and it is COLD. Even had snow this afternoon. After returning home I headed to the youth group meeting, then decided to stay for the annual church business meeting. My convictions lately about things are really causing me to rethink my current church home. While listening at the meeting and hearing people's main concerns be about what I hold as petty things (when there is so much good that can be done and needs doing) I started feeling physically sick, so I left. Felt like I needed to get some air. So I did and as the meeting began to get into the budget portion I headed to the gym to both work out and get rid of some of the stress from sitting in that meeting!
I don't know what transpired, but I am glad I left before reviewing the budget with everyone. I reviewed it line by line earlier in the week and wa bothered when I noticed that the building is drawing a few thousand percent more increase in funding than feeding the hungry and helping those in need I get a little bothered. Maybe I'm too idealistic? Maybe I'm a dreamer? Or maybe I could just care less about a nice place to meet? I'm still figuring all that out. Bare with me if you will :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I'm right there with you - trying to figure it all out. I had the same experience at a church retreat a couple of week-ends back. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
My parents have mentioned similar things with the church I grew up going to ... the problem there is that the church membership is decreasing so fast that it will essentially die within a few years if something doesn't turn around. Because of that, the budget has been running at a deficit for 2 or 3 years, and quickly draining the savings the church had stored over 30 or 40 years. The biggest problem my parents had with the proposed budget was that missionary funding was going to take a bit of a cut for the 2nd year in a row, while staff salary was going to have a slight increase (after remaining flat the year before). While I can fully understand you need pastors to have a church, and without a minimal salary increase each year, you're actually making less money once inflation is factored in, but it really sucks that that could come at the expense of missionaries. Tough situation.
[kris] hmm. i seem to dimly recall a passage where jesus mentioned taking care of others. now where was that? oh, now i remember, it's JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME HE OPENED HIS MOUTH. that's right. no wonder it slipped my mind.
{sarcasm} but that doesn't mean it's a priority of his or anything. {\sarcasm}
Post a Comment