October 28, 2018 (Sunday Morning) | Buddy Sumner
Leader: Today we recommit ourselves to learning, serving, and worshiping together as River Road Church. Today we renew our promises with God and with one another, including our promise to give generously to God’s work in and through our church.
Congregation: In that spirit, with thanksgiving we lift up our giving pledges for next year. We do so not to boast in our material blessings, but to express gratitude to our loving and generous God.
Leader: We know that today is not simply about pledges, for we celebrate the numerous ways we seek to commit ourselves to God.
Congregation: We recommit ourselves to walking together as the beloved people of God.
Leader: We recommit ourselves to God’s work of justice in a deeply divided world. We are called to know and love God, nurture each other, and welcome all people in the name of Jesus Christ.
Congregation: Today we reaffirm our hope for our church—a home for the weary traveler, a place of welcome for the poor, a comfort for the distressed, a place of salvation for the sinner, a loving family for young and old—for the good of all and the glory of God.
Leader: As individuals, we make these promises to River Road Church as a whole:
Congregation: I commit to participate regularly, because my presence here matters. I promise to share in service to our community and our world, because the world needs a sign of God’s hope. I promise to support the congregation through my gifts of time and money, because my gifts make a difference. I promise to love my neighbors, even when we don’t agree, because we all have a place at the table.
Leader: Together as a congregation, we make promises to each individual member:
Congregation: We promise to be a church where all are welcome. We promise to use our gifts wisely. We promise to create safe spaces where we can wrestle with the hard questions of life. We promise to provide opportunities to worship, learn, and serve. We promise to bear witness to God’s love for this world.
Leader: Together with the prophet Jeremiah we proclaim with one voice:
Congregation: The Lord will be our God, and we will be God’s people.