By Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Founding Pastor
What is a hero? A hero is someone who personally sacrifices his or her life to save the life of another. My brother Henry, a litter bearer with the Red Cross during WWII, was such a sacrificial hero. Not many of us have the opportunity to be that kind of hero - rushing into a scene of destruction, picking up a bleeding body to save it from dying. However, we do have the opportunity to help resituate and save persons' wounded souls. People from around the world have repeatedly told me, "You saved my life!" Although these words never fail to bring a tear to my eye, I know that I was not the one who did the saving.
First and foremost, the "you" in their statement is Jesus Christ. During church services on Sunday, or through the New Hope help line, or a Sunday morning fellowship group, these people have felt the life-saving power of renewed hope that only Christ can bring.
The "you" is also YOU! YOU are a true, God-ordained hero! The gifts of your tithes, your offerings, your talents and your time make it possible for us to offer our message of hope, love and encouragement, resulting in enthusiasm replacing depression, and hope replacing hopelessness. YOU make this ministry happen. Today, in the midst of a national and international recession, our message has never been needed more. Unfortunately, our church has likewise been affected by this year's economy, with our revenues down over 30% since January 1, 2009. As a result, we trimmed every single line in our budget to weather the current economic storm. Every one of our staff has taken a 10% pay cut this year.
But I know the Lord has a powerfully positive plan for our ministry. Indeed, our best days are yet to come! God still wants to save millions of lives through our message of hope. To do so, we need your heroic faith - personally sacrificing through an ongoing commitment to this congregation and the bright future of this ministry!
Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for believing in our ministry. Thank you for believing in God's life-saving message. YOU are my hero!
