FAQ

• What are you asking me to do?

  First and foremost, we are asking that you pray and seek God’s direction on what He is asking of you. Prepare your heart to hear Him and then listen to what He says. Take your next step. Engage in personal reflection with God in the Unfinished Notebook. Talk with your spouse, your family, or others about what this commitment will mean for this next exciting season of your life.
  
  We are asking that you make a sacrificial commitment to gospel-centered generosity—whatever it is that God leads you to do. Follow His leading.
  
  Finally, we ask that you prepare to be amazed. We serve an awesome God and He is going to move in huge ways. We anticipate an unprecedented impact from our collective Unfinished commitments—something only God can do. Please mark your calendar for Commitment Weekend, February 18 & 19 and prepare to experience a life-changing worship service that will forever be remembered as a defining moment for our church and our own faith.

• How is Unfinished different from previous generosity initiatives?/span>

  We are more focused on everyone at Pathway seeing their giving as an integral part of the discipleship process and then being challenged by God to take a next step. The bulk of the Unfinished Notebook is focused on helping us dig into some key Biblical principles that guide us in this area as we follow Jesus. This is our first priority—100% participation in the process. Even if someone wrote us a check today for our secondary goal of $18 million, we would still do this initiative. Whether we’re just starting in our giving journey or we’re very committed givers, we all have a next step to take and room to grow in this area.

• How does $18 million over two years compare to current giving at Pathway?

  Our current annual giving is approximately $5.6 million, multiplied by 2 years is $11.2. So in essence we’re believing God to grow resources by a little more than 3 million per year for a total of 6 million. In our most recent one-fund initiative (Accelerate: Mar 2013–Mar 2015), we received $15.2 million.

• Are there additional ways besides cash that I can give toward Unfinished?

  Be creative as you explore ways you and your family can give toward Unfinished. You might have some stocks, property, or other items of that nature. Or you may have stored resources that God has blessed you with in the past that He just might be calling you to give during this time. Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of property or stock, and we would be happy to help you. Becky Freshour, Operations Director, is able to assist with all such gifts.

• What if I have never even given to Pathway before?

  Unfinished was crafted specifically with you in mind. Unfinished is a “one fund” generosity initiative. It’s different from a traditional capital campaign where you are called to give an extra gift above and beyond your normal giving. Thus creating two steps for people who aren’t yet giving. Unfinished is a call to sacrificial, gospel-centered generosity for absolutely everyone at Pathway. If you have never given before, this is your chance to get in the game with a committed sacrifice. We really hope you will.

• How long is my commitment?

  We are asking that everyone make a two-year (24 month) commitment. The fulfillment period for your commitment will begin with our First Big Give on the weekend of March 4 & 5, 2017 and it will culminate in March of 2019.

• What if I am new around here?

  Unfinished is about the vision for our church and our personal discipleship in giving as followers of Jesus. We believe that the local church is one of the most compelling missions to give toward and we would really love for you to make Pathway your home and join us in Unfinished. If you are ready for it, this is a perfect time for you to put a stake in the ground and make this your church. The best way to get on the team is to attend Starting Point.

• What if I don’t have a job right now? What does that mean for my Unfinished commitment?

  Unfinished is about your total, radical, sacrificial generosity to God’s mission at Pathway. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance and that looks different for every person. Unfinished is about a heart change—one that is only accomplished by surrendering our lives completely over to God in this area of giving and declaring that we are a people who are unfinished. That may mean that you are being challenged to sell things, to pick up odd jobs, or even to trust God in faith by making a commitment that you don’t quite know how to fulfill right now, but that you believe God will provide for, as you seek for ways to work toward that commitment. We would like for 100% of us to be a part of Unfinished so that we can all be supporting, loving, encouraging, and praying for one another through this spiritually-stretching season at Pathway.

• What if I am severely in debt right now? Am I still supposed to give?

  If you are someone currently seeking to make payments to pay off debt right now, we commend you for making progress on that. And you should continue to do so. We would be happy to help you in this journey and/or to recommend a budgeting class that might minister to you. Being in debt does not, however, make someone “excused” from giving. Giving isn’t about what God wants from you; rather, it’s about what God wants for you. It should be our joy and privilege to give at all times. Please visit with your campus pastor if you need assistance with this or if you would like to speak with a budgeting counselor. We would be honored to help you!

• What if I haven’t been baptized yet?

  Great question. People take different spiritual steps at different times. Some people begin praying before they begin attending church. Others begin going to a Home Team before they begin talking to God in prayer. Giving is another spiritual step, and it comes at different times for different people. However, just like other spiritual disciplines, giving draws us closer to God. God is calling ALL of us to give.
  
  “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
  
  Whether you have taken the spiritual step of baptism or not, we would encourage you to join us in Unfinished. We firmly believe it will draw you closer to God and hopefully to a place where you are ready to make the decision to become baptized and to surrender your life to the Lordship of Christ.