BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
Generosity is about more than money - it’s personal
When I served as pastor of the Washington Baptist Church, Washington, VT, an older couple living on a limited retirement income came to me distraught about the money they were sending to a national non-profit organization to sponsor a child in an impoverished country. They had been sponsoring a girl for some years and always enjoyed the cards, pictures, and notes they received from her.
Rethinking our stewardship strategy
I don’t know about your church but during the pandemic our church had to rethink our church’s giving procedures and strategies. Several years earlier we had begun an online giving option but only two people were taking advantage of it. It was now time for us to help our congregation to utilize different methods of giving and to present our offering time in a more meaningful way.
Revitalize the heart through giving
Revitalizing a church involves cultivating revitalized givers. People give to vision and movements, not to traditions and personal preferences. Although there are many methods of giving, the giving principle never changes. The Old Testament threshold giving is 10% to God as the starting point. However, in the New Testament, you see examples of sacrificial giving and generosity by believers through the local church to accomplish God’s gospel mission in the world.
Tithing = celebration?
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (1 Cor. 9:7)
How many of you reading that verse winced just a little … or maybe a lot? It’s those last two words, isn’t it? “Cheerful giver.” They almost seem to expect too much commitment to the process. Trust me, I am not throwing any stones here – there have been many times over the years that I played with this phrase like the lawyer in Luke 10 who toyed with the idea of just who is a neighbor? You know, how cheerful does cheerful need to be, really?
SC Baptist meet New England needs during pandemic
It didn’t take long for New England Baptists to realize that the quarantining was going to last longer than a couple of weeks – and that the climate created by the pandemic was making people in search of hope more open to hearing the Gospel.
But with giving down in most local churches and an indefinite freeze on over $180,000 in evangelism and church planting development funds from national partner NAMB, what could be done?
Church finances during a pandemic
Many churches have experienced extraordinary giving amidst the pandemic. Instead of retreat, some churches saw generosity. Why? Because people experienced at a very personal level the purpose for which the church exists — worship in a caring community that models love and compassion. Pastors and other church leaders took initiative to serve their communities. They led by example. The actions of the church were driven by a commitment to the Kingdom of God. Church leaders explored every possible platform to continue engaging in worship, Bible study and community building.
Remember the widow: The importance of giving when it hurts
Times are tough. Not only are we mostly trapped in our homes, not only are grocery store shelves shockingly bare, but many of us have lost jobs or are working reduced hours. Money is tight. And it seems like we sometimes have different expenses – even greater expenses.
Give and it shall be given
I recently dropped my husband and 15-year-old daughter at the airport. They were off to Guatemala for a week on mission in our church’s adopted village of Zacapa. It was an emotional morning, and as I sat and reflected on what God has done in the past four years, tears welled up in my eyes.