The Dreaded Meeting. A note to pastors

So, Pastors and Church Leaders are facing some potentially tough meetings this month. It’s the end of the year and giving is down. Apportionments, assessments and fees are all due in less than three weeks.

Yes, we’re talking Finance Committee.

The dreaded meeting that will take hours and hours on whatever night next week you might have thought you wanted to be at home with your feet up before the fireplace listening to Christmas music.

Here’s some help.

BREATHE, and remember: You did NOT create the financial crisis of Your Church OR the United States OR the global economy (if you only had the influence they “credit” to you!). Silly us, half the nation thought it was the current president and half thought it was the other party now we must inform them it was you! Wonder if that would have changed the course of the elections?!

Hope you are able to laugh just a bit at this – but please know that I am NOT laughing at you or taking this lightly. I do understand how frustrating and defeating this can be. However, it is critically important for you to step back and remember the REAL state of your flock. They were struggling before you got there (spiritually and emotionally) and now it is more apparent in the earthly sense -financially. Yes, part of this symptom is due to the internal crisis of Your Church and part is due to external circumstances beyond your and their control – a struggling global economy.

So, what is YOUR response as their shepherd? First, you should remind them of your trust in the Head Shepherd, our Jehovah Jireh, who will provide. However, you also remind them of our responsibility to be wise and faithful stewards of any and all that He gives us (both PERSONALLY and as the church). So, you remind them of your commitment, and their commitment, to continue to give – YES, even in the midst of difficulties -and regardless of our level of contentment. Commitment should NOT be contingent on contentment. You should also lead by your good example (1 Peter 5:2-4) of giving faithfully from the resources you have, and you expect them to do likewise. But you cannot expect them to do what you do not do.

We have remained committed to tithing – even when we have had very little salary and when our demands of having three teenagers in the home have continued to stretch us. We give 10% of whatever we receive – whether we have taken in $1000 or $100. So, even if we have only received $100, we give $10… and so forth. Why do I share this with you? When we lead by example in this for our flock, we can call them to do likewise with integrity. You’re not asking anyone to give MORE or beyond their means – only faithfully from what they have. So yes, if we have less, we give less. And if we have more, we give more.

Likewise, faithful stewardship does require us to make other choices as well – such as choosing what we can no longer afford. This is where faithful budgeting is so important. For our family, we have made choices such as discontinuing cable, newspaper subscriptions, going out to eat, changing cell phone packages, etc… making choices where we can save $20 here, $100 there… not going on certain trips or carpooling to save gas… Things we probably needed to do ANYWAY. Because interestingly enough, we have not missed any of these – really. As a church (and for us as a ministry), it also requires that we make critical choices of what we can and cannot do -trusting that if we must make significant changes, that God will honor those changes when done so faithfully. In this way, we start making choices to let go of some “good things” and focusing on the “God-things” that He has uniquely called and designed us to do.

We believe that times such as these are calling us to be the faithful stewards we should be. But it’s interesting how, as God’s people, it often takes a crisis to call us back to the godly behaviors we should have been employing all along. It’s one of those biblical patterns that recur over and over again in Scripture, and we find ourselves repeating the pattern still today.

So, how do you approach Monday night? Prepare yourself spiritually by spending time with God, reminding yourself that He IS Jehovah Jireh, He is your Shepherd, therefore you have everything you need (Psalm 23:1). Read this, pray this, until you begin to believe this. Then speak this to them. Confess to them your own struggle in trusting this, but tell them of your commitment to do so. And then call them to remain wise and faithful stewards of their personal resources and those of the church. And that together – with God’s help and provision – you can make the changes needed to “make it” and even “make it” stronger.

You need to go in there on Monday with some state of assurance – at least of YOUR part. You are NOT responsible for theirs, only yours. But you are responsible to lead them faithfully as their shepherd through this dark valley. And I believe you can do that- with God’s help…

Blessings…

Beth