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This Week's Ministry Message
Seed to Sunflower: What is Your Portrait of Stewardship?
As part of the impressionist movement, Vincent van Gogh broke from artistic norms to vibrantly, emotionally paint people, objects, and nature often illustrating his Christian faith in the process. However, van Gogh’s only documented painting sale sold for 400 francs. Van Gogh often traded work with other artists in exchange for some food or drawing and painting supplies. Being an artist is a risky way to support oneself. But a seed planted can become a sunflower that’s painted.
One of van Gogh’s works “Sunflowers,” with an original price tag of $125, sold in 1987 at auction for $39.5 million. Today it has an estimated worth of $110 million. Artists take risks and the world is a more beautiful place because of it. Baker Memorial United Methodist Church’s stewardship season “Plenty is Enough” comes with an invitation: to risk sowing seeds now in support of its beautiful, faithful mission.
Baker Memorial Church is part of Christ’s mission to bring more of God’s blessings to bloom on earth: blessings of love, joy, peace, justice, mercy, compassion, wholeness, healing. In a very particular way – through a pledged commitment of financial support for 2026 – I invite you to be a participant in assisting the church in its faithfulness to Christ’s mission.
To count the number of ways the congregation has been blessed by God over the last 180 years would be impossible! So, too, we cannot begin to know how many ways Baker Memorial Church has served to bless people near and far. The church is a “good thing” of God’s creation, a blessing to celebrate as it is called to the faithfulness of prayer, presence, gifts, service and witness.
Stewardship is a worthwhile, faithful risk: to invest in the church’s mission in order that it can continue to contribute to the kingdom of God in ways bold, relevant, just and joyful! What abundance of God’s blessings is plenty enough for you to share? Watch for the stewardship information coming to your mailbox or email this week! You can always go online to the church’s website, too, to make your 2026 pledge: www.bakermemorialchurch.org/donation. View the 2026 Stewardship brochure here.