The deficit driven life

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

Your church is so lucky to have you.

 

[93Devil]

Your church is so lucky to have you.

You know when to ask and when not to ask.

Scaring little old ladies who have been members of the church for 50 years is not the way to fund outside things.

They were being scared with statements like we might be able to pay the pastor.

For me, that is bull****.

 

[crimsonace]

There are obligations a church must meet ... most support missionaries (and provide their salary -- their food, shelter in addition to any materials they need), they have to keep the heat and lights on, and the pastors and building maintenance crew do have to be paid.

Being a pastor is a full-time, often 24/7 job. They, too, need to put food on the table and keep the lights on.

I find doomsday "we need money" pleas distasteful, but a church also has the responsibility to let people know if it cannot meet its budgeted obligations for the year.

Churches that teach "if you give, you'll get a lot more" rub me the wrong way. I'm pretty devout, but God is not an ATM. You give because you choose to give, and because you believe in supporting the work of the church. You don't give because you expect something in return.

 

[zagoshe]

I am a newly named Trustee at my church, and church money is funny.

For four straight weeks we had the "we need money" and "we cannot do our share" speeches after the service (and once it was in place of the service).

This is just ****ing wonderful when you are trying to grow a membership. If I was going to a certain church for the first time, and I heard a "we are out of money" talk... Well, you can guess what i would do the next week.

Well, it turns out that we do have money. Some asshat wants to send 100,000 nets to Africa or some **** like that. Sure that is a great cause, but don't throw the membership in a panic (and we have lost good people the last four weeks over this) over some Charles Keating/Andrew Carnegie personal fund drive.

I love a guy who uses the phrase "I am a trustee at our church" and then drops and F-bomb and calls parishoners "asshats".

I'm wondering, do you go to the same church as Drip? Do they call women in your church slutwhores as well?

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

Your church is so lucky to have you.

You know when to ask and when not to ask.

I was actually being sarcastic but I forgot to use the font. I don't necessarily disagree with anything you said, but I cannot believe a church trustee would choose those words.

 

[zagoshe]

There are obligations a church must meet ... most support missionaries (and provide their salary -- their food, shelter in addition to any materials they need), they have to keep the heat and lights on, and the pastors and building maintenance crew do have to be paid.

Being a pastor is a full-time, often 24/7 job. They, too, need to put food on the table and keep the lights on.

I find doomsday "we need money" pleas distasteful, but a church also has the responsibility to let people know if it cannot meet its budgeted obligations for the year.

Churches that teach "if you give, you'll get a lot more" rub me the wrong way. I'm pretty devout, but God is not an ATM. You give because you choose to give, and because you believe in supporting the work of the church. You don't give because you expect something in return.

You tithe because you are being obediant to God.

His promise is that if you are faithful with your tithe and offerings he will bless you ten fold.

Where churches get into trouble is when they come right out and say or at least hint that "bless" is synonomous with getting more money or posessions in return.

Sometimes a blessing is great health and the ability to work.

 

[crimsonace]

Tithing is one thing -- it is a command.

"Giving" is something else -- it's the over-and-above 10% gifts that televangelists, especially, are guilty of telling people that they should give in exchange for "blessings" (read: wealth) that will come. That is done willfully, not as an attempt to get greater riches in return.

You're right -- God does bless a tithe and gifts given out of the right mindset and heart. The gift given with an ulterior motive ("if I give, I'll get more money") probably won't be.

 

[zagoshe]

Tithing is one thing -- it is a command.

"Giving" is something else -- it's the over-and-above 10% gifts that televangelists, especially, are guilty of telling people that they should give in exchange for "blessings" (read: wealth) that will come. That is done willfully, not as an attempt to get greater riches in return.

You're right -- God does bless a tithe and gifts given out of the right mindset and heart. The gift given with an ulterior motive ("if I give, I'll get more money") probably won't be.

So you mean when I sent that ten bucks to Jimmy Swaggert a few years back because he said I'd be blessed and then won $50 with a raffle ticket, the two were not connected?

 

[Point of Order]

Tithing is one thing -- it is a command.

"Giving" is something else -- it's the over-and-above 10% gifts that televangelists, especially, are guilty of telling people that they should give in exchange for "blessings" (read: wealth) that will come. That is done willfully, not as an attempt to get greater riches in return.

You're right -- God does bless a tithe and gifts given out of the right mindset and heart. The gift given with an ulterior motive ("if I give, I'll get more money") probably won't be.

Glad that's clear.

 

[93Devil]

Hey, I was asked to be a trustee. I do not lead a service or choose the topic of the sermon.

As a trustee, I make sure we have a safe, warm place to worship, and that the little girl in my avatar will have a safe, warm place to worship when she grows up.

Roof, grounds, asphalt, HVAC, and all the other stuff is what I look over. I have a very strong background in handling tax money and donated moeny, so they must have thought I was a good fit. I said certain words before they asked. I will continue to use those words. What I will never do is steal or **** money away.

What I love is when I hear that "God will provide." Well guess what? God provided you me to be a trustee, so lets be a little smarter with the money.

 

[buckweaver]

What I love is when I hear that "God will provide." Well guess what? God provided you me to be a trustee, so lets be a little smarter with the money.

Post of the day.

Or something.

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

Hey, I was asked to be a trustee. I do not lead a service or choose the topic of the sermon.

As a trustee, I make sure we have a safe, warm place to worship, and that the little girl in my avatar will have a safe, warm place to worship when she grows up.

Roof, grounds, asphalt, HVAC, and all the other stuff is what I look over. I have a very strong background in handling tax money and donated moeny, so they must have thought I was a good fit. I said certain words before they asked. I will continue to use those words. What I will never do is steal or **** money away.

What I love is when I hear that "God will provide." Well guess what? God provided you me to be a trustee, so lets be a little smarter with the money.

Glad to see Christian character and personal testimony came into play when they made their decision.

Trustee fail.

But it's not for me to judge. Sorry, I don't know why your attitude bothers me, but it does. Forgive me.

 

[93Devil]

What I love is when I hear that "God will provide." Well guess what? God provided you me to be a trustee, so lets be a little smarter with the money.

Post of the day.

Or something.

I know it sounded pompous as anything when I typed it, but oh well.

I was asked to do this, and trust me I was shocked.

I have no say in the where the funds go for care projects, but I have no problem telling a guy he cannot do his nets project this year if it means we can have a vehicle that will bring our elderly shut-in members to church once a week.

I was, and still am, pissed at the underhandedness of how he was funding the program.

When people give, they need to know exactly where their money is going. Too often public officials or church officials keep people in the dark so they can spend the money the way they want.