Skinny Cows

Last fall Christianity Today published an article called “Here Come the Skinny Cows.” The authors present several cautions as well as valuable reminders as they look at trends in the church and culture. However, I admit I struggle with their concluding assessment, “To position our churches for long-term sustainability we must avoid unnecessary fears and the intrinsic limitations of a scarcity mindset.” The question for me is: what are unnecessary fears and what are realistic concerns?

I agree we can’t just hunker down and only do the bare minimum of ministry to try to make funds last. We always need to exercise faith in the One who gives us all things. But at the same time, we need to be good stewards of what He has already given us. Just as Joseph helped Egypt conserve grain for seven years before the seven years of famine came, we need to plan carefully for what seems likely to come. God put Joseph in that position for that very reason (Genesis 50:20).

Jesus, in His parable, commended the steward “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Matthew 25:21 ESV). The servant who was chastised was the one who buried his talent in the ground so it couldn’t be lost or used for anything. He wasn’t willing to try something and risk failing.

At another time, Jesus said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28). While it is tempting to claim this as a divine mandate for strategic planning, that is to ignore the greater context of counting the cost of discipleship. “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple… So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that He has cannot be My disciple” (27, 33). Perhaps then our planning needs to take the form of reminding church members that what they have is not their own.

The early church was fully invested in following their Savior as a united body. “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). The “rugged individualism” of America today makes this seem like an impossibility. In many cases our churches are funded by what’s left, not what’s first. We are reluctant to surrender any of our comforts or advantages in order to follow Christ wholeheartedly and contribute freely to the ministry He has given us. It’s hard to even get church members to give of their time to assist in the functions of the church, much less contribute sacrificially.

If the “skinny cows” are indeed coming in the near future, we as leaders need to begin preparing now by clearly teaching the cost of discipleship and all that means for our tithes and offerings, our time and talents, and our daily priorities. If members aren’t willing to commit to their church body while things are easy, what will they do as our culture continues to turn away from Christian values? In some countries around the world the decision to be a Christian is a choice of life or death, not a choice of whether to go to church or to the kid’s ballgame. We’ve had it easy for a very long time when compared to the majority of church history.

I believe the other tangible step that we as churches and denominations can take is to assess the true needs for ministry in our communities. Do we need to have church buildings, land, and parsonages that require maintenance? Do we need to purchase Sunday school materials and bulletins? Do we need as many paid staff members? Are there things we should be doing that we aren’t? Are there less expensive ways to do what we believe God has called us to do? We should count the cost, not just in dollars and cents, but in obedience to the One we claim as our Savior and Lord. If we are not following His lead both individually and collectively, we are not being faithful stewards.

Even as we see the trends and evaluate where we are, we can find hope and peace in the fact that God will build His church “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Our favor with culture may disappear entirely, but God’s purposes will prevail. We may lose everything else, but no one can take us out of the Father’s hand (John 10:29). If we continue to plant and water by faith, God will give the growth as He has determined (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Penny Wise

There is a big push toward churches providing automated giving options via credit card, direct deposit, and similar methods. I understand that people like the convenience it provides, so they don't have to remember to do anything. But as I read Scripture, I don't see any indication that giving tithes and offerings should be easy or convenient. Deuteronomy 12:5-7 (ESV) says,

“But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put His name and make His habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.”

Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites were reminded that there were very specific ways and specific places where sacrifices and offerings could be made. Granted, we no longer live under the Old Covenant and we don’t have to comply with all those regulations; however, the general principle remains that as we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength that should be evident in our priorities, including how we use our money for God’s glory. “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God” (Exodus 23:19a).

I don’t want to create unnecessary rules, or condemn anyone for their method of giving. I simply raise the following questions that have helped to shape my own thinking in this area. If I don’t have to think about the act of giving because I’m not taking time to write a check or get cash from the ATM—

• Am I less likely to be reminded to thank Him for His provisions for me?
• Will I be less conscious of giving Him of my “firstfruits”?
• Will I be a better or worse steward of the funds I have?
• Am I likely to start thinking of my tithe the same way I think about the taxes that are deducted from my paycheck?
• What do my actions tell my children (or spiritual children) about giving?
• Will an automatic deduction cost my church more in fees?

Speaking from my own experience, I need the act of writing a check every week to be part of my routine. It is a reminder to me that what I have is not my own. It is a gift of God and out of gratitude and obedience I give a portion to the church for His work through our body. During one period of my life I decided to write checks less frequently because I was not paid every week, but I found I was more likely to forget to do so, and also less likely to make sure I had the funds in the right account to cover it. Giving more frequently is a spiritual discipline I practice for my own good.

Obviously every person is different, and what works for some doesn’t work for others. It’s better to give whatever way you can than to quit because it’s too much trouble. God alone knows our hearts and our priorities.

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

God's Treasure

I wrote the following during our Sunday school lesson today on the building of the tabernacle in Exodus 36-40:

From guilt to grace the people turned
To worship God, the One they’d spurned.
They gave their treasure to provide a place,
A reminder of God’s saving grace.

Will we likewise give our best
Or will we put Him to the test?
Our lives are His, and all we own
Belongs to God and God alone.

Forgive us when we hold too tight
To things we own and think we’re right.
Lord, open our hearts and hands to You
To give the worship You are due.

Use our lives to give You glory.
Use our mouths to tell Your story.
May we always worship You
With all we have and all we do.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Giving With Gratitude

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Matt shared the example of Rick Warren’s decision not to increase his standard of living as he started receiving significant income from his book sales. We were challenged to increase our standard of giving rather than our standard of living. This reminded me of a quote I read several years ago that has influenced the way I budget for each year. In Revolution in Generosity, Daryl Heald (President of Generous Giving) writes:

“Early in our journey of generosity, a friend challenged Cathy and me to give more. We had just finished a Crown Financial Ministries course and decided to increase our giving goal to 20 percent. Each year we would increase that amount by 1 percent. I felt pretty good about that and mentioned it to a friend, hoping he would be impressed with our commitment. After ‘boldly’ sharing, I asked him at what level he and his wife were giving. He told me that they were giving 40 percent of their income and suggested that Cathy and I could do the same. Talk about feeling humbled! At that point in our journey, I didn’t know people gave that much. His openness and lack of arrogance or condemnation appropriately challenged me. He was a motivator. His model eventually allowed us to do the same. Cathy and I talked and prayed about this decision. Our conclusion was to set our new goal at 40 percent and by God’s grace to increase it every year.” (392-393)

I wouldn’t say this is necessarily the goal of every Christian, because every family is different. Adding kids or losing jobs can quickly change the needs of a family. But I do think every Christian needs to give careful consideration to their plan for giving (and yes, it does need to be a plan). Many Christians ask “How much should I give?” The better question is how much should I keep? What do I really need to meet the basic needs of my family now and for the foreseeable future?

Jesus spoke of giving as something that was expected—when, not if:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven... But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:1, 3-4 ESV).

When we discussed these verses in Sunday school recently, I thought about the ongoing debate in Congress about doing away with the charitable giving tax deduction. It is unfortunate that tax laws play such a big role in how people use their money. For Christians that should never even be a consideration. Christians living in nations where their faith is illegal have far more difficult choices to make about how to care for the needs of orphans, widows, and fellow believers.

We in America are blessed with so many resources that we quickly lose sight of the fact that none of it belongs to us to begin with. We are merely temporary stewards of God’s resources. We are quick to make excuses not to give. It’s easy to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit while we’re distracting ourselves with the latest gadgets and the football game of the day. I have to say, I have sometimes regretted not giving more to a particular need, but I have never regretted giving “too much.” In one instance in college, I gave some money to a collection but then immediately felt that I should have given more. So God arranged for the collection bucket to go past me again!

In the end, it comes down to a matter of the heart. A gift grudgingly given does not honor either God or the giver. “You shall give to [the poor] freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake” (Deuteronomy 15:10). “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, bot reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful give” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

May our giving this Christmas and all year round be inspired by the grace that God has lavished upon us, and not hindered by fear, selfishness, or pride.

© 2015 Dawn Rutan. 

Give It Away

A couple things have occurred today that have gotten me thinking about stewardship. I’m reading Ken Shigamatsu’s book God in My Everything, and he has a good chapter on finances. He talks about “proportionate giving,” meaning “we first determine the amount we need (adjusted regularly for inflation) and choose to live on that alone. We then commit to giving the rest away.”

While I haven’t gone that far, I have made an effort to increase my giving each year, even when I don’t receive any increase in salary. I will say up front that money does not hold a great attraction for me, and being single allows me the freedom to live as simply as I choose. It is nice to see my bank and pension balances increasing, but I don’t spend a lot of time obsessing about it. Since I have to spend most of my work hours looking at finances, by the time I get home I don’t want to be bothered with balancing my checkbook or paying bills. (I just entered about 8 months of receipts into the computer, and I wouldn’t do it at all if I didn’t have to file taxes at year end.)

Over the past several years I’ve noticed certain trends in my decisions about charitable giving, and my choices are probably not unique.

• I give to fewer organizations than I used to. I’m giving more of my funds to those that impact me directly and eliminating others that I’ve had only distant ties to. Although I appreciate the work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, it isn’t that important to me.
• I have also moved toward organizations that are overtly Christian. Anybody can support humanitarian organizations, but only Christians are likely to support churches and Christian non-profit agencies.
• I give more to organizations that have fewer donors. My alma maters are great, but they have a pool of thousands of donors. My church only has about a hundred, so comparatively its need is greater.
• I direct more funds toward organizations with a proven track record of good stewardship of their own resources, including their finances, properties, and personnel. Financial management is great, but if that comes at the expense of deteriorating buildings or staff that is either overworked or underworked, they may need to adjust their priorities.

It’s kind of surprising to me as I think about this to realize that many of these choices were made subconsciously. I never sat down and wrote out a budget of who deserved what amount from me. I will say that it helps to have an unlisted phone number and caller ID, so I never have to listen to those passionate calls to make an immediate contribution that I would never otherwise make. I rarely give to any special appeals outside of my church.

Financial stewardship is something we should all give more thought to, with at least a periodic review of where our money is going and how that reflects our priorities and our faith. I made the decision some time back that cable TV was not worth the investment of my money and time, so I downgraded to just the broadcast channels. (Ironically, the cable company has never removed the extra channels, so I’ve had several months of free cable.) I’ve also cut out some other conveniences and unnecessary clutter. It’s getting to be fun asking, “What else can I get rid of or give away that I don’t need?” Since “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7) I might as well enjoy it!

I don’t look at giving as depriving myself of something good, but as making room in my heart for something better—building my own relationship with God and helping others to do the same.