DID YOU KNOW? Research shows that about 20% of the people in the average church give 80% of the money for the ministry of the church. This same 20% of the church are receiving the majority of the blessings of Christian stewardship. What a tragedy! It is through sacrificial Christian stewardship that people open the windows of heaven for God's blessings. These facts also indicate that our church could be doing far more to share the love of Christ with others than we are presently doing. "Because We Care" challenges all of us to have a part in the support of the church and its efforts on behalf of God's kingdom. At first thought, most people do not think they have much cash available to them. But with a little creativity, and by taking advantage of the time we have until the First Fruits Offering on June 6th, each of us can probably come up with a sizable cash gift... and together it will all add up. The more we are able to give in cash up front, the less that we will need to borrow for the solar energy project.

TRANSFORMING LIVES: PRICELESS Our "Because We Care" stewardship campaign is about something that can't be measured in dollars and cents. In fact, while this campaign will result in great savings for Sonrise because it will equip us to move to solar energy, there's a sense in which "Because We Care" is ultimately about transformed lives... and that is priceless. Sonrise has a clear mission and purpose: to reach our community for the Lord, Jesus Christ and to teach God's people how to live and serve Him in their generation. Those aren't just words. We are the people we are because our lives have been changed by Jesus Christ and we want to share the joy of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ with others. It's a gift to belong to a life-changing church. It's a privilege that's... priceless.

WHAT'S MY PART? As commitment time comes, many will be asking, "Just what is my part?" Actually, this is a question that only you can prayerfully decide in partnership with the Lord. No effort will be made in this campaign to tell any person what he/she should or should not give. Every family unit in the church will receive a commitment card. At the appropriate time, each one will be invited by Pastor Tony to respond privately and voluntarily with a God-directed commitment for the next 18-months. There is only one way for each of us to determine our commitment. Ask the Lord what He would have us do and then obey. Sometimes the amount He asks us to give is a sacrifice but God is able to meet our commitment and lives will be changed in the process.

THE CELEBRATION EVENT To celebrate what God is doing through Because We Care, an exciting evening of praise and worship and delicious food have been planned for Sunday, May 23, at 6:00 pm at Town and Country Resort in San Diego. There is no charge to the Family of Sonrise to attend this event and we anticipate that our entire adult church membership will be there to celebrate with us! This is the time when we will corporately gather together to pledge what God has laid on our hearts individually. You will be receiving an invitation in the mail and a member of the invitation team will be calling you to confirm your reservation and review the information for the evening. Childcare for children 8th grade and under will be available at Sonrise at 5:15 PM. Mark your calendar now for this special night... it will be an evening you won't forget!