Wait! Last Minute Edition

Wait! Last Minute Edition

Advent – what a concept.  A time of waiting during the most hustle bustle season of the year?  You have got to be kidding.  Wait?  Wait for what?  To get the tree up?  Lights hung?  Christmas letter written?  Gifts purchased?  Services planned?  Puhleeze.  There is no time to wait. 

But wait is what we are called to do.  And believe me, I am the worst at doing just that.  So God keeps working on me and today I will slap that “Be Patient. God isn’t finished with me yet” bumper sticker on my car because Lord knows, there’s a lot of work to do.  I will give it my best shot and practice waiting.

As we approach the end of the year – and in case you have done a ton of waiting and now have some free time on your hands (If nothing else, I know how to crack myself up) – here are a few last minute things to do and remember:

•    Thank people, from the pulpit, for their generosity

•    Remind them where their money is going – to ministry, to outreach, to making a difference in the lives of people in the pews and people in the community

•    Give people the opportunity to give – pass the bucket, the hat, the stocking, the laptop (so they can give on line), or the old-fashioned offering plate around at least once or twice…you may be pleasantly surprised.

•    Praise God and thank your congregation again for their generosity.

Practicing how to wait while being a people of action…God calls us to this conundrum, to these two opposing notions for a reason. May you have a wonderful Christmas as you conspire with God to find that reason and to discover yourself waiting and willing to participate in today’s manger story.  God bless us, everyone!

P.S.  Although my dedication to this blog knows no bounds (well, sort of), I will not be sending anything to you on Christmas or New Year’s Day (call me a party pooper, if you will).  Stay tuned for the exciting return on January 8th!  

Cesie Delve Scheuermann is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing.   Over the past decade, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she helped raise nearly $2 million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations.  She served as the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Lay Leader from 2008-2012.  Her position with the Conference is funded through a generous grant from the Collins Foundation.  You can reach her at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com.

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