Smorgasbord Cancelled Due to Covid - Something New on Feb. 7!
We don't have time to even think about what to possibly replace the Smorgasbord with, but we do have time to announce that we as a congregation will have a special offering on Feb. 7, to bless the missionaries that we normally support with Smorgasbord dollars. We are calling the special offering, "Empowering Missions Day".
You might be thinking, "How can I/we do much with a special offering that would even come close to Smorgasbord dollars?" Well, consider this possibility. The Federal Government has just deposited/mailed $600 checks to most adults in our congregation. We have over 100 adults at Dell. If each one of us could tithe the $600 check (meaning a $60 donation), we would receive over $6,000 on Feb, 7! (Our Smorgasbord profit, in a good year, is between $5,000-6,000). Now, some of our households may need the whole government check, and that's understandable. Some of us are doing ok financially, and the $600 is just icing on our cake. Folks in solid financial shape could, without pain, give more than a minimum tithe to help support those who are in tougher financial straits. A 15% donation, for example, would be $90, and still leaving $510 to spend/invest elsewhere! Bring this Empowering Missions Day special offering to the Lord, in prayer, and ask Him what He would like you to give, and then give cheerfully. We are so thankful for the generous and cheerful giving of our Dellites throughout the year. And we are excited to see what the Lord will do through us on our Empowering Missions Day!
Pastor Joe's first call was to a congregation that had a tradition of a Harvest Festival in the fall, where the congregation received a special offering that all went to missions. The congregation was around Dell-size, maybe a tad smaller, and their giving was fairly close to Dell's annual income. They always received around $6,000-7,000 in one day's giving. It was amazing!
The back story for St. Paul's Church, was that the Harvest Festival began during the Great Depression of the 1930s! During that time, the pastor often received chickens and produce from parishioners who couldn't give money in the offering plate! Once the Harvest Festival began, and became an annual tradition, members began to save a little bit every month, in anticipation of the November Harvest Festival offering. Some saved $5 a month, and were able to give $60 at the Festival. Others saved $10 per month and gave $120, etc..
We don't know what 2022 holds for the Smorgasbord. We also don't know if Empower Missions Day is going to become an annual day of generous giving. But, we might be part of a new tradition forming. Maybe Empower Missions Day becomes a Missions Festival in the future, with missionaries visiting us from the field, a dinner of different foods from different lands (even Lutefisk??? ;-), who knows? Maybe lots of Dellite households will begin saving a little something every month, for a special donation to missions on the first Sunday in February? Maybe? Could be!
With humble and glad thanks to God for His provision in every area of life, and many thanks for Dellites and their cheerful and generous giving throughout the years, Glory to God!
Thank you in advance for whatever you are able to add to the Empowering Missions Day offering, this Feb. 7 at Dell. If you can't be with us in person, we will gladly welcome your gift mailed to Dell at 47500 97th St., Frost, MN 56033. If the mailed gift arrives prior to Feb. 7, we will include that offering in the baskets on that Sunday morning to be blessed at the altar in the service!
God bless us all, in 2021!
We don't have time to even think about what to possibly replace the Smorgasbord with, but we do have time to announce that we as a congregation will have a special offering on Feb. 7, to bless the missionaries that we normally support with Smorgasbord dollars. We are calling the special offering, "Empowering Missions Day".
You might be thinking, "How can I/we do much with a special offering that would even come close to Smorgasbord dollars?" Well, consider this possibility. The Federal Government has just deposited/mailed $600 checks to most adults in our congregation. We have over 100 adults at Dell. If each one of us could tithe the $600 check (meaning a $60 donation), we would receive over $6,000 on Feb, 7! (Our Smorgasbord profit, in a good year, is between $5,000-6,000). Now, some of our households may need the whole government check, and that's understandable. Some of us are doing ok financially, and the $600 is just icing on our cake. Folks in solid financial shape could, without pain, give more than a minimum tithe to help support those who are in tougher financial straits. A 15% donation, for example, would be $90, and still leaving $510 to spend/invest elsewhere! Bring this Empowering Missions Day special offering to the Lord, in prayer, and ask Him what He would like you to give, and then give cheerfully. We are so thankful for the generous and cheerful giving of our Dellites throughout the year. And we are excited to see what the Lord will do through us on our Empowering Missions Day!
Pastor Joe's first call was to a congregation that had a tradition of a Harvest Festival in the fall, where the congregation received a special offering that all went to missions. The congregation was around Dell-size, maybe a tad smaller, and their giving was fairly close to Dell's annual income. They always received around $6,000-7,000 in one day's giving. It was amazing!
The back story for St. Paul's Church, was that the Harvest Festival began during the Great Depression of the 1930s! During that time, the pastor often received chickens and produce from parishioners who couldn't give money in the offering plate! Once the Harvest Festival began, and became an annual tradition, members began to save a little bit every month, in anticipation of the November Harvest Festival offering. Some saved $5 a month, and were able to give $60 at the Festival. Others saved $10 per month and gave $120, etc..
We don't know what 2022 holds for the Smorgasbord. We also don't know if Empower Missions Day is going to become an annual day of generous giving. But, we might be part of a new tradition forming. Maybe Empower Missions Day becomes a Missions Festival in the future, with missionaries visiting us from the field, a dinner of different foods from different lands (even Lutefisk??? ;-), who knows? Maybe lots of Dellite households will begin saving a little something every month, for a special donation to missions on the first Sunday in February? Maybe? Could be!
With humble and glad thanks to God for His provision in every area of life, and many thanks for Dellites and their cheerful and generous giving throughout the years, Glory to God!
Thank you in advance for whatever you are able to add to the Empowering Missions Day offering, this Feb. 7 at Dell. If you can't be with us in person, we will gladly welcome your gift mailed to Dell at 47500 97th St., Frost, MN 56033. If the mailed gift arrives prior to Feb. 7, we will include that offering in the baskets on that Sunday morning to be blessed at the altar in the service!
God bless us all, in 2021!