Every week, you leave this place with sheets of paper. There is our weekly bulletin. There are sermon note cards that you have filled out. There are papers from our Bible classes. Your children bring papers home. What to do with all of those papers? Often we leave them stuck in our Bibles. Then, if we happen to drop our Bibles, all those papers spill out on the floor. Let’s consider a few thoughts about “all those papers.”
First, all those papers represent hours of study, preparation and presentation. We try to make these papers not only look good to your eyes, but to be meaningful to your learning. It’s easy to get used to “all those papers,” but they do not magically fall from Heaven like manna. There was a time when people asked, “What do our preachers do all week long?” In your hands are the evidence of hours of their work.
Second, we are truly blessed to be able to produce colorful, useful material for you. Very few congregations here in the States, and hardly any overseas, are able to produce what you get every week. Your contribution helps to make this all possible. Paper and toner are not cheap. But high- quality material is something that can strengthen our faith, and can last a long time.
Thirdly, and most importantly, what do you do with “all those papers?” It’s easy to let them collect in your Bibles and then just toss them all in the trash. Have you considered scanning these and keeping them on your computer or cloud storage? Or, get file folders and file these away. These can be used for classes, invitations, or even to pass on to family and friends. Questions come up all the time. What’s the answer? Look to your files. You’ve heard sermons and sat through classes that provide the answers.
Consider the volume of “all those papers.” If you get one study sheet for Sunday class and one sheet for Wednesday class, each week for a quarter, that’s more than 25 sheets. Four quarters in a year, and that’s about 100 sheets of class material a year. Add to that 50 or more sermon fill-in-the- blank note cards every year. Then there is a bulletin every week. Fifty-two bulletins in a year. At year’s end, you have nearly 200 sheets of papers, full of information about faith, the Bible, and our journey with the Lord. Saved, stored, and accessible, you are given more information in a year than most people have in a lifetime! All those papers can really make a difference. Before you toss all those papers in the trash, is there someone young in faith or a preacher starting out that you could give those to? Incredible teaching tools, right there in your hands, every week. Something to be thankful for!
All those papers—what a blessing. Each week—opportunities to learn, grow, and get stronger in the Lord. Just one way we try to equip you is through all those papers!