This week ties the Consecration Sunday stewardship program with the series on being a Christian in the 21st century. part of the 21st century is the opportunity to utilize tools for giving -- donating through web-sites, using electronic funds transfers, setting up automatic payments with banks, etc. Technology can make it easier to give and to set a pattern for giving.
We also see an explosion of opportunities to give. Again, technology allows for many people and groups to ask us for money. How many of you have received an email with a link asking for a donation for someone's ride for a some type of cure or run for some project? And the sophisticated databases make it much easier for us to be targeted for our giving.
The question of do we tithe just to the church or can we count our other gifts as part of the tithe is not a new question, but perhaps it has greater implications in our world today.
But, as I reflect on stewardship in the 21st century, I think it still comes down to some old-fashioned principles -- patterned givers, that is, people who establish a weekly or monthly pattern to their giving give more. People who make a pledge give more than people who intend to give when they can. People who are asked to consider their giving give more than people who are not asked to engage in a discernment process related to their giving. I don't think more options or using technology changes those historic truths.
Perhaps we ought to recognize a pledge commitment as a gift that we are given. Not that our pledge defines our faith, but our monetary commitment gives us a concrete way to express our commitment to God. Not the only way, certainly, but in a world where people need to be able to measure and see their response, our giving back to God gives us a weekly or monthly reminder of the commitment we make to follow Christ.
What makes you want to give back to God?
Peace,
Richard
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Early in our married life, Sarah and I were instructed that it was "important" that we develop the ritual of putting the check in the plate each week. This pattern would generate a habit, and it would "feel" like we were regular givers. The habit never developed.... The busyness of our lives, often caused us to forget the checkbook on the way to Sunday worship, or we would not have left enough in the checking account for the last Sunday of the month. The result was more sporadic giving than we had originally intended.
ReplyDeleteBreaking from the original "advice" we had received, Sarah and I decided to have an automatic withdrawl check sent to the church shortly after we received our payroll checks from our employer. We justified that as the concept of the "first fruits", and realized that the funds were no longer available for pizza or laundry detergent.
This system has worked well for us for many years. On occasion, I still feel guilty when the plate goes by on Sunday morning, and I have nothing to put in it, but I know that my gifts are already at work somewhere.
Technology in the 21st century has helped us become more consistent and faithful givers. I highly recommend our adopted approach.