TALKING ABOUT MONEY IS IMPORTANT – EVEN IN CHURCH (cont’d)

 

            I’ve been talking about the importance of talking about money in church. An Article by Christian Stewardship Network says this:

            The average person spends 40 hours a week working to earn money,

at least a few hours a month planning and tracking their money, and a

significant number of hours spending it. Money is a significant part of

our daily lives, yet pastors think talking about it once or twice a year is

enough to help people manage it better.[1]

            This is so true! I’d like to add a couple of “editorial” comments, or, more accurately, my thoughts on the above statement.

·         For some people, working 40 hours isn’t enough to earn “enough”

·         Some people aren’t working even 40 hours, for various reasons

·         For those not earning a “sustainable” wage, less time is spent earning, and more tracking and planning

·         For some working 40 hours, it takes two wage earners to support a family

·         For some, budgeting works; others have never learned how to budget

·         When so much time is spent by the folks in the pews or in the community earning, worrying about, praying about, crying about, money, and we only talk about money once or twice a year???

 

What do I mean by that last statement? Well, that your money and your relationship to money isn’t important until it’s important to us. And it’s only important to us when we need it!

It is an awful way to understand money as a church, as The Church, as Christians, as followers of Jesus, as Disciples…

So:

Let’s re-think how we talk about money as a church.

Let’s change our own understanding of money as a church.

Let’s care more about our neighbor and less about ourselves!

            Reading back over this, it seems harsh, but, unfortunately, true. Please, please, look at your own personal relationship with money, work with your leadership on your church’s relationship with money, and reach out to your folks in love, with hands reaching out to hold a hand, to give a hug, and not to just receive an offering.

Less this:

 

More this:

 

 

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[1] Christian Stewardship Network Copyright 2022, all rights reserved.