My dear friends throughout

our community:

In all our churches it's time

to talk about the 'm' word. It's MONEY TIME.

It's "Stewardship Time,"

which is NOT a bad time, I promise you. Please read this and apply it

to your own church and your own life of stewardship and Christian giving.

Thanks.

I begin with a story relayed

to me by my neighbor.

Once there was a young high-jumper

who had worked and worked on clearing the high jump bar at greater and

greater heights. Her coach told her she probably could actually break

the state record.

She continued to train and

develop her strength and technique. But after some time she finally declared

to her coach, "Coach, I can't do it! I can't break the record! I

just can't get my body over the bar at that height! I don't have enough

speed, strength, or spring in my legs to throw my body up and over such

a tall bar!" After thoughtfully listening, the coach confidently

said, "I believe you can! And here's how: Throw your HEART over the

bar first! Your body will follow! "

As we all come to money time

in our churches, I guess what I'm "coaching" you to do is "throw

your HEART over the 'bar' first! Your body ­ and your money will

follow!"

In other words, the first thing

I'm asking you to give as you "pledge" or "commit"

or "estimate" your giving is your heart. Take this opportunity

to truly commit (maybe even for the first time) or re -dedicate

and re -commit your heart to your Lord Jesus Christ! And understand

that your gift to God is simply your response to Him first giving His

great gift of grace (undeserved love!) to you! "Throw your heart

over first...Your 'body' will follow!" ... Your "time,

talents, and treasures" will follow!

And follow with great joy,

peace and satisfaction.

Thank you ahead of time for

your participation in your church's stewardship program. Thank you for

preparing for this time by prayerfully considering your offerings of time

and talents and your treasures.

Thank you for coming to worship,

lending your presence to the witness of your congregation that Jesus is

Lord of your lives! Thank you for dedicating your offerings of time, talents

and treasurers by placing them upon God's altar.

Thank you for joining in celebrating

your love for God and one another. Thank you! And God bless you!

So, onward and upward for the

mission of the church!"

Please prayerfully consider

Giving and Tithing.

Please read the Scriptures

about this important aspect of our Christian lives. Please read what your

pastors and churches are writing and sending out to you about sacrificing

and "over-and-above" giving.

If you are a member of your

church, don't let anything keep you away from your church on "stewardship"

or "loyalty" Sunday except an extremely necessary trip out of

town... or an un-changeable work schedule!

If you have let your faithfulness

in Sunday worship or Sunday School slip "recently," please pray

that God would strengthen you to come this Sunday as a start on coming

every week after!

One more thing:

Please know that my family

and I join you in making our tithe and offerings to the Lord through our

church. So does your pastor and family. We would never ask you to do something

we ourselves are not willing to do! It's a joy to be in this together

with you!

Finally, please know that the

total amount you give is not what is important. As we each give our tithe

(and beyond...) the amount varies, but the gift is the same. If you do

not yet tithe, please prayerfully consider this wonderfully joyful, peace-producing

way of life. "Try it! You'll like it!"

I guarantee you that it will

be the best investment you'll ever make, with great "returns"

for God, great returns for yourself and your family, great returns for

the sake of our community and the whole world.

Does all this seem hard? Difficult?

Impossible?...

...Well "Coach Kollmeyer"

says: "Throw your heart over first! The rest will follow!"

God loves you, and so do I!

Kollmeyer is senior pastor

of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville. To contact him call

770-461-3403 or log onto www.popdove.com .