work in and through FAC – and He’ll continue to do so. This weekend will be a time to look back with celebration and gratitude, and to look forward with anticipation to what He has in store for us!

Even in a time when discretionary travel is discouraged and, for many, just not possible, bringing the hope of Jesus to the world is still at the core of who we are as a church. We’re called to serve people wherever they are, and wherever we are. What does this look like in 2020?

As with so many things in our lives, the screens at our disposal come with choices around how we use them — or don’t use them. Those choices impact us ... and they can also impact others. What would it look like to connect — or disconnect — with the screen in ways that allow us to foster genuine, healthy connection, and build into the real lives of real people?

“Image management” has always been a thing, but technology and screens put it right at our fingertips — at any moment. We can choose the words and images and interactions we want to share, in real time ... as we scroll through what others are choosing to share. How do the carefully curated lives we scroll through — including our own — shape us and the way we see our world?

Screens ... They’re everywhere. In our pockets, on our walls, at our desks. They inform us, connect us, entertain us. Let’s be honest — they make a lot of things a lot more convenient. If we were to take a look at our screen time — how much, how often, who and what we interact with ... What would it tell us about ourselves — about what we value, what we prioritize?

Around the world, churches gather regularly — in person or online; serving, worshipping, doing life together. Are we just an organization — one among many — that tries to do some good? Just a tradition, a lifestyle, a place to meet like-minded people? What is it that sets the “big-C” Church apart from all the ways and places people could gather? Why do we exist?

Jesus once asked His followers, “Who do people say I am?” Well, people said and still say a lot of different things about Him ... Wise teacher ... Miracle-worker ... Charismatic leader. He definitely created a stir, helped people, did a lot of good. But what is it about Him that makes the Church gather in His name? What does it even mean to gather in His name?