Minister’s Notes

It’s stewardship and tax time and I’m hearing a lot of anxiety around money. It’s a reality of our world and our lives and because of that we need to talk about it. Isn’t that what church is for? To help us grow in areas which cause us anxiety?

We can acknowledge that money can bring up feelings of both pride and shame. And that our culture tends to measure our self-worth by how much money we have or make. And, more importantly to this conversation, as a result of this cultural view, some people measure membership in a church by how much they give. I know that this church doesn’t do this – at least not deliberately. But anxieties about money can get projected on to budgets and pledges – whether we project onto ourselves or others. Shame occurs if we cannot make the pledge we want and pride if it is. People have even left because they could no longer pledge. It just breaks my heart.

We can have the spiritual maturity to know that everyone’s circumstances are different. We all know it takes time, talent and treasure to run a church. Some people give more in one area than another; some can’t give at all; and others give so much I worry for their sanity. And over the years each of us will shift on this spectrum. It’s the way of church. Can we be ok with being on either end of that spectrum? Both for ourselves and for others?

There comes a time when this church will ask you to support it – whether it is time, talent and/or treasure – and there are times when the church will give you support – whether it is time, talent or treasure. Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that the way of church?