Taking the Next Step

Taking the Next Step by Natalie Thomas, Business AdministerMy husband and I had joined Celebration the summer of 2016 at the start of a church stewardship Initiative. During that time, the congregation was challenged to increase their giving. Pastor Emmert used a ladder in his presentation and asked everyone to take a step up the ladder. He encouraged them to make that first step on the ladder and give something. If you were giving, but not regularly, he encouraged you to take the next step to become a consistent giver. Since my family was already tithing, our next step was going beyond the tithe. Pastor Emmert asked us to really pray about what God was calling us to give, so we did just that. We prayed and felt that God gave us an amount. This was the first time that we gave above our tithes on a monthly basis. Sure, we gave to special offerings, but were never intentional in giving beyond our tithes on a regular basis. God was true to his word and opened up the floodgates, which ultimately made room for us to go beyond.Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:10-11 (emphasis added).