THE FORGE
A Quarterly money and ministry update
Welcome to The Forge
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)
Dear Foundry Family,
Paul wrote that line at the end of two full chapters about money.
He has just spent page after page asking a young church to give toward a need in Jerusalem... people most of them would never meet. He talks about sowing generously. He talks about cheerful givers. He tells them about the churches in Macedonia who gave out of extreme poverty.
And then, right in the middle of the ask, he stops. He can't help himself. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Paul knew where all of it started. Before anyone gave a dollar, God gave His Son. Every gift we bring is a response to that one.
I've watched that happen here this fall.
For four weeks, this church took on Unlock the Future. A family offered to match every gift toward our kids, dollar for dollar. [RESULT: households first, then dollars, then the total after the match. WAITING ON Brandon after the Nov 8 close; drops in at proof.]
Here's the part I keep thinking about. Most of the people who gave will never teach a class in those rooms. Some gave to something like this for the very first time. They gave anyway... so that a eight-year-old they'll never meet could hear that Jesus knows her name.
That's 2 Corinthians 9, right here at Foundry.
In a couple of weeks we'll light the first Advent candle. It's the season that slows us down to remember the Gift that came first. So, as this year comes to a close, let me invite you to three things:
Give thanks. Out loud, and specifically. Not just "for my family or my church or my small group" but be specific.
Give on purpose. Decide now how you want this year to end, and set it in motion. The year-end giving guide in this edition can help... and there are some new tax rules this year to keep in mind.
Give room. Leave space in a full December for the One we're celebrating.
Thank you for being a church that answers grace with generosity. It is a joy to be your pastor.
With much gratitude and hope,
Pastor Ray
Where We Stand
Your generosity is what makes everything in this edition possible: every ministry, every mission, every moment of life change at Foundry. Here's where we stand as we head into the last weeks of the year.
December matters more than any other month here. It typically brings in 14–17% of everything given all year, roughly double a normal month. So, the way this year finishes depends on December. [One honest sentence once the Oct 31 numbers are in.]
If you've been meaning to start giving, or to take a next step, the year-end giving guide walks through the options.
Unlock the Future: For four weeks this fall, a family in our church offered to match every gift toward our kids, dollar for dollar, up to $700,000. Here's how it finished: [households] households gave; [number] of them for the first time; [amount] given, which the match turned into [amount]. WAITING ON Brandon. (check with Ray before reveal)
NEXT snapshot (as of October 31): total pledged, pledges received, expenses to date, cash in the NEXT account, total funds available. WAITING ON Brandon.
Fry Road: [status and expected opening date; photos]. WAITING ON Brandon / Darwin.
Jones Road: [where the timeline and financing stand]. WAITING ON Brandon.
A reminder: NEXT and Unlock the Future are above and beyond regular giving. Your regular giving is what keeps every ministry here going week to week.
2026 Year-End Giving Guide
A Testimony???
Christmas is when this church's generosity reaches the farthest.
Season of Hope. Through our partnership with Cy-Hope, Foundry families sponsor kids so they wake up Christmas morning with gifts and the reminder that they haven't been forgotten. This year [number] kids are on the list. [How to sign up, and by when.]
Compassion International. [Number] children are now sponsored by Foundry families. [One sentence or story.]
Christmas Eve offering. Everything given at our Christmas Eve services goes to a mission need beyond our walls. Last year, $27,000 went to relief and long-term ministry in Sri Lanka after a devastating cyclone. This year's offering will support [Ray to provide recipient and what it will do].
If you'd like to serve this Christmas, contact Karen at karen.starnes@foundrychurch.org or visit foundrychurch.org/missions.
WAITING ON Karen for the bracketed facts.
A Christmas That Reaches Further
Upcoming Events
"A Thrill of Hope!" Christmas Concert:
Sunday, December 6, 5pm
Jones Road Sanctuary
Rejoice! Contemporary Christmas Worship Night:
Thursday, December 18, 7pm
Jones Road Foundry Hall
Silent Night service:
Sunday, December 20, 5pm
Jones Road Campus
Christmas Eve services:
Thursday, December 24, 1/3/5pm
Both Campus
Jazz Brunch:
Sunday, December 27, 10:45am
Fry Road Campus
Year-end giving deadline:
Thursday, December 31
Thank you for the ways you have generously given to help people know, follow, and share Jesus.