Why We Give to Good Sam

(Can you tell it's stewardship season, the time of the year the church raises funds for the next fiscal year? Cleo shared her story a couple of Sundays ago.)

by Cleo Ochs

My daughters and I started coming here, it’ll be two years either next month or December. We started off and our job was to find a church that was close to home, because that was less driving that I had to do, and a church that my kids would love.

Good Sam was our first stop and our final stop. 

The first day we started, not only were we welcomed, but my children fell in love of course with Kathleen as all the kids do.

In that timeframe, Good Sam has not only welcomed us but taken care of us. 

Last summer was a really hard summer for me, I had a really horrible experience and without the prayers of the prayer group, I don’t think I would’ve been able to get my voice back again.  With the help of Teddy and Germaine, I was able to find my voice again.

Not only did I get my voice, but last Halloween my husband started coming to church with us, which was another prayer that I’ve had since the day we were married and it finally happened.  You guys not only welcomed us, but then you welcomed my husband who seems to enjoy coming here and hanging out with Chris, I guess because they have so much in common.

Good Sam has not only become our friends, but our family, and though we may not be in a lot of activities -- and I know why some of those prayers when they asked me to be on the vestry last year and I had to pray about it and my answer didn’t come back quite as I expected, now I know why, because I’m standing here kind of ready to fall over. [Cleo is 9 months pregnant.]

We give to Good Sam because of what Good Sam has given to us. Even though this may not be our permanent home, this is our home as we are here now and welcomed by everyone and taken care of by everyone, not just my kids but the rest of my family because Good Sam is also our family as well.

If you give to Good Sam, why do you?