We are excited seeing what God is doing and going to do through us, the people of Calvary Baptist Church, as a result of our 4th Annual Thanksgiving Offering!   We are challenged by God’s Word to be  “a cheerful giver,” II Corinthians 9:7, to give “willingly to the LORD,”  I Chronicles 29:9a, and to remember “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 12:25. The tithe belongs to the Lord first and should be given before any offerings. Then as He leads we give offerings to Him and watch as He uses our means, whether great or small to further His work. A few of the things this year’s Thanksgiving Offering will be used for are: giving our missionary families a monetary Christmas gift, sending 220,000 copies of John and Romans and approximately 2 million Gospel tracts to India in their language, purchasing Gospel tracts for our church’s use here in our Jerusalem, getting the exterior of our fellowship hall building painted, chairs and cart for storage for fellowship hall, re-covering of the pews in the auditorium, and replacing / updating the lights in the auditorium. These are big goals but we serve a big God! Whether we meet all of these goals or not, God will certainly bless His people and His church for doing what we can to serve Him in this area of giving. The containers in the picture represent the various giving goals listed above. Each Sunday in November after the Thanksgiving Offering is totalled the containers are filled with water to the level at which that goal is reached. This is an exciting time each Sunday as we can “see” our goals reached or being reached! Giving truly does bring a heartfelt joy to the giver as we give not of necessity or being forced to but out of our love for our Saviour Who has already given us so very much. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO OUTGIVE HIM!!!  PRAISE OUR LORD!!