During the Christmas open house a few weeks ago, when students visited staff homes, we all led students in short activities.  I shared with each group of students who visited my home three different versions of “The Little Drummer Boy,” directing students to the lines, “I have no gift to bring… that’s fit to give our king,” and the idea that we should bring whatever we can – our best of whatever we have – to the King, to the Kingdom.  It may not be much, but if it is our best, it honors Christ.

During 2015, some of our Oakdale friends realized that the greatest gift they could bring to kingdom work at Oakdale would be in the form of their skills, hard work, and talent.  We saw it in Paul and Betty Johnston, in Roger and Judy Pratt, in Bertha Saho, in Ken Thompson, Paul Jones, Gerry and Kathy Collett, Earl Wasburn, Carol Zeller, Rick Prosser, and so many others who volunteered in 2015.

Because many Oakdale friends were not able to give of their time, they gave of their financial resources. There were the generous friends whose finest gifts were providing matching gifts of $10,000 and $22,390 last spring.  But a match without other donors gets us nowhere, so the multitudes who responded gave their finest gift also, which helped us successfully complete the funding of the Breaking New Ground Comprehensive Campaign! There were friends also who gave throughout the year in obedience to God who called them to give and whose gifts of all sizes contributed to a groundswell of support.

And now, as we conclude the 2015 year with a $150,000 need identified for November and December, we have seen the finest gifts of all sizes bring us very near completion of that goal.  What a privilege to have the supporters that we have!

We on the Oakdale staff are encouraged, challenged and inspired by those who give their finest gifts.  In our areas of service and ministry, we are called to examine and refine our gifts so that our work continues to be our finest gift, fit to give our King.