"Thankfulness" and "giving" go together. When we give back to God, we express our appreciation to Him for all the ways He has blessed us. We're saying, "God, we're grateful for all You've done in our lives - and we love You."

My giving expresses my gratitude to God. When we give back to God, we express to Him our gratitude for all He has done for us. He gave Jesus, His only Son, to us to take away our sin. As such, we let our giving become an act of worship for his deep and eternal love for us. God desires us to be motivated by gratitude, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).

My giving expresses my priorities. One of the purposes of giving to God is so we will understand the value of placing God first in our lives. If you want to know what a person really values, just look at their calendar and their checkbook. The way people spend their time and money reveals what is really important to them. It's one thing to claim we love God, but the Bible says our giving tests the "genuineness of your love" (2 Corinthians 8:8, NET). When we give the first part of our income to God, on the first day of the week, it is evidence that God holds first place in our hearts. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21, NASB).

My giving expresses my faith in God for the future. Giving to God is an act of worship but it can also test our faith. God is not a stingy giver of blessings and He is liberal in His grace towards us. He even calls us to test Him in His faithfulness. In Malachi 3:10, He says, "Bring your whole tithe into my storehouse (Temple) ... Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" (NIV). God promises to take care us and He has never failed to keep His promises. Giving back to God a portion of what He has blessed us with expresses our faith in God to take care of us in the future, no matter the circumstance.

Why are we conducting a generosity initiative? 

The purpose of this initiative is to pave the way for the future of our church and those in Southeast Texas. There is no doubt that God is the source of power leading us to fulfill His plans. Our people expansion has outweighed our building potential. We desire to be proactive, sacrificial, and generous, creating the foundation for a strong and healthy future.

How long will the capital campaign take?

Our goal is to conduct a very focused generosity initiative that can be completed by the end of 2020.

Will the monies pledged be used for anything other than the building debt?

No. We desire to retire as much debt as possible, placing us in a favored position for the next phase of our worship facility expansion.

This comes at a time of financial uncertainty for me. Do I really need to make a commitment now?

Yes, because it is rare that we ever have certainty and predictability anytime this side of heaven! If we waited for certainty in life, we probably wouldn’t get anything accomplished. Most importantly, this is a time to step out in faith. God glories in our bold faith in times of uncertainty—the Bible is full of examples!!

The prayer of your staff is that any financial commitment made is a meaningful part of your spiritual growth as a follower of Jesus. One of the benefits of disciple-making is that we all grow to be like Christ in love, service, and sacrifice. This guide is a tool to help you discover steps God may want you or your family to take. As you desire to honor God, this brochure will assist you in defining what you or your family’s full giving potential may be.

Step 1: Prayerfully seek God’s wisdom for what your financial partnership should look like. Listen and honestly allow God to fashion your decision to the future work of FBC.

Step 2: Giving back to God joyfully is not about everyone “equally giving.” It is about everyone “equally sacrificing.” What would sacrificial giving look like to you and your family?

Step 3: Pray and seek God and then determine your giving potential and a determined plan of action. It is our desire that your decision comes from the movement of God, allowing you to discern if your giving plan represents the sacrifice that God is asking of you.

Step 4: As you decide and follow through with your commitment, take joy in knowing that your gift to our Celebration of Growth campaign honors our great God. It also helps our faith family to continue our efforts reaching the lost through our discipleship model.