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Misconceptions about Christian Stewardship

We only embark on a Stewardship Campaign when the Treasurer says we are short of money".

Comment

This is to carry out Stewardship for the wrong reasons. It presupposes that all we have to do is to balance the books and all will be well. This is, perhaps, a little short sighted and lacks understanding of what the Bible says about Christian Giving.

 


"I really can't preach to my congregation about giving more as I know that they are giving up to the hilt already".

Comment

Firstly, how do you know that? And secondly, if you are preaching a message which says "give more" - then this is the wrong approach.

There is a world of difference between asking the congregation to review their giving according to Christian principles, and asking them to give more.

 


"I spend a great deal of time mowing the churchyard, so I am giving my time to the church in place of money".

Comment

We know that a great deal does get done in the church by volunteers, but "Time and Talents" cannot be offered as a substitute for a financial commitment.

 


"Money is a dirty subject, and should not be talked about in church".

Comment

There is some confusion here, in that while Jesus certainly threw the money-changers out of the temple, he did on the other hand have a lot to say about personal wealth and possessions - amounting to one in three of his parables and one in six of all his recorded sayings.

While we may mistrust the material world and some money oriented schemes, the fact is that we cannot live without money. We spend a lot of our time planning our finances, and it is only right that we allow Jesus to rule our pockets as he does our hearts.

 


"I object to preaching about Stewardship because they all know that what we as a parish have to pay is directly related to finance my stipend."

Comment

We have to break the link between paying parish share and giving to promote God's Mission, then we should be able to have enough money to advance God's Mission in many different ways.

 


"I don't mind paying for the hole in the church roof, but I do object to paying for church adminstration at Ely."

Comment

This, perhaps, reveals a lack of understanding of the Diocesan Budget, where over 80% of the costs relate directly to clergy stipends. If this is the view of a member of the worshipping congregation, then maybe they haven't understood the Biblical principles of Christian giving.

Do you make a clear distinction in your parish between:

  • Giving for Mission - the responsibility of the worshipping congregation, and
  • Fundraising for Fabric - the responsibility of the wider community?

 


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