By Stephanie Hegland
A while back I was "church-shopping" with my then four-year-old daughter. Although both my former husband and I had been raised Catholic, we'd most recently worshipped at an Episcopal church. After our divorce I didn't feel comfortable returning to where we'd worshipped as a family. Our goal had been to find a religious home that helped us connect with God where we were in our developing faith. However, once I was on my own, my focus changed to finding a church where my daughter could find God in a way that made her feel good about herself.
A friend, whose son attended daycare with my daughter, had recently found Bethlehem in her own family's search for a church home. I mentioned my church-shopping journey to her one day and she suggested I visit Bethlehem. She told me she'd been impressed with the children's ministries and that her son really enjoyed going. She was also pleased that her older son seemed much more comfortable with the confirmation classes at Bethlehem than he had at a previous church.
My daughter started tagging along with her son to Sunday school, while I attended worship with my friend and her husband. Within weeks we were both hooked, and subsequently went on to officially join. Since our first introduction, my daughter has continued to participate in Sunday school, day camp, vacation bible school and camp kaleidoscope. The reason I share how I found Bethlehem is because I consider it among one of the many blessings God has bestowed upon me.
A few years ago I joined the stewardship commission. Becoming a member of the church leadership has helped me to reflect and focus more deeply upon my own faith and how God has worked in my life. I began to realize that without the financial generosity of previous and current members, Bethlehem might not have had such a stellar children's ministry, the very ministry that brought us to Bethlehem.
I have learned so much more about how Bethlehem touches the lives of so many each and every day. And that the church's ability to reach out and change lives is a direct result of the many contributions made by its membership. In praising and thanking God for the blessing of Bethlehem's children's ministry, it occurred to me that I have the ability to extend that ministry to touch others by my own contributions. And so, both my daughter and I have begun to tithe regularly. In fact, a portion of her allowance automatically goes into a "charity" piggy bank. My tithing is a bit more high tech, as I have BLC set up as a payee on my online banking system. In this way, my weekly contributions are deposited once a month into the church's bank account.
I feel so blessed to have been led to Bethlehem and to its children's ministry. By regular tithing, I am able to praise God and thank the church for its work in this important ministry and many others.