One of the things we don't talk about during our Sunday worship times at Flack Memorial is money. We don't pass the plate on Sundays or take up multiple offerings. We won't guilt or manipulate you. We don't ask about your income or assess membership dues.
We believe that there is only one method that the Bible prescribes for the funding of the work of ministry and that is the obedient, generous and cheerful giving of God's people.
We don't endorse bake sales, garage sales, rummage sales, chili suppers, pancake breakfasts or auctions. Some churches may choose those modes of fund raising and we wish them well, but that isn't for us. However, the more our ministry grows the more dollars it takes.
Our building is used more than it ever has been and so utility costs increase and there is more wear on our facility. We have costs for such things as equipment, resources and group study materials.
Although the message we proclaim hasn't changed, the methods in presenting it have and church looks different from our grandparents' day. Today we use computers, video projectors, electronic instruments, sound equipment, copiers, printers, etc. Ministry that connects and is magnetic requires licenses and fees for music, video clips, and conferences to help everyone in leadership stay on the cutting edge.
There are on going expenses like insurance, building maintenance, cleaning supplies, office supplies, program materials, music, light bulbs, lawn mowers, toilet paper, paper towels and the list goes on and on and we haven't even talked about our staff that needs to be paid.
Which brings us to the heart of the matter.We need more of you to become financially committed to this ministry but we only want you to do it if you can do it cheerfully. We also need some of you that are already financially committed to this ministry to pray about some sacrificial giving. We have tried to communicate to our church family this entire year in more subtle ways that we are not meeting our weekly budget and we prefer not to use our times of worship to talk about money.
Our pastoral staff doesn't know what anyone in our church gives or who gives. That's between you and God and the person who processes the gifts.
We have recently taken a look at the percentage of our church family that regularly tithes and I think that we will all be disappointed to know that it's less than 25%.
This giving has to be done from a heart of obedience to God remembering that He has asked us to give with a cheerful attitude.
Now, it's very important to say Thank You! Some of you are extremely generous and others of you give faithfully without anyone saying a word just because you have learned the joy and blessing that comes from generosity and even sacrificial giving. Again, Thank You!
All of this really matters!
1. It should matter to you because God has asked us to give back to Him our first fruits (one tenth) as an expression of our gratitude for all that He does for us.
2. It matters to God if we are not living in obedience.
3. It matters to people that are still living far from God that still need to know the God that has so richly blessed us.
What we have talked about are just the day to day things we have to take care.
Additionally, we have missionaries that we have promised to support and a debt to retire on our future ministry site.
The average annual family income in Excelsior Springs is around $40,000.00.
Some of you make more and some of you make less.
Based on a conservative estimate of the number of families in our church and if each family gave based on this conservative number (on the net not the gross) our weekly offerings would be greater than $7,300.00.
Some of our weekly offerings are less than half that amount.
Is it possible that our weekly offerings would be greater than $7, 300.00 if we all gave God what He asked of us?
November is the end of our fiscal year and we will begin working on our budget for 2008 in just a few weeks. We are convinced that the resources needed to be engaged in ministry that will connect with the un-churched and take our church family into a deeper relationship with Christ are available if just released.
In a conversation with a person in a church one day, we talked about the fact that people don't just give to Flack Memorial on Sundays. You don't have to wait to get to church to drop your gift in the basket. Some of you bank online. Set up your giving to Flack Memorial online and make it the first thing you do when you get paid so that God is honored with the first and not our leftovers. Some people mail in the gifts, and the traditional way of giving when we gather for corporate worship is very meaningful to many people too.
We are asking you to prayerfully consider a renewed or new commitment to our ministry. Make this an expression of gratitude for all that God has done for you.
We believe that's just one part of the lifestyle of those who have chosen to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
None of this can be a blessing to others or even to you if it isn't done through cheerfulness. Love for God and others must be the motivation. What we value we will invest in. Jesus said it this way, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
A few years ago Rick Warren wrote his first book, "The Purpose Driven Church." One thing that Rick wrote speaks to the place we find ourselves today.
If you don't ask people for commitment, you won't get it. And, if you don't ask your members for commitment, you can be certain that other groups will ask for it; civic groups, service clubs, political parties, or para-church ministries. The question isn't whether or not people are going to be committed, but rather who is going to get their commitment. If your church doesn't ask for and expect commitment from people, those people will conclude that what the church is doing is not as important as their other activities.
The life changing ministry we are engaged in at Flack Memorial is worthy of your commitment and your financial investment. Giving is not just an act of worship; it's also a way of life. We encourage you to make this a matter of serious prayer.
Pray not only about what God would have you do and at what level you need to participate but also pray that everyone in our church family will be moved to a deeper level of commitment in their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to the ministry of Flack Memorial and to each other in our church family.
Words from Randy Alcorn's book, The Treasure Principle provide us with a fitting conclusion.
"The act of giving is a vivid reminder that it's all about God, not about us. It's saying I am not the point, He is the point. He does not exist for me, I exist for Him. God's money has a higher purpose than my affluence. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. Giving affirms Christ's lordship.
It dethrones me and exalts Him."
