Financial Giving

Ever felt like you wanted to give to God financially, but felt like you couldn't or shouldn't? You aren't alone. Check out Dana (& Tom's) story and what they've learned about giving in the past year:

"Tom and I were DINKS---- dual income, no kids. We were pretty happy with that lifestyle and we were pretty sure we would never have kids. In May 2005 we bought a fixer upper home that needed a lot of work. In August 2005---we had an unplanned pregnancy. Ian's arrival was a path we never expected to go down and when we found out about his medical issues we were thrown into a whole new world.

Babies are expensive----but when you add in daycare, medical insurance, and the doctors visits/ surgeries/ medications------we quickly fell into a very large debt trap.

Over the 3 and a half years of his life we have had to work insane amounts to keep our heads above water. At one point his medications alone were over $250 a month. Tom pulls as much over time as possible and takes triple calls but there have been months that we didn't know how we were going to make it. Mac and cheese and spam were staple meals and considered gourmet if we had a slice of American Cheddar to add in.

We thought about selling our home----but being a fixer upper we haven't had the money to improve it. We also have had to use what little equity we had to pay day to day bills----so selling really isn't an option. Plus, rent would probably be what the mortgage is and we would never ever be able to afford a home in this area again ( we lucked out on the fixer up part).

We have volunteered as much as possible through church as a way to give back to God. When you asked everyone who considered Cnx their home church to commit to participating financially in 2009--- I was thrown for a tailspin.

We were keeping our heads just above water----how could I add another bill? Tom and I prayed separately on it and Tom said it was something we needed to do. I showed him on paper----there was no way to make it work. We prayed some more and finally decided that this was a trust issue and we had to give the control back to God.

We committed to a small amount each month. It probably wouldn't seem like much to some people but to us it was huge. In the 8 months that we have been giving our offering----we haven't missed it at all.

As state workers, we both were furloughed and lost a percentage of our income with little notice. That month I considered not giving but wrote the check and prayed as I tossed it in the offering bucket. We made it just fine.

I am amazed that we seem to have more money at the end of the month than we did before giving. I know part of it is the envelope system, and being more aware----but I also know it is because God will provide.

Tom and I took a leap of faith in August and decided to double our tithe---and here it is 3 days before pay day and we are still okay. We are planning to double the original amount from now on because it's all about putting our trust in the father above."

That's Enough...

If our culture had a favorite word, it might be the word: MORE.
More food, more money, more square footage, more cup holders, more channels, more memory, more features. Yes, I'll take them all please!

More isn't always a bad thing, but lately I've found myself missing the word "enough". Most of the time I only say "enough" because I can't afford or justify more. Whatever happened to my ability to be content with some, but not all that I could have? And should we even begin an honest discussion on wants vs. needs?

Why am I asking these questions? Because I am (hopefully appropriately) alarmed by Jesus' assertion that money and stuff are constantly competing with God for my soul- and that only one of the two can really win.

So, I'm trying to build the practice of "enough" into my life as a safety valve. Just because I can afford something doesn't mean I have to. One small example in my personal life is my computer bag. When I got a new computer last fall, I quickly started searching for a new bag to go with it. You know- to protect the investment. And to make me look hip- and not too businessy or geeky. (Which I realize is a lot to ask from a computer bag.) I narrowed the options and was about to order my first choice when I stopped to pack for a trip. There inside my suitcase was an old, tired messenger bag. I took this as more than a coincidence. Here was an opportunity to say "enough". I could afford a new bag and justify it. But I didn't have to have it. One neoprene laptop sleeve and 5 months later, my computer is doing fine. My hip factor is unchanged. But my soul feels the tiniest bit freer.

"Enough" is growing on me. A couple of weeks ago we bought a car. After we settled on the model we wanted, we had to decide on the trim level. Although we planned on buying the base version (which has almost every option you could have added to a car 10 years ago), I found myself wondering if we "needed" to move up a trim level or two. More was raising it's ugly head- and I was cooperating. Then my wife stepped in. She said "enough" and we went home with the base model. Since this was her vehicle, I'm glad she made the call. As her husband, I want to provide her with more. Maybe "enough"- and the blessings it brings- is more important sometimes.

So, how about you?
Ever notice the constant pull of "more" in your life?
What- if anything- do you do with that?
Do you intentionally use the practice of "enough"? If so, when/how?
Use the comments feature and share your perspective.

Meet a modern-day Paul

by Marty Linn

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35 (New International Version)

My perspective on the life of the apostle Paul is that he was so totally convicted by his experience of Jesus that he gave up everything to embrace a life of serving the world and encouraging everyone he encountered to follow the Way of Jesus. He became completely reliant on God for all provisions for his life and God provided it to Paul through God's people.

Recently I have gotten to know a modern-day Paul. Some of you met him when he was at Connections in February: his name is Wadsene.

Wadsene lives with his father, who was a preacher and never had much money with which to support his family. When Wadsene was a child, they sometimes had only mangos to eat for an entire week at a time. Wadsene said that growing up he understood that in order of prominence, God was first, the Haitian President was second, and missionaries were third. The reason missionaries were so prominent? They could bring their families something to eat other than mangos.

Wadsene is a US citizen but he chooses to stay in Haiti and serve his people. He is the administrator for the ministry called Horizontal Love Ministries, which offers food, medical care, and other services to elderly persons in the city of Les Cayes and south Haiti. From time to time, HLM brings the individuals they serve together. They play dominoes and other games and enjoy each other's company. When it’s time to go home, none of them want to leave.

All of the workers at HLM are volunteers; Wadsene says that he is somewhat embarrassed at times because he cannot pay them. Wadsene is actively involved in the care giving as well, and rides his bike to visit the various individuals who receive HLM's services.

He tries to have a few dollars to give when he visits someone. One time when he was visiting a 70 year old man he didn’t have any money, and Wadsene apologized for not having anything to give him. The old gentleman told him he shouldn’t apologize because just the fact that Wadsene was visiting him had changed his life. Seeing Wadsene visit, the people in his community had changed their perceptions of the older man and had begun to watch out for him and give him food. Wadsene says that even the smallest gesture or deed in Haiti is significant. Wadsene put it well: "I have a lot more than the boy with two fishes, and look what the Lord did with that!"

Wadsene was recently able to buy a small piece of land, and his dream is to build a 3 to 4 room house in which the people he serves can live.

I am grateful that Connections is already supporting this ministry but I also think we can do more. Haiti is a hidden corner of the world where this ministry may well be the only hope some people have to see Jesus. As we enthusiastically pursue growing the kingdom here, I propose we also consider doing the same there.

Turn-Key or Fixer-Upper: Which church is best for you?

By Shane Bazer

If you are thinking about finding a new church home, you might want to consider doing your shopping with a real-estate tip in mind. The "perfect" church might not be the best spiritual investment.

In the real estate market, a house that is in tip-top shape is often referred to as a "turn-key" house. Someone else has done all the work and the only work you need to do is "turn the key" and move in. Such homes are popular, and they usually sell for a premium.

My wife and I, on the other hand, have purchased seven fixer-upper properties over the years. These homes needed "cosmetic" repairs, rather than highly qualified, skilled work. They needed new paint, flooring and fixtures; maybe a new kitchen counter or bathroom sink. We’ve put many hours of labor into our properties, and we've spent quite a bit of money on tools and supplies. Sound crazy? Let me share with you some of the benefits of getting involved with a fixer-upper:

• The more work you put into a place, the more it feels like a home.
• You might wonder at times if all the work is worth it, but when the job is complete you realize it was worth every bit of effort you put into it.
• By doing most of the work yourself instead of paying others to do it, you discover and develop skills and talents you might not have realized you had.
• By choosing your own colors and decorating schemes, you can create an atmosphere that meets your particular needs.
• You have more pride in your property. You are more likely to take better care of it and want to share it with others.
• And of course, the financial rewards can be substantial.

I’ve found that it’s much the same with a church. (I’m speaking of a congregation, not a building, of course.)

• The more work you put into church, the more it feels like home.
• You might wonder at times if all the work is worth it, but when you see how your work has touched people’s lives, you realize it was worth every bit of effort you put into it.
• By doing some work yourself instead of paying others to do it, you discover and develop skills and talents you might not have realized God has given you.
• By choosing your own name, styles of worship, children’s church program, women’s and men’s ministry programs, etc. you can create an atmosphere that meets your particular needs.
• You have more pride in your church. You are more likely to pray for it and take better care of it and want to share it with others.
• And of course, the spiritual rewards can be substantial.

If you are interested in "fixing-up" your church, make sure you aren’t doing it alone. Otherwise you will soon become overworked and burned out. Find a handful of others who see the potential and sit down together to assess the areas that need to be improved, figure out who has the skills and tools to do the job, and even consider whether you need to hire outside laborers to help.

As long as your church has the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and the leaders are supportive of the makeover project, it will be well worth it to roll up your sleeves and start making your church the glorious spiritual home it is meant to be.

Matt Answers Monster Questions: How do I know when to wait for God to lead or to figure things out for myself?

I think a lot of people talk about waiting to hear from God to either do what they want to do or to not do the things that they know they should do.

We are not automatons (mindless robots) waiting for the next instruction from God. We should be in a relationship with God. People who are in a relationship are in communication and will know what actions:

1. Enrich the relationship
2. Erode the relationship
3. Have no effect on the relationship

Often WE want what WE want and will pretend that God wants that too or that God may not have an opinion on it.

The best way to get on the same page with God is to:

1. Serve others: in your home and at your job.
2. Give your honors to God: your titles, your accomplishments, your status.
3. Let go of material things: Identify the thing that you value the most and ask yourself if you could give it away.
4. Meet with others who want to know God.
5. Study God’s word.
6. Pray.

Matt: Practical Leadership

I am finding that there are several practical things that one must consider when leading:

Daily and intentional prayer for those that you directly lead.
This can and probably should include the people that God has placed around you. Many of us work full-time jobs. As God's people, we carry his mission into the work place.

Self assessment.
What are your prejudices? What are the economic, social, class assumptions that you make? What are the caustic effects of nationalism, or sexism, or racism in you (if you think that you are not plagued by these things you might be in trouble)?

Building into a handful of people around you.
Who are you sharing your things with? What personal time and possessions are you letting go of?

What are you spending your money on and how do you view yourself within the American consumer complex?
Are you striving to simplify and create space for God or are you trying to fill up time and space because someone is telling you to? Leaders are watched by those they lead.

A lot of being a follower of Christ is about never being satisfied in what YOU know, and about resting in the feeling of patient unconditional love.