Our Mission: Reaching Out Beyond Ourselves
Reflections by Rev. Nancy Muth
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” Matthew 25:35-36
As many of you know for almost half of my ministry I have worked with congregations in the area of financial stewardship. The first art of the conversation I would have with church leaders was not about money but the purpose or mission of the church. What a wonderful question for all congregations: What is the purpose or mission of the church?
In his Great Commission Jesus taught us hat the first thing we must do is to “Go out!” We are to look beyond ourselves to others. Jesus also tells us that we are “to love your neighbor as yourself.”
Throughout the Gospels and also in the Old Testament we find references about how important it is that we care or the other. And so it is that for Christian congregations the ministry of mission and outreach is so important. We are not fulfilling out Christian mandate unless we are reaching out beyond ourselves to others… to those who would otherwise be ignored and forgotten.
For decades The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown has been faithful to its mission to care for the other. This has been especially true even during difficult financial times such as we are currently experiencing. Persons in our Germantown community are experiencing difficulties due to city, state and national cut backs which are taking place affecting our low income households.Therefore now it is all the more necessary for religious communities to respond.
And so it is that The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, through the Mission and Outreach Committee and its budget, is financially supporting and partnering with ministries in our community such as Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, St. Catherine Labouré Medical Clinic, Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network and about a dozen other organizations.
As a congregation we are committed to having our Mission and Outreach budget reflect at least 10%, or a tithe, of our annual church budget. By doing so we are faithfully following Christ’s call to love our neighbor and look beyond ourselves, and we are modeling good stewardship.
Thank you for your financial support and know that your dollars are touching the lives of others as we strive to live out the mandates of our Christian faith.
See you in Church,
Nancy