DO WE LIMIT OUR DISCIPLESHIP AND STEWARDSHIP?
I’ve blogged before about the relationship
of discipleship with stewardship, but I wanted to talk about this again.
How often has your church come to
the end of the year, and there’s a rush to raise a chunk of money to meet the
payment of ministry shares and other year-end costs. You and the finance team
and leadership spend a lot of time during Advent talking and planning for this,
and then come January…you did it! Enough money came in through people’s generosity
that everything was able to be paid. Big sigh of relief, right? But it’s a
cycle that repeats year after year after year.
I know, I know, I hear you.
- · We
can’t talk about money more than once or twice a year. People don’t like it.
- ·
Stewardship
campaigns have to happen in the fall.
- ·
People
are giving all they can.
- ·
Etc.,
etc.
What if we approached discipleship the same
way?
- ·
We
aren’t going to create and follow a clear and compelling mission statement, because
people don’t like it.
- ·
The
only thing that’s important is the number of people sitting in the pews.
- ·
We
can’t encourage people to join small groups or serve in the neighborhood because
people don’t have any more time.
Of course, discipleship should be woven into
everything that is done at the church. Jesus said to go and make disciples. If
we are Christians and follow Jesus, that is what we must do. Our mission
statement compels us to do that. We are disciples and we should be discipling
others. That is done year-round.
Just as discipleship is year-round, stewardship
must be as well. Stewardship should be woven into the fabric of everything the
church does and is.
So…is discipleship a priority for you?
So…what is the answer to “We believe God has
called our church to _____”?
Please
feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or susanranous@unyumc.org if you’d like to talk
about this and how stewardship at your church can work together with discipleship
and the intentionality of it all!
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