In the fall of 2010 the church community of John Knox Presbyterian Church embarked on a whole life stewardship campaign entitled Building Our Lives for God. This 10 week journey, which concluded on 11/21, had four main purposes:
1 – Growing people in spiritual maturity.
Key elements of our transition time include discerning what JKPC is called to be and do as a church, and how each person is called to contribute to that vision. Growth in spiritual maturity will support discernment for individuals and the congregation. We want to challenge people and JKPC to become like Christ, who lived a life of faithful commitment, sacrificial love and generous giving. The Building Our Lives for God focus is being undertaken to communicate spiritual maturity principles and enable their practice in our daily lives.
These principles were delivered through a series of ten messages. An initial message focused on how to prepare for a miracle. Seven individual messages followed on faith, service, purpose, prayer, commitment, sacrifice and thanksgiving. An additional message was included on how we are individually gifted. The final message helped us reflect on what God has taught us. A booklet containing daily devotions is provided to help us focus further on each principle in our families or as individuals. The intent is for the whole church will be involved together in this time of learning, discussion, reflection, prayer and discipleship.
2 – Developing fellowship and unity within John Knox Presbyterian Church.
As we move through this interim time, developing our fellowship and unity at JKPC will grow our shared ownership of and vision for the future. Specific elements are included to create or deepen connections between people in the congregation. As our fellowship grows, we will know each other better and be able to more completely share joys and sorrows as a Christian community. This connectedness will also enable our congregation to communicate better, learn from each other and unify around the elements that make us uniquely John Knox Presbyterian Church.
We desire to bring our many parts closer together to form a more complete image of Christ. As we learn and grow in spiritual maturity, we hope to increase our oneness in following Christ as the JKPC body. Invitations to commit time and talents in ministry and mission areas will allow people to become involved where they feel called and gifted. This unity will help us follow God’s call through the interim time and beyond.
3 – Raising funds for mission, ministry and loan repayment.
This interim time is an opportunity to both bring closure and build for the future. An item requiring closure is the remaining building loan from the 2005 campus remodel and expansion project. The project goals have been met, with growth in ministries, missions, worship and fellowship. One goal of raising funds over the next three years is retirement of this remaining debt.
While we desire to be good stewards in eliminating the debt, we also intend to faithfully follow God’s call by dedicating 10% of the gifts and pledges received for mission projects. These funds will be made available as received throughout the three-year pledge period. Mission projects, both local and international, are intended to include active participation by the congregation so that we may live out Building Our Lives for God principles. Identifying and executing mission projects will be a continuing activity to support an on-going culture of mission project funding and participation.
4 – Celebrating what God is doing in our midst.
We intentionally desire to recognize, share and celebrate what God is doing in our midst through this interim time and as we continue following God’s plan for JKPC. Ministry areas will have opportunities to describe how they are serving the congregation, community and world through current programs. Individuals and families will be encouraged to share what God is doing in their lives through the Building Our Lives for God focus. We hope as a community we will recognize and reflect on God’s current blessings in the life of JKPC as we travel through interim time together.
Our celebrations included an all-church thanksgiving banquet on November 14, 2010. It followed a single worship service where commitments for ministry involvement and raising funds were received. The total gift and pledge amount was announced during the banquet so we all could celebrate God’s faithfulness together. Celebrations are intended to be an on-going activity as we acknowledge mission projects, ministry involvement and loan repayment resulting from our faithfulness in Building Our Lives for God.
Although the focus time of this campaign is behind us, the journey continues as we strive to live out these four purposes on a daily basis.
Check out the pages below for the latest information regarding mission opportunities and partners supported through BOLFG, where we stand in our dept repayment and how BOLFG is helping to grow our fellowship and unity at JKCP.
