Dear Trinity Bible Church,

We will continue our decades-long legacy of generosity this year with our 2017 Harvest Offering. Generosity is one of my favorite words, and it is one of the most important words for us to remember during this holiday season. Our culture is surrounded by snares that would tempt us to think about getting instead of giving and wanting instead of worship. Nothing kills stingy hearts like an awe-inspiring vision of our generous God from whom all blessings flow. This should compel our hearts and our hands to reflect God’s generosity through our generosity.

This special annual offering is over and above our normal faithful giving as a reflection of our gratitude for God’s gracious provision. We typically split the offering between outside missions and internal needs.

Consider what God has done through us in recent years:

• 2012—We gave to Rancho 3M to build a nursery for abused and abandoned children in Guadalupe, Mexico, and rescue babies from danger to be raised in a Christian community. The other half updated our landscape.
• 2013—We purchased a car for Fred Aviles, who was a supported church planter in the Philippines, and helped send his son to medical school.
• 2014—We supported Steven M. in a one-year intensive church planting training with 20 Schemes, a ministry committed to planting churches in Scotland’s poorest neighborhoods. We were also able to renovate the children’s area, and provide Christmas gifts to our missionaries.
• 2015—We financed Wycliffe Bible Translators translation of the Bible into the native language of the Mao people, a tribe in the northeastern part of India. You can track the progress of this project at ethnologue.com. The other portion transitioned our campus to LED lights saving our church thousands of dollars each year.
• 2016—We sent support to 20 Schemes and provided scholarships for short-term mission trips that sent Josh Roberts to China, Malachi Tresler to the Philippines, and Harry and Paula Fair to Scotland. We were also able to update our women’s bathroom in the Education Center.

In 2017, the elders hope to aim our generosity externally towards short-term mission trips for our members and helping Redeemed 2 Repeat, a local, gospel-centered addictions’ ministry helping those in recovery transition into becoming devoted members of local churches. We have hosted one of their groups in the past led by the McDonnells, and plan on relaunching a group this Spring with Jim Hughes. Liz Beck began this ministry 8 years ago and has experienced a number of conversions leading to transformed lives characterized by committed membership in local churches. Internally, we plan on updating our fading street signage and making further updates to our stage.

We will begin collecting our Harvest Offering on Sunday, November 26th during the service, but you will be able to make designated gifts through the end of the year. Please pray about joining us in this special offering and ask that God would use it for the equipping of saints for works of ministry and for taking Jesus further.

Grace and Peace,
Josh Vincent
Senior Pastor, Trinity Bible Church