Luke 2:18

“And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them”

Establish – Empower – Engage

TITHE AND DEVOTIONAL READING OF THE WEEK

A Sacrificial Offering

SABBATH 11—MARCH 16, 2024

John 3:16—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

In 1857, David Livingstone was invited to receive a tribute and speak to students at Cambridge University, in England. He had left behind a prosperous life in Europe to devote himself to preaching the gospel on the African continent. As he stood in front of the students, he was just a thin, slender man who had been stricken thirty-one times by deadly African fevers and had one of his arms resting in a sling after an encounter with a lion. Throughout England, that humble servant was welcomed as a hero. But now, in front of those attentive students, he uttered the following words:

People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay?—Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter?—Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! . . . I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk, when we remember the great sacrifice which HE made who left His Fa- ther’s throne on high to give Himself for us

Words like these remind us that the true sacrificial offering came from Calvary. Everything we give to the cause of God is infinitely less than what we receive from the gift of the cross. However, in our sphere, we are called to offer a sacrificial offering to God. This means that when establishing the percentage of the regular offering that we give, we must choose a percentage that challenges us to trust in God’s care and blessings. This is one of the reasons God decided that while the tithe would be ten percent of our income, it is for the worshipper to set the percentage of offerings.

Ellen G. White says: “In the Bible system of tithes and offerings the amounts paid by diffe- rent persons will of course vary greatly, since they are proportioned to the income” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 73). She also writes: “How much more eager will every faithful steward be to en- large the proportion of gifts to be placed in the Lord’s treasure house” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 200).

Appeal: You should regularly review your income and ask yourself if the percentage you are returning represents a real sacrifice. Only then you will respond with gratitude to the great sa- crifice made for you on the cross.

Tithes and Offerings

To return local Budget offerings only, please use the following:
First Trust Bank; Sort Code – 938270 Account No. – 33312061

To return a combination of Tithe; Gift Aid; Sabbath School; Local Budget; Other Offerings please use the following:
First Trust Bank; Sort Code – 938270 Account No. – 33312228

To return local Budget offerings only, please use the following:

First Trust Bank; Sort Code – 938270 Account No. – 33312061

To return a combination of Tithe; Gift Aid; Sabbath School; Local Budget; Other Offerings please use the following:
First Trust Bank; Sort Code – 938270 Account No. – 33312228

Safeguarding image

CHURCH’S SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

The Belfast Seventh-day Adventist Church Board adopts and follows the BUC keeping Our Church Family Safe child and adult protection policy  and procedures. We are committed to safeguarding our children and vulnerable adults who take part in our church services and activities.

We believe it is the responsibility of all to keep our church family safe and the following person has been appointed to offer support and guidance:

BUC Policy Section 10 – Data Protection (2018-03)KCFS Procedures Ireland 2018-11

74-84 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 6AF

[email protected]

Service Times:

Sabbath School 10:00 am Sabbath (Saturday)
Available classes for all ages. (adults, youth and children.

Divine Worship: 11:15am Sabbath (Saturday)

NEWS

Mindfit: A Mental Health Seminar- 11-14th April, each evening at 7:30pm. Venue Stranmillis University College. Registration on Eventbrite 

Youth Week of Prayer: March 16th-23rd IM Youth Leaders leading out every evening at 7:30pm via Instagram. Resources can be found on

www.gcyouthministries.org?resources/week-of-prayers/

GenZ Weekend Belfast Church 29th March-1st April 2024 for 10-17 year olds- Please

see Philani or Lorna foe registration details

Balmoral show- All volunteers to meet at the church on Sunday April 21st at 10am to plan and arrange the Event.

Communion Service: Next Communion Service will be on the 6th April

Prayer Meeting- Every Wednesday Evenings at 7:30

ZOOM ID: 2638989242 (Passcode 000000)

Christ Objects Lessons: Study held every Monday on Zoom with Pastor Gideon at 7pm

Zoom 81990409706 passcode 743460

If you wish to make a personal donation, please visit their website: https://adra.org.uk