Ingathering

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.  Psalms 50:23 (NLT)

‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good.  His faithful love endures forever!’ Jeremiah 33:11 (NLT)

Our church's annual Ingathering is today (Sunday).  We will have a message given by a guest speaker and then take up our Lord's Acre offering.  Afterwards, we eat a fantastic traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared by the loving hands of a few of our church women.  It is a delicious spread.

Many, many years ago, our church established the Lord's Acre Program.  It was put together because so many in the church were farmers, and as you may know, most farmers have a big harvest in the fall and then live off that income for the next year.  So this special offering was taken at the Ingathering meal the Sunday before Thanksgiving and the farmers could give one acre's worth of income to the Lord's Acre Program.  The Lord's Acre Program then is what we (our church) have used to build the mance, the educational wing and new basement...which is now the old basement...and our new church (1995), a new attached garage and expansion of the mance, new metal roof on the church, and now a front porch and new sidewalks for mance. 

Our congregation isn't quite as full of farmers as it used to be, but the non-farmers determine an amount they can give based on their blessings and that is their offering.  It is considered, at least in my opinion, something beyond your regular tithe.  I feel like it something that is an option and done out of thankfulness to God.  It always amazes me that at the time the check is written, it is so painful...then later a special blessing comes our way and the loss of that extra money is forgotten. 

The Ingathering is one of those annual traditions I look forward to with my church family.  Now, that I'm older I understand the Lord's Acre Offering a little more and it is special too.  I'm always amazed to hear the dollar amount as we are eating supper.  I suppose when it comes down to it, technically it is about the money, but it means much more than that to me now.  It is an investment in our church's future.  In the future of God's kingdom.  A little "Thank You" to our Heavenly Father.