Here are some interesting numbers for you.  Add up the amount your church gives in undesignated contribution plus the "per capita" for synod and GA of $7.43.  Divide the total by the number of active members in your congregation.  That is the dollar amount you give per member per year.  

This information was sent to clerks of sessions with the commitment materials and forms.  Questions?  Give me a call...336.847.2280.   

Say Thank You

Asking people to make a commitment to the work of your church's ministry in 2012.  Received a promise? Then do what your momma taught you and say "Thank You!"  Gather a group of folks to hand-write a note.  Use the following as a guide, filling in your congregation's ministries instead of ours. Personalize the notes by writing to people you know and choosing two or three ministries they are connected with.  Believe me, your congregants are receiving thank-yous for every other donation they make.  Let them know they are making a difference to the kingdom of God.

Dear__________________,

·      Thank you for your financial commitment to the mission and ministry of ___ church. 

·      Your gift makes possible our

o  Nurture of children and youth in the faith that nurtured us

o  Support for addiction services in our community

o  Feeding the hungry through Mobile Meals, food pantries, West End ministries

o  Mission trips to partner in service outside our local community

o  Work with sister churches in Salem Presbytery who minister with us in central North Carolina

o  Nurture of discipleship through Bible study and fellowship

o  Support of young families and their children.

o  Support of people traveling through major life transitions.

o  Proclamation of the Word in reformed worship in the High Point community

o  Promise to be a provisional representation of God in our world, living and serving together as Jesus taught.

·      We trust with you, that your commitment to God will strengthen your faith and bring you joy in the coming year.

Signed,

Member                           Pastor

You have committed __________  weekly     monthly. (To be filled in by the financial secretary/treasurer.)

Narrative Budget...

A narrative budget helps people understand and visualize a church's ministry.  It gives them "connection points."  Here is the narrative budget presented at presbytery if you want to cut and copy into a document and them create a narrative budget for your church.

MISSIONAL BUDGET

Salem Presbytery Annual Budget

“Reaching, Growing and Sending Disciples”

            Listening to the churches and leadership from those churches who serve on Salem committees, the Council and staff shares with you this vision for ministry in 2012.  We encourage your participation in the conversation.

Our Plan of Ministry

A.     To REACH out to our community as a visible witness of Jesus Christ

a.     Our current work:

                                               i.     Together we support 2 current new church developments.  One, El Buen Pastor, is the fastest growing church in our presbytery, growing 20% a year.

                                              ii.     Together we support ministry candidates who will fill the pulpits of our churches in the future.  17 candidates and 13 inquirers receive financial support for their studies.  As Salem presbytery, we also provide a portion of their psychological testing expenses.

                                            iii.     Together we provide a facility that supports meetings and activities and a place for staff to meet and work.  Our building is a visible sign to North Carolina of our existence.

                                            iv.     Together we support Campus Ministry salaries, providing a visible connection between our congregations and students.  Many students explore their faith connections during this time, and we witness to the grace we have through Jesus Christ. 

                                              v.     The staff we employ work in Salem churches, central NC and at the regional and national levels to reach out as visible witnesses.

b.     Current budget                                                    @ 245,000 (rounded)

(This total includes a percentage of salaries and other expenses supporting our REACH ministry.)

c.      Our vision for next year includes:

                                               i.     Providing a modest raise (3%) for our staff who have worked diligently for four years with no raises. (This, however, requires no raise in the expense line due to staffing redesign.)

                                              ii.     Providing more scholarship support to our Candidates and Inquirers to meet the requested need.  (Helping our theological students graduate debt-free increases their ability to serve our smaller congregations.) ($35,000)

                                            iii.     Being able to provide support for churches in transition and for the possible exploration and support of Salem churches who recognize the need for a Presbyterian presence in a community and answer God’s call to seed new churches. ($25,000)

                                            iv.     Providing a modest raise (3%) for our staff who have worked diligently for four years with no raises. (@$2000)

d.     The budget with our visioning                        @307,000

B.     To EQUIP and strengthen our congregations and leaders for ministry in the world

a.     Our current work:

                                               i.     Regular meetings for fellowship, support, and training for CLP’s and interims.

                                              ii.     ACTS 16:5 Initiative training and support for transformation and renewal in Salem churches.

                                            iii.     Youth retreats providing leadership opportunities for youth through Presbyterian Youth Connection as well as the retreat opportunity.

                                            iv.     A resource center for churches and their people in partnership with the Moravian Church in Winston-Salem.

                                              v.     Training and support through regular workshops at Presbytery meetings

                                            vi.     Staff support for training and leadership in congregations.

                                           vii.     Training and leadership opportunities for program and support staff and volunteer leaders.

                                         viii.     Working with congregations toward healthy congregational life, believing that healthy congregations are better able to focus on mission and ministry. (This includes COM work.)

                                            ix.     Support for Camp Grier.

                                              x.     Uniquely skilled staff support for African American congregations.

b.     Current budget                                                    @ 348,000

(This total includes a percentage of salaries and other expenses supporting our EQUIP ministry.)

c.      Our vision:

                                               i.     Support of the Equip Associate position as Diana merges her work with the Equip position

                                              ii.     Providing a modest raise (3%) for our staff who have worked diligently for four years with no raises. (@$4000)

                                            iii.     Support for the presbytery part of ACTS Initiative training ($15,000)

d.     The budget with our visioning:                        @ 367,000

C.     To inspire and model local and global mission (SEND):

a.     Our current work together:

                                               i.     Staff and volunteer support of our Mexico mission partnership.

                                              ii.     Participation and leadership in the NC  Council of Churches.

                                            iii.     Provision of uniquely skilled staff support for Hispanic Ministry.

                                            iv.     Provision of travel expenses for the Hunger Action Advocate. 

                                              v.     Prison ministry support (salary)

                                            vi.     Required support of our regional and national mission (@253,000)

b.     Current budget                                                    @308,000

(This total includes a percentage of salaries and other expenses supporting our SEND ministry.)

c.      Our vision is:

                                               i.     Work toward supporting the Hunger Action Advocate’s entire salary from the operating fund so that all donations to hunger funds are used directly to alleviate hunger. (@$15,000)

                                              ii.     Restore our giving to GA Mission to 10% of our operating budget. (a zero line item currently) ($25,000…1/4 of the way there)

                                            iii.     Provide financial support for local church mission. ($10,000)

                                            iv.     Providing a modest raise (3%) for our staff who have worked diligently for four years with no raises. (@$5,000)

d.     Our budget with visioning                                     @363,000

D.    Our support budget for our primary ministries (SUPPORT):

a.     Our current work:

                                               i.     Maintaining office space and supplies for staff and volunteers

                                              ii.     Travel expenses for staff and volunteers

                                            iii.     Support staff salaries

                                            iv.     Council and committee expenses

b.     Current budget                                                @ 359,000

c.      Our vision is:

                                               i.     3% raises for support staff (@7,000)

d.     Our budget with visioning                                    @$366,000

The total budget for our vision of mission and ministry together in 2012 is @ $1,403,000.

Specific Stewardship Materials...

If you are already looking to get down to brass tacks on a stewardship campaign, here are several links that might give you ideas, or from which you might order.

"Saints Alive" materials are produced by the Ecumenical Stewardship center (the PCUSA is a partner in that). They come out with a theme every year. Your church could use it as is, or use it as a jumping off point and tweak it to suit you. It comes with pretty comprehensive theme for every year.  Materials from previous years are available if you like those themes better. The first copy of this year's material is free. I'll have a 2011 book to look at at the presbytery meeting if you want to look at before you order.

http://www.stewardshipresources.org/WebStore/tabid/55/List/1/SortField/0/Default.aspx

The UCC has stuff that your church might can take and use. The downside is that all the purchased options have UCC logos on them...but you might get some ideas (like you might use pics of your own congregations with the "Count yourself Blessed" theme). I find their theology very close to ours.
http://www.ucc.org/stewardship/stewardship-resources/


Slightly less complete for you, but good ideas for themes and an interactive feature that lets people share their ideas is from the Luther Seminary website.
http://www.luthersem.edu/stewardship/database.aspx


GBOD which is the United Methodist site has some stewardship resources. Much of theirs is geared toward the pastor, but snoop away. They link to another site that provides good graphics if any of their themes might connect with what you want to do.
http://www.leway.net/StewProgs.html 

We hope to provide some ideas from the presbytery as well, but it may take some time and if you are ready to start now, perhaps this will be helpful.

Deliberate Choice...

Individualism in America is revered...and non-existant.  Even the agreement that that we are "individualistic" is agreed upon as a value by the entire society.  So, really, as part of being in the world, and especially as part of being called to be different from the world, we need to be aware of our culture to the best of our ability.  That is hard.  There's a great story that illustrates the point...the little fish swam quickly home to his mom to tell her about his adventures that day.  "Mom, I jumped out of the water and you won't believe what I saw...it's beautiful...rocks, trees, birds."  And the mom says, "What do you mean you jumped out of the water?  What's water?"

We think we are making decisions that are well-reasoned and objective, we certainly understand all the influences shaping our thinking.  The reality is, we are constantly shaped by what's happening in our culture, most of which we are unaware of.  So what is happening in our culture relevant to stewardship issues?  According to the author of an interesting historical account of money and American Protestantism:

...American Protestantism has entered an era where--at least at the margin of residential growth--a denoninational family affiliation is perceived as a drag on, rather than a strength for, a local church. (p. 203)

This has happened accidentally.  Wealthy suburbs and extremely low interest rates in the 1990's and 2000's provided for a good bit of new church construction.  People independent of denominational structures were able to move more quickly and be more "specific" in their brand, and for every one mainline church built, several local and entrepreneurial organized churches are established.  That was no one's deliberate decision...just a response to opportunity..and a bit of the down side of working together in an endeavor--it always takes groups longer to move.

The author claims that the fact that the "new" religious outlets are not denominational has a couple of significant impacts.  First, the character of congregational life will be reshaped.  Mainline denominations will lose members, but also, because most of these new churches are independent, fewer people will understand life in church as something that serves beyond itself to a "regional, national, or even international expression."  The second major impact is a reshaping of existing denominational congregations.  If historical patterns hold true (and that is likely), the denominational churches are likely to become less denominational in practice, claiming for themselves a "independent" identity and becoming more critical and less supportive of denominational structures.

Sounds familiar to me.  Does it to you?  Certainly denominational budgets show that trend.  There is no doubt that some denominational structures make us unwieldy as churches trying to respond to immediate need and significant change all around us.  Certainly "reformed and always reforming" is a good thing.  But  I think these patterns raise some significant questions that we need to think about.

1. It is easy for wealthy areas to redefine, reinvent, and support new churches that are not necessarily denominational but support the needs of the community.  But poor people do not start new churches, they join existing ones, if they are able to attend at all.  Does Christianity become a religion of the middle and upper classes?  And the related question, does Christianity become a religion of the suburban, because small churches in rural areas are not likely to have the resources (financial or people) to build large independent churches.
2. Is it a sound understanding of our identity as a people of God to focus our existence and ministry to our local area, assuming that regional, national, or international ministries should be done by others, that ministry should only be local, or that we have nothing to learn from partnering with ministry outside of our local area?
3. Specifically as Presbyterians, what does our connectional system say about us and about who we think God is, should we be aware of that and be able to articulate it, and do we want to live into those understandings or should they change?
4. How deliberate and educated do we want/need to be about what our denomination is (and not just one or two divisive issues, but the whole spectrum of identity) and how to we reform ourselves to keep the best and remove the "unwieldy?"

We are well on our way as a culture to losing denominational identities.  Perhaps that is a good thing.  But perhaps, we should attend to that change in a way that chooses how we redefine ourselves and doesn't let culture choose for us without our knowledge.  We may find beauty and meaning beyond the denominational waters, but we may also find that the waters in which we swim give us life and support in ways that we never imagined because we never became aware until it was too late.

More Fun Stuff...

From the 1950's...bulletin fillers from a book titled Better Church Finance:

• It is never safe to trust God's business to the man who neglects his own.
• When a man is asked to become a tither, he is asked to establish as a life principle the habit of putting God first.
• There are no recored of failure among tithing churches.  The examples are legion.  (Though everything I read indicates there has never been a tithing church...)
• If a church has a lot of "flinty givers," it may take a lot of knocks to get the "fire."
• Wonder what the Lord thinks when a woman with a $20 hat gives five cents to his glory.
• Some people try to get something for nothing and then kick about the quality.
• Our credit in heaven is not determined by what we give but by what we have left.
• There is enough of the Lord's money in the purses of Christians on Sunday morning to do all the work God expects them to do--if He could get his own money back!
• Our money will testify concerning us in the Judgment.  Whether our checkbook is to be summoned by the defense of the prosecution depends upon us.  We are the ones who make His Testimony for Him.  he will only say what our stewardship tells Him to say.

Just for Fun...

From a businessman in the 1920's:

$1 spent for lunch lasts five hours.

$1 spent for a necktie lasts five weeks.

$1 spent for a cap lasts five months.

$1 spent for water power or a railroad grade lasts five generations.

$1 spent in the service of God lasts for eternity. 

 

 

 

What have they done for us?...

No one has been brave enough to say this to me (the politeness-to-strangers rule), but to their pastors, the moderators of their session meetings, the challenge is posed... "Give to presbytery?  What have they done for us?!!"

So, since no one has asked me that officially, I will give an unsolicited answer.

You are asking the wrong question.

Presbytery is not "they."  Presbytery is our group of churches, connected in covenant community through our polity(government).  The way we structure our lives together is not an accident.  It reflects who God is and who we are in relationship with God and with each other.  Our structure reflects several important things:

• First, we live in covenant community.
• God established God's covenant with Israel "to be their God and they be God's people" so that together they might "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord."  We are limited in resources and vision when we go it alone.  Together we are stronger, more creative and able to answer God's call in larger, more effective ways. (Think about the work of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance teams for an example.) (G.3.0101b)
• Second, we are called to God's church--specifically, for us, the PC(USA)
• Presbyterians believe that God calls each of us to a church, we don't just join.  We believe God calls people into membership who bring gifts that the church needs.  The Church, then, "is the body of Christ, both in its corporate life and in the lives of its individual members, and is called to give shape and substance to the truth that sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished, and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down." Our call and our salvation is not just an individual call, it is a corporate call. (G-3.0200)
• Third, "those people" are us.
• The radical [fundamental] principles of Presbyterian church government and discipline are that we are one Church of Jesus Christ.  In our tradition larger parts (or their representations) govern smaller parts and a representation of the whole governs and determines in regard to every part...and an appeal may be carried from the lower to the higher bodies until "they be finally decided by the collected wisdom and united voice of the whole Church."  At a practical level, churches bring suggested rules, representatives from churches serve as the Presbytery, representative elders from churches serve at Synod and General Assembly.  "Those people" are us--regular people seeking to discern God's will and act accordingly.  "We" make the decisions, and when "we" decide poorly and God shows us a better way, "we" correct ourselves. (G-1.0400)

So the question should be "What have we done for Presbytery?"  Because--we. are. presbytery.

But the even better question is "What are we doing for God?"

That, ultimately, is the foundation of our call and our gifting...to share the new reality revealed in Jesus Christ that we have seen and heard...and to live this new life, even at the risk of losing our own lives.

So in our most recent corporate understanding, we hear our call from God as a call to reach out to others in this part of North Carolina with God's new reality, to equip each other as disciples, and to be sent by God to serve others.  In our most recent corporate understanding, we have staff and organization to try and accomplish our vision.  In our most recent corporate understanding, we are listening for what God has to say about all this.

We may be hearing God move us to a different staff configuration, a different vision, a different call.  But we are not doing any of this for ourselves.  The churches of Salem Presbytery are called to serve God individually and together.  So, we need to ask the better question:

What are we doing for God?

Buying or Giving...

The man entered the church office and pulled out his checkbook.  He wrote a check for $10,000.  He signed his name, handed the check to the pastor, then pulled a piece of yellow legal pad out of his shirt pocket.  Together they reviewed the list.

I want $500 to go to the courtyard fund.  I want $1000 to help pay for the organ repairs.  $50 to the youth.  $25 to Sunday school.  $100 to the mission committee to feed elementary children.  It took a long time for him to nickel and dime his check to the various "good causes" he had listed.  Finally, the last dollar was spent, and he looked at the pastor.  Now you are going to put what I am giving where I want it to go, aren't you?

She smiled and assured him his money would be credited as requested.  Then she continued.  "However, I don't think you've really given this money.  You've bought some things here at the church.  But you haven't given to God.  Perhaps you should consider the difference.  We here at the church will let you buy whatever you want.  But perhaps God would rather you give."

The next time the man brought a check, he gave it to the work of God.

Are we generous givers, trusting that God will work out God's purposes with the resources we share with those to whom we are connected?  For Presbyterians, that means our local congregations, our presbytery, and the General Assembly (which is just us local congregations who send representatives to discern the work of the Spirit at a larger level).

Are we giving?  Are we attempting to buy our way with strings we attach to our money? Or, are we attempting to control the work of the Spirit by holding back our money until we get our own way?

Are we giving or buying...an interesting question.

A Stewardship Prayer...

(from Ann Weems)

O Lord, forgive our fears that so stifle our stewardship. 

Forgive our giving in and our giving up 

instead of giving ourselves to Christ’s mission of love. 

Remind us that our hope is in standing up and risking, 

in taking our stewardship seriously. 

Help us to remember, O Lord, 

that the stewardship question is not really, 

How much will we give? 

The stewardship question is, 

How will we spend what we have been given? 

We pray it will be faithfully and cheerfully. Amen.

Family Promises...

What does it mean to be family?

Is it purely biological?  If you are born to a couple, then you are family?  Perhaps, but many children will tell you they lived with biological parents and never felt loved or connected...they always longed to be part of a "family."

Is it some lovely feeling?  Perhaps.  But have there been moments when you felt less than loving, less than positive about a spouse or a child?  Does that make you no longer family?

What about the military?  They describe themselves as a family.  Sororities and fraternities even use the designation "brother" and "sister."  What about God's family?  Church family?

What does it mean to be a family?

Craig Dykstra, in his book Growing in Faith, suggests that "family is constituted by promises...it is the promises that make the family, before it is the family that makes promises."  When we marry, we create relationship through promises.  We have children, but we see them not as "biological offspring," but as sons and daughters.  Our children begin to see themselves as sons and daughters and see us as parents.  Dykstra says that "at the point where the child's promises become conscious and owned, promises are not newly being made.  Rather the promises are existing, already-lived promises becoming articulated and affirmed (or perhaps rejected)." (p. 100)

That sounds a lot like our understanding of our relationship with God.  God loves us, so we then are able to love God and love each other.  God acts to save us; we become conscious of that activity, own it, and commit our lives to the relationship(or  reject it...).

Dykstra goes a step further and claims "it is not the failure to keep promises, in and of itself, that destroys family.  Such failure happens in every family and can be expected.  Family can remain family in the midst of unfulfilled promises.  What destroys family is the collapse of promise-making."(Italics mine)

Promises start our journey as disciples.  Sometimes, we make the promise.  Often, it is made on our behalf and we choose later whether to accept or reject it.  If we accept,  every minute of every day we are called to live our promise of discipleship in response to God's promise of grace.

What happens to church families members refuse to participate in promise-making?  Does that, in fact,  destroy the family?  Look at the promises we make in membership vows when God calls us to a particular congregation:

A faithful member accepts Christ’s call to be involved responsibly in the ministry of his Church. 

Such involvement includes
a. proclaiming the good news,
b. taking part in the common life and worship of a particular church,
c. praying and studying Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church,
d. supporting the work of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents,
e. participating in the governing responsibilities of the church,
f. demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church,
g. responding to God’s activity in the world through service to others,
h. living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life,
i. working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment.

It strikes me that through the deliberate refusal to promise any of these, we begin the destruction of our church family.  If only our pastor and hired staff can proclaim the good news, we destroy our church.  If we do not take regular, frequent, part in the common life and worship of our particular church, we destroy our church.  If we do not pray and study Scripture and our faith...if we do not support the work of the church through our money, time and talents...if we do not participate in governing responsibilities...and so forth...We. Destroy. Our. Church.  It is often a slow death, much like the slow death of a marriage when partners stop making the promise to be in the marriage.  But death eventually results.  

Sometimes a congregation can hold on for a good while because some members of the family attempt to make promises on behalf of those not promise-making.  Some pledge more to cover those not pledging at all. Some serve more to make up for those not serving.  Some...well you get the point.

And the challenge here is that many of us who would absolutely agree with the statement that the collapse of promise-making destroys the family, are unquestioned experts at justifying our cessation of promise-making. We don't agree with a national vote, we don't like the people on the session, the pastor drives us crazy, we want to spend budget money on different priorities, we want contemporary/traditional music instead of traditional/contemporary music, we are angry at others in our families, we...fill in the blank.

Nowhere does it say "pick the membership promises you will make."  "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself," is not optional for just when we feel like it.  We'll never be perfect.  We'll always struggle together to interpret scripture, to serve just causes, to treat each other with respect when we are angry.  But if we have stopped even making the promises, we must know that we are no longer family.

Am I part of God's family, really, if I can't tell others where and how I see God at work in my life and in the world (proclaiming the good news), if I don't worship with the body, if I never pick up the family storybook and learn the story, if I don't share my resources generously and gladly, if I don't serve with the gifts I have, if I don't practice reconciliation with my brothers and sisters, if I don't demonstrate through every aspect of my life that I have made these promises?

Is your church struggling?  Not growing?  In conflict?  

Take a good look.  Are you still committed to the promise-making?   

I Understand...

I went to a meeting on Saturday.  First, it was Saturday.  Meeting...Saturday.  And it was morning.  Not in the heat of the day, but in the beautiful part of the morning.  Saturday meetings.  Bleh.

Everyone else seemed to be in the same mind-set.  The energy level in the room defined negative number.  The news was not good.  Everyone was in the same boat...the sinking one.  Sighs abounded.  People gave it a try, but it just didn't seem to be getting anyone anywhere.

But there was a child.  The attendees were invited to stand and introduce themselves and tell what church they were from.  They did.  80% of the way through, the child stands up.  She raises her hand.  She states her name and church.  We laugh...amazed at her bravery, her energy, her sense of self.  Introductions are finished.  An older man is asked to pray to open the meeting.  He does.

Meeting business is accomplished.  Our human efforts seem to fall flat.  There is always a bigger problem than any proposed solution.  The invoking of the Spirit at the beginning does not seem to have worked.  We are glad the meeting is over.  We will take our weary selves and spirits home and attempt to distract ourselves from the hole we are in.

The moderator asks for someone to close in prayer.  Eyes hit the floor.  He asks again.  And there was a child.  Her feet hit the floor and her hand shot into the air again.  He called her by name, asked if she wanted to pray with the tonality that allowed her to back out if she wanted.

No.

This child stand in front of 30 tired adults, folds her hands in front of her face, and prays us out.  I have no idea what words she used, but she spoke with passion and confidence.  

I understand.  That's why I will do whatever it takes to tithe--because there is a child.  That's why I will teach Sunday school and attend worship and pray for all I am worth--because there is a child.  That is why I will attend meetings on Saturdays and why I will tell the world what gives my life meaning and purpose, what keeps me focused on others and not myself.  There is a child.  

This precious child...she was five...she exhibited the faith we all should have.  She gifted us with a fearless, feckless faith that embedded itself so deeply in my soul that all I can say is...I understand.

I would have given my life on Saturday, I would give it today, for the child who knew what  loving God was all about.  I understand.  This life of faith is about saying our names, praying our prayers, greeting our neighbors, living for our God.  

With God's help, I will give my life for the child...for all the children, those who know God and those who need to know God...and for all those children, young and old, that God puts in my path.

I understood.  I understand.  

Do you?

Is it Giving?

In this culture, you learn early on that money is power.  The bully on the schoolyard demands money.  We assume the wealthy deserve our respect and the lower class our disdain.  We may think we know better, but our behaviors suggest a deep and abiding connection between having money and the assumption of smart, talented, capable, deserving and the absence of money and an assumption of dumb, untalented, incapable, and undeserving.

So American Christians with this ingrained assumption, an assumption that is so deep in us that we sometimes don't even recognize it, we money-is-power-Christians bump right into God's request to be generous givers.  Oh.  Us?!  Oh.  OK... Us?  Really?  Oh.  OK...

We, therefore, give.  Generously.  Or at least as generously as we can.  Because first, this whole giving thing should be shared by everyone.  And not everyone gives...not by a long shot.  So we'll give, but some, not all...because that will "encourage" those who don't give to do so.  If we supported the budget with a tithe, then other people would think they didn't need to give.  We could be 100% generous, but everyone should be involved first.

We give.  Generously.  Or at least as generously as we can.  Because second, we have these responsibilities.  We have to provide for our families.  Phones.  Cable TV.  Nice home...maybe even a little nicer than we can afford because it will give us our kids a leg up in a world that judges worth by what you have.  Hey, it's the way things are.  God wants us to take care of our children, and we need to give them all we can.  We need to put them in a position to succeed.

We give.  Generously.  Or at least as generously as we can.  Because...and probably most important...the church is always giving money to causes we don't agree with or doing something with it that we think is stupid.  And if not our local congregation, certainly those other people.  Who knows who they are or what they believe.  We certainly don't want our hard-earned dollars going to something we either don't know about or don't believe in.  There's got to be some controls in place.

So why doesn't our giving produce the promised blessing from God?  Why doesn't our faith grow?  Why don't our churches thrive?  Why don't people see the grace of God in our lives?

Is it generous giving if it is power?

"Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work...for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God."  2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 12

Gnats and Gods...

Talk about financial giving floats around in our culture much like summer gnats.  Walk through your day and you see it coming...that cloud of annoyance that hovers right in your path.  Several choices are available.

• You can walk through the cloud, suffer the annoyance, and keep your eyes, ears and mouth blocked. 
• You can avoid the cloud altogether.
• Or, I suppose gnat elimination might be an option.  Get rid of the problem altogether.  Period.  

I think we know why gnats annoy us.  But why does talking about giving annoy us?  Why do we avoid this discussion just like we avoid the gnats?  We hate to talk about money.  We hate to listen about money.  (But we do like money!)

The financial stewardship conversation in congregations often elicits the gnat response.  Many pastors actually apologize before any sermon or conversation about giving--and they preach/speak to eyes, ears, and mouths (as well as wallets) that are closed up tight.  Many congregants check the calendar and schedule fun things like root canals on stewardship Sundays.  Some churches and congregants eliminate the conversation.  No more talk about finances.  No pledging.  No challenges.  Nothing.  Period. 

But talk about giving, especially in the church, the body of Christ, should not be an annoyance at all, it should be a privilege, a call, a joy.  What has happened to us?  Imagine if baptisms were avoided like the questions of giving.  Would we be concerned?  Would be be talking about the issue?  

Why is financial giving the one place that is off the table in our spiritual lives?  Americans were thrilled to learn that stewardship involved more than just financial giving...which, of course, it does.  But instead of broadening our generous spirits, looking at the "time and talent" part seems to have allowed us to avoid the "treasure"--a perfect solution to the financial gnat problem.

It took monotheism a good while to catch on fully in Old Testament times.  People loved to worship the God of Israel; they just wanted to cover their bases...just in case the LORD couldn't be trusted, they still had their household idols.  Perhaps, instead of blocking or avoiding or eliminating this conversation, we should take a good long look at the issue, at ourselves, and perhaps at the household idol that claims our ultimate trust and loyalty, even over the God we proclaim to love and serve.

Don't Study It...

And I am "studying" stewardship.  And it is good.  And we should study what we don't know.  And we should study what we do know.  And then...

I discover a Japanese proverb: "Don't study something.  Get used to it."

This way of being generous in the world as Jesus teaches is something we love to study.  Read the biblical passages.  Talk about them.  Write books and blogs on them.  Marvel at how astoundingly generous Jesus is with time and spirit.  Think maybe if we study it enough, we'll figure out how to do it...how to get others to do it.

Or maybe, we should "get used to it" instead.  Perhaps the point is to practice generosity.  Maybe that's the best study we can do.

Charles Lane begins his book, Ask, Thank, Tell, with two "mission statements" of a congregations stewardship ministry.  Does your mission statement reflect number one: 

• The goal of our stewardship ministry is to raise enough money to pay the bills next year.

 Or number two: 

• The goal of our stewards ministry is to help God's people grow in their relationship with Jesus.      

Observations: 

• The VAST majority of discussion I have heard about money and giving at the presbytery in the last eight years has reflected mission statement number one.
• The conversation in my own church has a split personality...mission statement number two in sermons and publications, mission statement number one in committees and reports.
• People who are operating out of mission statement number two seem frightened and angry.

Lane makes two pertinent points about this issue.  First he says the church of Jesus Christ has been kidnapped by proponents of mission statement number one.  Second he reminds us that Jesus taught a financial stewardship focused on mission statement number two, speaking never about the church's need for money...speaking only about the giver's need to give (as a response to living in relationship with God.)

To quote Lane again:
If a believer gives to the institution so that others can do ministry and the congregation can keep going, then that person has a major roadblock in the way of a stronger relationship with Jesus.  On the other hand, if that same believer can begin to understand that giving is an act of faith, growing out of a relationship with Jesus, and if that giving can grow toward the tithe, then that believer has taken a huge step toward having stewardship at the heart of his or her relationship with Jesus. (p. 17)


Today's challenge (and I think there will be many more...many, many, more...)
How are we thinking of stewardship and how should we be?  How can we take "one step further" in reclaiming our discipleship, following the way Jesus taught us to live? 





 

What do you need?

What could a stewardship committee at the presbytery level help a local church with?  What do you or your church need to be more effective in teaching/encouraging stewardship?

What can we do for you?