2 Corinthians 8:9-15 says “For you know the grace of our Lord Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” There is no more concrete and effective way to spread God’s grace than to model the grace of the one who became poor for us. Generosity is at the heart of everything we are called to do and be as Christians. Because of Christ’s redemption our money is both the result of grace and a channel of grace, and we must not forget that it is. Through giving, we are modeling God’s grace, using our giving to change lives. So why give? Because it is one of the best ways: (i) to change lives, (ii) to build community, and (iii) to live out the truths of who are in Christ. If we want our communities and our world to become a better place, it starts with our charity at home. In light of these current economic times, some of us are a bit stretched, and what may fall by the wayside is our charitable giving. We cannot forget that these times are particularly important to give because those suffering are in even more dyer straights right now. There are many people are wounded and without hope and there is so much pain in this world. We hear it daily on the news, we see it in our city streets, and we read about it in our hometown newspapers. Sometimes, we are so inundated with these stories that it is a normal human reaction to block it out and think about happier things. Not everyone can give money, but every single human being has something to give. Our giving that is premised on the love and compassion in our hearts and has a profound effect on the lives of those in our society who are often forgotten, and while not conventional wisdom, our giving has a profound effect on our own lives as well. Whether you choose to give your time, your money or your talent … and whether you give to Outreach or one of the many other worthy organizations, we encourage you to give. In addition to the impact you will have on others lives, you may be surprised at how giving brings benefits to your life as well. Matt and Nicole Conrad