Giving From Afar
One of the most interesting changes that I’ve witnessed in my decade plus at Canonsburg UP has been the way that God has chosen to meet our financial needs. When I first arrived, it was mainly members and regular attenders who contributed regularly (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) by putting checks in the offering plate that was passed around during Sunday worship. Giving was fairly steady throughout the year, with out large dips or increases. As banking changed and more options opened up, including online giving, we started to see a mild shift away from in-person giving, but it remained steady. Soon, we then started seeing what many churches have come to see as the “normal” giving pattern with a summer dip and a fall & winter increase to end and start the year.
Some changes started to occur through the ongoing ministry of our UP With Kids Daycare Center and the gift of mineral and gas rights from a former member’s estate that had long sat dormant. These contributions supplemented our regular offerings and expanded our ministries.
Of course, we experienced some significant changes when large contributions were given for projects (the elevator) and ministries (the Defurio Scholarship for kids to go to camp) and then the DeZomba gift that has allowed us to renovate our campus and prepare for future ministries both within and outside of our campus.
And then we started noticing that some regular contributors to the mission and ministry of our church weren’t just not members, but they weren’t local at all. For various reasons, people saw what God was doing in Canonsburg and said, “I’d like to be a part of that too, even if I can’t be there!”
William Kefer is one of these people. He grew up in Canonsburg, was actually baptized in what was “Chartiers Creek Presbyterian Church” – but moved away after High School and retired in Tennessee. I’ve found encouragement and inspiration in his story and his choice to support CUPC, and I wanted to share it with you too. He’d actually like it to inspire others to financially support our church, so please feel free to share it! It’s a short video that can have a big impact through the grace of God!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus,
Pastor Don