There were a couple of meetings at church last night about budget problems. I know, crazy! A church with financial challenges! I don't know the ins and outs of it, but judging by the number of church members who are out of work or who have moved away in the last several months because they found work elsewhere, I suspect the difference between income and expenses is significant.My husband tries to keep his hands off the money situation but it's hard to stay uninvolved when hard choices will need to be made. We were both braced for bad news last night.
But then he came home early from the meeting. And he was smiling. It was a very strange experience.
The church council has a plan and is still trusting God to make up the shortfall. To me, the most important part of their plan was: Pastor, don't worry about this. We want you to teach us and care for our spiritual needs. We are responsible for figuring out the budget.
I love these people.
Ain't it a wonderful thing when the people of God share the love of Christ with their pastor and his family?
ReplyDeleteOh praise God! What a blessing you have received! I'm SO happy for you and your family. And I ditto revalkorn's comment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful blessing!!!!! At our last church (the ubber dysfunctional one) the church literally had $60,000 in the bank just sitting there, for who-knows-what reason. They payed my husband hardly ANYTHING and had all that money just sitting there for things only they knew about. In our 3yrs there they gave him one terrible, hardly noticeable raise and 2 pay cuts, again with all that $$ just sitting there. This was only 1 of the many dysfunctions. However, at our new church we have experienced the same thing as you, they just want my husband to teach and shepherd them and not be concerned with the budget. Isn't it grand to be part of a healthy "family?"
ReplyDelete@Jeni - Ugh. I have never understood the concept of churches having large savings accounts. We were in a church that was working very hard on an endowment fund. I kept my mouth shut but was itching to ask WHAT FOR? So the church can keep going on without depending on God's provision? Strange.
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