Here is 20% of the shortfall for the year" were the words of one of our families Sunday night as they handed a $5,000 check to our treasurer. They stated they didn't want to see us put in the situation where something had to be cut. Our deacons mentioned to our elders several weeks ago they believed most members were unaware of the fact we were not meeting our budget. The elder's decided to announce this shortfall on Sunday to make all aware of the steady course which we have been on for this calendar year. This announcement was not to rebuke, but to inform. The generosity of this congregation with their time, money and energy is most commendable. Grif sometimes reminds us we are not "a little country church" anymore and with the increase comes increased responsibilities. Have you considered all the increase the Lord has offered us in the last 12 months? We have already led three mission trips this year, hosted a VBS with nearly 350 children each day, hired the best summer interns available, offered the best professional counseling in the country at no cost to our members, will send direct mail to over 13,000 homes in our area six times this year, recently, totally remodeled the old auditorium into a beautiful, functional room without borrowing, installed simulcast and presentation capabilities to increase the function of the room, purchased 90 additional comfortable seats for worship, offer a superb website, send the Gospel on tapes every week free of charge, home of the reputable T/Th school with possibly 70 children enrolled this fall, offered the largest summer camp in our history, send meals out every Thursday to shut-ins or those sick, teach in the jail monthly, supply hospital waiting rooms with snacks, benevolence is practiced almost daily, a second to none summer faith schedule of speakers has been invited, maintain two vans and a 29 passenger bus, painted and/or placed vinyl siding on the entire exterior of the building, provide six offices with modern equipment and supplies, support mission work and preacher training in USA and abroad, one of our families has gone back to graduate school full time with plans to go into ministry, another of our young ladies has married a minister and all our past summer interns are working full-time in ministry today, purchased an adjacent level lot at the rear north side of our property and a premier piece of commercial property with road frontage to the intersection of MJ Road and Division Road. There is so much more, but these are just a few reminders of the tremendous opportunities God has given us in the last 12 months or so. As God provides the opportunities, He also provides the resources. One reason God gives to us is so we can pass it on to His Son's body, the church. Let's consider if all families do a little more each week we can match the increased opportunities to serve. Seven dollars a week per family would meet the budget. "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom, For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38