Be a cheerful giver


How to be a cheerful giver?

Jesus told us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Quite simply, then, our greatest motivation for cheerful and generous giving should be that it pleases the Lord and reflects His gift of salvation to us.  In Paul's second letter to the Corinthian church, he reveals a number of inspiring truths that should help us become more cheerful givers.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).  This echoed Solomon a thousand years earlier: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing” (Proverbs 3:9-10).

Jesus Christ said, “Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6:38).  Indeed, “Good will come to him who is generous” (Psalm 112:5).  Paul goes on to say, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Cheerful giving should therefore be a way of life for all Christians who understands the grace of God.  When we give generously and with a willing heart, God assures us He will watch over us and provide for us (Isaiah 58:9; Psalm 41:1-3; Proverbs 22:9; 2 Corinthians 9:8, 11).

It is important to remember that it’s not just our money (or treasure) that we are to cheerfully give back to God.  As King David pointed out, everything we have is from God (1 Chronicles 29:14), and this includes our talents and our time as well.  We are saved because our God so generously gave (John 3:16).

As His children, we are called to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). When we trust God and honor Him by generously giving our time, treasure, and talent, we are truly letting our light shine before men, and our goodness will reflect radiantly on our Father in heaven.
 

How to give at GPC?

We would really appreciate if you give with regular online payments as it allows GPC to budget more effectively. Our account number is 12-3027-0017826-52 and use “giving” as the reference. 

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 9.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after our service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. One of our leaders will give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. There is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

GPC Kids for children from birth to age 11 (School Year 6)
Young people aged 11+ meet together in the "Kauri Group" on Sunday mornings.  This is made up of Transformers (School Years 7 & 8) and GPC Youth (School years 9+).  

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go into our church lounge for GPC Kids/ GPC Youth.  You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Women's Ministries
  • Music Team Ministry
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.