The members of the Hedrick-Martinsburg United Methodist Church are tithing the bequests they receive to ministry in their communities. Their trustees took this leap of faith, giving thanks to God for those things received through the grace and generosity of others. When the church receives a bequest, one tenth of that money will be devoted to a mission project in the Hedrick, Martinsburg, and Farson area to immediately benefit an individual or group.
This past September, the congregation made good on that promise by taking a tithe of a bequest to do repairs on a home. Mary was extremely grateful to see the trucks pull up to her house as her neighbors and her pastor begin to work on her home. Throughout the whole morning she kept saying, “Why me? I am so undeserving.” Yet the members of the church kept right on going, even finding time to convene a special trustees meeting to pay for more repairs that were discovered as they inspected her house.
The Hedrick-Martinsburg United Methodist Church is coming to understand that stewardship applies not simply to the church building, but also to the community. They hope to continue this kind of ministry for long time.
