The Church Just Wants Your Money!

It's out there. Enough churches have earned the reputation for being money-grubbers, that it's tainted everyone else.

For a church to talk, let alone teach about money, has become a very awkward situation. Church leaders are afraid to ask about money, members get uncomfortable if there is too much talk about money, and visitors get concerned if their first Sunday happens to be when there is a request for more money.

But: churches have got to figure out how to talk about money more often in a more normal fashion. Money is the stuff of life, it is "the answer for everything." To quote Ecclesiastes 10v19.

So if churches don't mature in the way they talk and teach about money, they'll make it almost impossible for members to mature in the way they manage and spend their money. Money is a really important issue for people. And churches.

The more wisdom we can accumulate about managing and investing our wealth, we increase our opportunities to bless and help our neighbors. "Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have money." [Ecclesiastes 7v12]

Anchor is in the process of asking it's congregation to give more money. It's been a difficult task, since we've not talked about money very much and thus we aren't comfortable doing so. But Jesus says that in order to receive, you have to ask. So we've made the ask. And people are responding.

They're thankful for the difference Anchor has made in their life and of many others in the congregation. They're also excited about the involvement of Anchor in the neighborhood, and they want to see that increase. Our pastoral staff makes a point of investing in the people of the congregation and the community. We ended the year 2012 with one full time pastor serving the congregation and the community. We'd like to end the year 2013 with two full time pastors serving more people. The need is there. More money will make it more possible for Anchor to better serve more people in our community and congregation.

We want to help make more disciples of Jesus who will help make our neighborhood a better place to live. An anchor for the community. Because Jesus is an anchor for us.

Discipling is a difficult task. Discipling such that the community is transformed by the love of Christ is even more daunting. But if our love for God is connected to our love of neighbor, and if we are to be transformed by God's love, shouldn't our neighborhood be transformed by our love for God?

That's what I think Jesus has in mind for a church to be and proclaim the good news of salvation and shalom.

And it's what Anchor is committed to doing everyday.