Giving to others is love in action. Love in Action is our theme for 2022 because that is what stewardship is, love in action. Throughout 2021 we have adapted and changed with the pandemic and have been the hands of feet of God in many ways. Being a partner in movements that change the lives of individuals and enrich our community is love in action. Our financial gifts do remarkable things when they are transformed into ministry and mission. 

It has been a blessing this past year to confirm eight wonderful middle schoolers. It has been a blessing to watch as we transformed our annual free Christmas hot dog dinner into a take-out dinner and still serve many in our community. It has been a blessing to be able to bring back Vacation Bible School and teach the children of our community about Jesus. And, since it is impossible as an individual to save the world, it has been a blessing that through our contributions to the wider Church, we share our resources across the region, our nation, and the world. We help to build the church, assist in disaster recovery, provide nutrition, clean water, and fight disease.

This is the way that Silsbee First responds to our many blessings: generosity. As Christians, we strive to be generous, improving the lives of our neighbors, local and global. Perhaps even more importantly, living generously improves us. It changes our relationship with our “stuff”, and, in doing so, changes our relationship with God. Generosity moves our perspective to trusting in God instead of only relying on ourselves, our hard work, our knowledge, and our resources. What a relief to understand that we can rely on more than ourselves!