Generosity Update

Word from Wiese

19 July 2023

Faith friends,

God is always transforming our acts of generosity and multiplying good in the world! And we feel wonderful when we can be a part of God’s agenda. For this week’s WFW, allow me to share updates that are also being sent to many of you via snail mail . . .

Printable Version

July 2023

With the All-Star Break, we’ve reached Major League Baseball’s half-way point. And the Atlanta Braves are in first place in their division with the best record in baseball!

With the end of June, COS comes to the conclusion of our 2022-23 Ministry Plan/Budget year. And like the Braves, we are celebrating! (Note: like many churches, our ministry year runs from summer to summer).

For Fiscal Year 2023, which ended in June. . .

COS worshipers gave 4% more than anticipated offerings! Well done good and faithful servants! Thanks for everyone’s generosity.
Giving was about 9% stronger than last year.
Primarily because of vacancies in staff positions (which we don’t really want), we kept expenditures well under budget.
Challenge for our COS team: while we finished well this year, in order to fully fund what we discern to be God’s plan for us, we need to increase our gifts by 15%. But because of God’s abundance, we can do it! Right?

This past fall, we worshiped through the lens of Jesus’ challenge to “Feed My Sheep.” We articulated 5 specific ways we could do that in 2023-24. Because of your generosity, we are seeing positive results! Here’s a mini-update of gratitude and celebration:

MUSIC FOR THE FUTURE Thanks to your giving, we green-lighted a competitive compensation package for a nation-wide search leading to the successful hiring of Larry Peterson. We rejoice that after David Beecher’s faithful service, we’ve secured a new dynamic leader essential for future vibrant worship. Likewise, we’ve taken seriously the needs of resourcing contemporary worship, too.
MAXIMIZING THE MEADOW Thanks to your support, we “loved our neighbors” in record numbers over the last 12 months by sharing our two wonderful campuses with 30+ community groups. Thanks to Linda Volckmann, Director of Operations, our Facility Management Team, and staff who’ve implemented council’s desire to share Jesus’ love by helping God’s people find needed space at COS. Replacement refrigerators and HVAC units were purchased when needed. We also completed many of the steps required to build bathrooms out at Palmetto Road for continued ministry opportunities.
LIVE-FEED FOR THE FLOCK Thanks to your generosity, every month we received emails and hand-written letters thanking COS for conducting the ongoing upgrades and trouble-shooting to provide worship services (along with baptisms, funerals, and musical events) online. Our Director of Technology, Brad Milburn, does a bang-up job of also leveraging “live feed for the flock” as an opportunity for our young people to serve and grow as they help with the AV duties.
LOVE FOR THE LAMBS We’re grateful for your financial gifts, because we’ve seen an increase in visitation and participation of families with young children. In addition to appreciating our open-minded Lutheran theology and dynamic worship, parents consistently tell us that vibrant children and youth ministry is key in their church choosing. So, thanks for helping Ingrid and Shelly transform your monetary giving into faithful fun for so many kids, what we called “love for the lambs.” At worship last Sunday, you heard that, in addition to weekly programing at COS, we sent kids to 3 different church camps not to mention a VBS program even larger than last year.
PAYING IT FORWARD Your bold giving enabled COS to continue shining as one of the top congregational givers to our Southeastern Synod & ELCA and all the “flock feeding” Jesus does throughout our state, nation, and world! Your spirit of generosity also brought to life ministry “above and beyond” what we included in the budgeted plan: feeding local kids through Joshua’s Gift Program and Summer Sack Lunch, feeding struggling Haitian families, and empowering at-risk girls in Tanzania, among others.

So, THANK YOU for your giving these past 12 months! It’s one key way we all live out our baptismal identities and activate “God’s Work, Our Hands” lifestyles.

As always, check for accuracy the enclosed statement of your 2023 year-to-date faith giving. If you have questions, please contact Bill Volckmann, our Financial Secretary at 770-487-8717. Remember that tax deductions may apply.

Also, if you want information on joining COS folks already in the Apple Tree Society in which we include God’s work at COS in our estate plans, please contact [email protected].

Like the first-place Braves, COS is a dynamic team because of YOU! We couldn’t do it without you! So, once again, THANK YOU for sharing who you are and playing your role on this special life-enriching team our Lord has given us.

In Christ’s hope,

Pastor Fritz on behalf of COS leadership teams