BAA Change For Eternity October- December 2017
“Change” for Eternity
[The Widows Mite]
The 5th annual Change for Eternity drive which helps finance our church school and traditionally begins on September 1 will begin on October 1 this year. This gives us all, in some small way, opportunity to contribute to the operation of the Boulevard Adventist Academy. Jars will be available in the foyer of our church on September 30 so you may take one or two home with you and begin collecting small change until the Sabbath before Christmas. All the jars will be collected in the sanctuary and presented as a Christmas gift to our school on December 23rd. When we all work together collecting change “A little [indeed] goes a long way.” In years past, we have collected as much as $1400.00 in change! Considering it takes about $3500.00 a month to operate our school, this represents about 40 per cent of our monthly operating budget. Praise God for your contributions.
"He [Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, 'Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.’ ” Mark 12:41-44. Luke 21:1-4. The traditional interpretation of this story tends to view it as contrasting the conduct of the scribes with that of the widow, and encouraging generous giving; often read with 2 Corinthians 9:7, "...for God loves a cheerful giver."
The Gospel of Mark specifies that two mites [Greek lepta] are together worth a quadrans, the smallest Roman coin. A lepton was the smallest and least valuable coin in circulation in Judea, worth about six minutes of an average daily wage. In the story, a widow donates two small coins, while wealthy people donate much more. Jesus explains to his disciples that the small sacrifices of the poor mean more to God than the extravagant, but proportionately lesser, donations of the rich.
God bless those who are willing to support the Boulevard Adventist Academy in every way they possibly can, volunteering their time, their talent, their resources, and their money, even their last mite. Without your support, our “Bridge to the Future” would be forced to shut down. Thank you in advance for your willingness to contribute. God bless you!
Michael W. Koch, School Board Chairman
Boulevard Adventist Academy