MESSAGE FROM OUR MINISTER

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!

Welcome:

Welcome to our church web-site! In an impersonal world, it is good to know that you matter to God. At Salem United Methodist Church of Cedar Grove, we offer you a place to belong to a caring family of committed servants. We have been a vital part of our community for the past century and are actively seeking God's will for our part in the future of our changing world. If you would like to know more about our opportunities for fellowship, our Christian education programs, or our missions and outreach programs, then take some time to explore our site.

If you have a concern for prayer, or any further questions, you can reach me at the church office at (301) 972-1804. We look forward to seeing you soon in person.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Carroll Gunkel

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"THE WIDOW'S MITE"

In the sermon on STEWARDSHIP, on Sunday, May 18,2003, Pastor Gunkel shared the story of "The Widow's Mite"(Mark 12:42-44), in which a poor widow brought a modest gift(2 copper pennies) to the altar of God in the Temple. Jesus praised the woman and her gift, saying that while others had given from their plenty she had given from her poverty. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, has observed that her gift "had nothing to do with economics but everything to do with her devotion to God".
The same can be said of the offerings we make to the church. While our giving does support the budget of the church, truly the most important aspect of our giving is that our gifts are expressions of our gratitude and devotion to God.
As further signs and symbols of that gratitude and devotion (1) we stand as our gifts are brought to the altar, (2) we sing a song of praise such as "The Doxology" ("Praise God from whom all blessings flow"), and (3) we actually place the gifts on the altar. Because people often pay their pledges for an extended time (for example quarterly) or there are those who send their offerings in by mail we have now adopted the practice of placing such gifts on the altar whenever they are received. When you give a gift to God through Salem Church your devotion will be acknowledged in whatever form it is sent or whenever it is given.
Additionally the pastor expressed in the sermon his belief that since the offering is a spiritual act and not just an economic one even if we've already sent our pledge to the church we should still place a gift in the offering plate whenever an offering is received.
This is NOT just a clever way to increase congregational giving; it's an opportunity to place something of ourselves on the altar every week… hence the WIDOW'S MITE.
In order to foster this concept of perpetual gratitude there will be,henceforth, a small bowl on the table at the tower entrance with pennies in it. If you've already given your pledge please take two pennies from the dish so that when the offering is received everyone will place a gift in the plate and everyone in the congregation will have a gift of themselves and their devotion dedicated to God.
This is a simple gift but a powerful act of gratitude and faithfulness to the One who is "the giver of every good and perfect gift".

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