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    Church:  We’d Like Your Government Stimulus Check

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    I don’t know… this to me sounds a little tacky.  Does it hit anyone else this way as well?  Aren’t there better ways to teach stewardship than begging for people’s stimulus check?  Like maybe moving people toward better stewardship of ALL they have, not just a one time bonus?

    I’m probably totally wrong on this, but that’s how it hit me initially. I’d love your thoughts.

    One church has asked its members to consider donating all or part of their government stimulus checks to a fund they have set up for charitable use. Congregants can have their money go to a battered women shelter, or a meal fund for needy members.

    "Remember people who are less fortunate than you during this time that the government is blessing us," said Nancy McLean, president of Joseph's House. "I think it's a program that every church should endorse."

    Another church's pastor, John Odom, pastor of Starmount Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, said he asked his congregation to consider donating their checks to the church's capital campaign, which will fund a sanctuary renovation and help hire a new staff member. Odom said donating stimulus checks to the church would double as an investment in the local market, fulfilling the government's economy-boosting intentions.

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    1. Leonard on Wed, May 21, 2008

      In the past few weeks I have been asked to use my Tax Stimulus Check (TSC) to buy a mattress, gamble, buy a vacation, get a new car, buy jewelery, get a camera, get an iPod get a new phone, get new tires for my car, get a new TV (flat screen), and much more. 


      In all my conversations with people about this, no one I know has been offended by any of these requests.  Many I know have been enticed, myself included. 


      In my church I asked for some help from the TSC and found a few people offended.  I think how weird that we would be offended by the church asking for help but not Circuit City. 


      So while I understand it could feel tacky if approached wrong I don’t think i is tacky.  I say, if you really want to stimulate the economy, stimulate the economy of God’s Kingdom.  Use you TSC to make sure your church does not have a recession.  When the church faces a huge recession much eternal impact is at stake.

    2. Josh Montague on Wed, May 21, 2008

      Todd, you’re just feeling guilty about buying that Wii Fit with your cash cow, aren’t you?

    3. Peter Hamm on Wed, May 21, 2008

      I’m gettin’ a wii fit with it, too!

    4. Melody on Wed, May 21, 2008

      I’ve made this suggestion to a number of people who complained to me about various social issues that could be remedied by the government instead of giving out rebate checks.  I didn’t do a poll afterward to see how many actually did donate the money to charity, though.

    5. Bruce Gerencser on Wed, May 21, 2008

      Until Churches learn a little stewardship themselves I wouldn’t give them ANY money.


      And yes, it is tacky to ask….......

    6. Leonard on Wed, May 21, 2008

      Bruce, there are many churches I am sure fit your thinking, but not mine.  I am still not sure why it is tacky?  Anyone else got an offer on that one?

    7. Bruce Gerencser on Wed, May 21, 2008

      Leonard,


      I will admit upfront I am jaded concerning most Church “fund raising.” As a pastor I beat people to death over money. Give. Give. Give. Too often the Bible is used as a manipulative find raising tool.


      It is tacky for this reason:


      Before word of the checks…....did the Church plan to ask the congregation for money?


      If not….......it is tacky….....that when they get some….....the Church is first in line with their hand out.


      The congregation should be encouraged to pay down debt and then use what’s left (if any) to minister to people in need. Why does the Church need to be the conduit for acts of mercy and kindness. The more hands the money goes through the less effective the result.


      Not that I have any opinions on this subject http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif


      On a personal note….......we spent our 1,200.00 check on paying bills, doing some yard work, and one dinner at a Mexican Restaurant. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif Now we are broke again.


      Bruce

    8. Melody on Wed, May 21, 2008

      No guess here, Leonard.   I’ve seen such breathtaking tackiness from churches and ministries that this isn’t even on the radar.  (Gen-u-ine prayer hankies, anyone?)


      Reminding the congregation of the principle that God blesses us in order that we can bless others is the church’s job.  And since these checks are windfalls, I think it’s kind of cool that a church would establish a special use for it that reaches outside the church building and offer it as an opportunity.

    9. CS on Wed, May 21, 2008

      I used my stimulus check to pay off the second mortgage on our rental house so that we could increase our cashflow and increase our tithe to our church.  A short-term action with long-term benefits.  I did the same with my federal refund, too, in paying off other debt, and am giving all of my state refund as a tithe and to other Christian organizations.


      I say this not to brag, because we’re still trying to get things better and out of debt, but as another possible recommendation for people looking to do something with their money from Uncle Sam.



      CS

    10. Ricky on Thu, May 22, 2008

      Bruce said:


      “...the Church is first in line with their hand out.”


      Which is the result of the welfare mentality that permeates throughout the western church.


      People should tell the leaders of their “churches” to get out and earn money like the rest of the people.  If not, then have a bar-b-que or car wash like all the others who want to raise money.

    11. Peter Hamm on Thu, May 22, 2008

      Ricky,


      Your comment is, once again, ridiculous and contrary to scripture.

    12. Bruce Gerencser on Thu, May 22, 2008

      I wouldn’t call it ridiculous. Overstated perhaps.


      Unfortunately many Churches/pastors can’t see the forest for the trees on this issue.


      The amount of money wasted in most Churches is astounding. We spend money so we can raise more money so we can spend more money…....


      Many of our programs are simply programs for propagating the perpetuity of the Church. Little true evangelism. Money is spent on helping and encouraging the fat to get fatter.


      Then. there are our monuments we build called Church buildings/sanctuaries/worship centers/gymnasiums/fellowship halls/etc. Huge mortgages become the tail that wags the dog. Most Church building programs are simply unneeded. I live in an area with dealing population yet it hasn’t stopped Churches from continuing to build.


      So, based on the above, when I see the Church with its hand out for the latest largess from the government…......it is at least tacky if not down right immoral. 


      I know I am going to get a some anecdotal stories about “their Church is not like this”, etc. All exceptions do is prove the rule. And….......I am not sure I buy the anecdotes. Let’s take a hard look at the Church books. Let’s look at how money has been spent in the past.


      I point the finger at myself. Wasted a lot of money, in God’s name. Hard earned money…....wasted. Money given in faith…......wasted.


      We need to return to simplicity and austerity with our focus being, not on buildings/staff/programs, but on reaching the unconverted and doing acts of mercy and justice.


      Be honest, what % of the Church budget actually goes towards such tings?

    13. Peter Hamm on Thu, May 22, 2008

      Bruce,


      Overstated, definitely, but in light of all the comments Ricky’s made over the years, where he makes it clear that he doesn’t seem to think the local church as I understand it is a valid blblical principle, it is indeed ridiculous.


      Your comments have some real merit. People look at us like we have two heads when we tell them that on our “big days”, Christmas and Easter, we don’t even take an offering, because we do NOT want visitors and guests to contribute to our church, only those who are dedicated to our mission and vision and are at least regular attenders.


      We recently built a much-needed addition to house our very cramped (not any more) children’s ministries. We saved tens,  maybe over a hundred thousand dollars by using a LOT of volunteer labor. We were better stewards of our resources AND the people of our church got to “build our church”  in more ways than one. Can you imagine the sense of “ownership” (the good kind) they have of our church, its vision, its mission? We have a very small, very manageable mortgage on some of that addition that will most likely be paid off in less than one year.


      A lot of us out here are being VERY good stewards, and paying my salary so that I can do what I do full-time is a GOOD use of those resources. We spend a LOT of money DIRECTLY on benevolence, too.


      But… Asking people for a handout because you know they just got a 600-dollar check, though, is, imho, not the kind of stewardship that I think we want to teach.

    14. Leonard on Thu, May 22, 2008

      Bruce and Ricky, I feel kind of sad for you.  The jaded color through which you write is obviously filled with pain.  For that pain I am sorry and hope you can find healing.  I have found that lashing out rarely helps the pain, but it does feed a sense of justification for staying hurt.  


      I don’t think that it is having a hand out.  I think it is asking people to invest in God’s kingdom instead of a big screen TV.  I have been in ministry a long time and I can tell you this without hesitation, NOTHING gets in the way of loving Jesus in this country more than money.   Not sex, not drugs, not alcohol, not porn, not racism… NOTHING.


      Jesus told us we cannot love God and money but we sure try to don’t we?  No one is offended by circuit city asking for their check, but that darn church…  Those jerks.  Seems kind of backwards.

    15. DanielR on Thu, May 22, 2008

      Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.  Matthew 22:21


      So, assuming you have rendered unto God what is God’s (tithe) and you have rendered unto Caesar what is Caesar’s (taxes), this TSC is a rebate back from Caesar on what you rendered unto him. 


      Legalistically speaking, if you tithe on your gross (pre-tax) income you’ve already tithed on this money and it should all belong to you, but if you tithe on your after-tax take home income then you should at least give 10% of the TSC to the church as a tithe since this money was not counted in your tithe before.


      Not I endorse thinking about things legalistically. 


      As for the question posed; I think the fund set up by the church for charitable use in not only not tacky but actually a great idea.  The church asking people to donate their TSC to the church’s capital campaign seems a little tacky to me.  And trying to justify it, saying it would double as an investment in the local market, is really tacky to me.  I don’t think the church should be trying to justify or rationalize giving to the church on secular grounds.

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