Overflowing is a multi-year vision, ministry focused effort rather than a three-year traditional capital campaign or a one-year stewardship appeal to fund the operating budget. Overflowing is a generosity journey we are all taking together. The Overflowing giving initiative is a direct result of our ministry team's discipleship plan, and also strategic planning efforts of St. John's leadership.

Our prayer is that though Overflowing, God's people will support ongoing ministry at St. John's, plus provide resources for new ministry initiatives and campus improvements. This accelerated generosity will equip us to more effectively overflow our generosity together as God’s people who gather around Word and Sacrament at St. John's. 

We are inviting everyone who regularly worships at St. John's to first consider accelerating your regular offerings to your Lord, to fully resource our ongoing mission and ministry together. Then, we are inviting everyone who loves and appreciate St. John's--congregants, regular attenders, and friends--to further their generosity, in proportion to how our Lord blesses each of us, so that future generations may continue to hear the Gospel message until our Lord returns. This vision-focused, holistic approach allows us to celebrate the total generosity of everyone who our Lord has called to gather at St. John's and support our mission to proclaim security and significance in Jesus.

We expect to reach the goal, despite the challenge--and opportunity!--it represents! However, if we do fall short, we will adjust expenditures proportionally based on priorities determined by our elected leaders, in close collaboration with our staff. We are committed to clearly communicate any shift with the congregation at that time. 

The goal was carefully quantified to support St. John's long-range planning efforts.  Further, congregation leadership carefully evaluated the viability of this God-sized, yet reasonable giving goal quantified through the careful work of the staff and other leaders, in close consultation with trusted advisors at Generis, who help hundreds of local churches accelerate giving each and every year.

As God’s faithful stewards, we share your interest in these essential ministry investments. Your commitment makes the difference! The $2.6 million Overflowing generosity goal includes funding towards well-conceived growth initiatives, adequate working capital to continue our current ministry, as we continue to pursue freedom from burdensome long-term indebtedness that could hamper future ministry. 

As God’s people joyfully respond, St. John's leaders will carefully manage and allocate the gifts of God’s people to identify spending and investment priorities, consistent with our mission and ministries.

St. John's generosity investment plan was arrived at through prayer and discussion amongst our elected and called leaders and other trusted advisors, all of which are consistent with voters’ approval of our annual operating budget. Our church is abundantly blessed and we are confident that will God’s bless our efforts and achieve our goal.

We ask that everyone who is invested in St. John's ministries make a commitment on or before March 16 or 17 during worship or online. The giving period begins July 1, 2024 and extends for two years. That timetable enables each of us to consider our generosity over three taxable years, as faithful stewards of resources our Lord has entrusted to us. Some may prefer to present a longer-term higher impact commitment to invest further to help ensure we reach our aggressive Overflowing generosity goal. If so, you are encouraged to discuss this desire with one of our pastors or staff minister.

While your generosity through this initiative will be used to cover our yearly ministry financial plan, the hope is that our congregation's overflowing generosity will allow us to expand our ministries, including possibly creating an additional ministry position to allow more outreach to our school families and in the community. 

Your church leadership is also considering several long-awaited campus improvements, which may include the following: a new digital church sign on Forest Home Avenue, the overdue pipe organ overhaul, updates to the Welcome Center, a new roof on the church, and more.

Just like our regular weekly offerings to our Lord, we ask those who regularly worship at St. John's to generously respond to the full Overflowing vision over the next two years. 

As a St. John's community, we are entrusting our elected leaders with the responsibility to prioritize and manage new ministry initiatives and future investments. Your leaders are committed to ongoing communication to the congregation. They will also seek voters’ action as needed, consistent with St. John's constitution and by-laws, as investment decisions are considered.

However, if you are moved to give to a specific ministry or special project, you are encouraged to do so over and above your regular offerings.

Giving in this manner can be a very tax-efficient way to give, and we’d love to help facilitate this gift for you and answer any questions. If you have any questions regarding gifts of marketable securities or real estate, you can contact Levi Nagel at levi.nagel@stjohnsmilw.org or by calling the church office (414-541-5881).

There are many ways that God bless each of us with treasures from him. Think about one of the most expensive possessions you own, besides your home or vehicle. Maybe it is a valuable coin collection that is gathering dust in your basement; or it is a motorcycle you longer ride; a piece of jewelry, flatware, or china you inherited or received but no longer use.

Perhaps you are an artist, hobbyist or skilled craftsman, you might consider how you can use your God-given talent to expand your generosity. For instance, a seasoned woodworker might create something and market it, committing the proceeds to God’s glory through Overflowing. Pray about this and consider how our Lord might be nudging you to commit stored resources you no longer need or use the talents he provides for his work through Overflowing.

We want every member of the St. John's community to commit to a spiritual journey with us, focused on transforming our hearts to respond to our generous God. This includes growing in your faith through personal devotion, in prayer, Sunday morning worship, and Bible study. 

We are confident this deepening of your faith will result in a life of growing generosity. This may mean getting started giving, becoming more regular or intentional in your giving, or as led by the Holy Spirit, you may be called to boundless generosity without restraint, with full trust in the Lord. Our hope is that everyone at St. John's will prayerfully seek God’s guidance as they generously respond to all his blessings through Jesus Christ. Our fervent, bold prayer is for 100% engagement of those who call St. John's their spiritual home.

We will keep everyone updated by providing frequent updates in the St. John's Connection weekly email, as well as through in-worship announcements and on our website. 

It's important to remember that Jesus spoke about generosity more than any other topic. As leaders, we fervently believe Jesus desires our hearts to be fully devoted to him as we make our Overflowing journey together so future generations continue to hear the Gospel boldly proclaimed here in Milwaukee/Greenfield. More than that, Jesus desires every aspect of our lives—our time and talents and resources—to be sacrificially offered to him so that more and more people know and follow him. 

We believe our Lord desires everyone who loves St. John's Lutheran Church to generously respond together as we send faithful men and women out from this church as Christ’s disciples where they work, serve, go to school, and even play. To God alone be the glory!