When was the last time you stopped and really thought about how blessed you truly are?  Some people might say they think about it all the time, while others might not give it a second thought.  When you ask someone how they know they are blessed, they might say, “Well, I have a nice car, a nice house, I have food on the table, clothes on my back, and a comfortable bed to sleep in every night.”  Another person might answer that question differently by saying, “I know I’m blessed because Jesus loves me, my family loves me, and my friends love me.”  While those might sound like respectable answers, do you know what they left out?  Their church.  Neither of those people who answered the question of how they know they are blessed said anything about their church.

When you think about how truly blessed you are, does your list include Duluth First United Methodist Church?

My friends, we should all feel both grateful and blessed to be a part of Duluth First United Methodist Church.  We should feel blessed that we can worship God openly and freely in this place.  We should feel blessed because our church shows us how to be a follower of Christ.  We should feel blessed because our church teaches us to, “Do good; Do no harm; and Love Jesus.”  We feel blessed because our church loves us and cares about us from cradle to grave.  We feel blessed because our church teaches us that God is Love.  We feel blessed because our church teaches us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.  And we feel blessed because our church not only teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but it shows us how to do it by going out into the community to spread the love of God and care for those neighbors – the lost, the needy, and the least of these.

Those are just some of the reasons why Duluth First United Methodist Church makes us feel blessed.  And those are some of the reasons why we give of ourselves in the form of our time, our prayers, and our tithes, gifts, and offerings.

As you take time now to think about how blessed we all are to be a part of this church family, and just how wonderful this place is, think also about how you can help our church grow.  It takes all of us to financially support the myriad of ministries here at Duluth First United Methodist Church.  It’s that time of year again when we start thinking about, and talking about, our giving plans for next year, including how we can all “Grow One Step” in our giving.  It simply means that if you gave 5% of your income to the church in 2025, plan to give 6% of your income in 2026.  It’s a small jump, but it makes a big difference.

I hope all of you feel as connected to Duluth First United Methodist Church as I do, and I hope that you and your families feel all the love and blessings that God has given to this church.  In the coming weeks, please think about, and pray about, your giving plans for the coming year.  Make your plan now to Grow One Step.

Peace and blessings to all,
Bryan Johnson,
Stewardship Committee Chairperson