tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post7379260164232210139..comments2023-10-03T06:25:41.357-05:00Comments on Grace Roots Blog: Giving of our resourcesJoel Bruesekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-62836266660699625472009-04-22T22:14:00.000-05:002009-04-22T22:14:00.000-05:00Cool, Leonard, I hope it helps in some way.Cool, Leonard, I hope it helps in some way.Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-36162987931117962592009-04-22T13:00:00.000-05:002009-04-22T13:00:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing your heart here Joel. going to ...Thanks for sharing your heart here Joel. going to mail this to a friend, thanks again.<br />Best<br />U.Leonardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13127809388107620419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-63369235037130491442009-04-15T11:39:00.000-05:002009-04-15T11:39:00.000-05:00Richard,
Truly, what you're sharing here is so ov...Richard,<br /><br />Truly, what you're sharing here is so overlooked in the church today. Those are sad and sobering stats. In theory I'm not <I>against</I> the idea of a church/ministry having a paid staff and a building, etc, since I think a lot of good can (and legitimately has) come out of things like that when led by the Lord and done the right way, but if that's <I>all</I> or <I>most</I> of what the money is used for, then the money has become all about maintaining the ministry itself and not about ministering to others.<br /><br />Nancy,<br /><br />I agree! There are many ways to give, and it's always changing, day by day, moment by moment, person by person.<br /><br />Jamie,<br /><br />Exactly! And you brought up something that I forgot to say in this post that was originally the main reason I sat down to write it! Each of the few times that I've talked with pastor-types about teaching people to give from the heart rather than giving from the so-called 'biblical mandate' to give from your 'firstfruits' to 'a church,' the response has been something like, "But church giving will go down!"<br /><br />My thought about that is... "So what!!" I think the person who gives 1% from their heart is giving more than the person who gives 10% out of obligation. Sometimes, doesn't the "system" need to fail in order for "the church" to thrive as it's meant to?!<br /><br />And if people are truly taught their identity in Christ, and the fullness of their life in Him, won't numbers and percentages be irrelevant? People will simply give from who they are, as they are able by the life of Christ in them, and God will provide for His children!Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-91791324974721157372009-04-15T01:33:00.000-05:002009-04-15T01:33:00.000-05:00Oh, WELL SAID, Joel!
What happens if my tax-deduc...Oh, WELL SAID, Joel!<br /><br />What happens if my tax-deductible giving drops when I give freely to those I see in need around me? Can I handle that? Can my church's budget?Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16376340819465748862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-26379774430092096142009-04-15T01:01:00.000-05:002009-04-15T01:01:00.000-05:00there really are a lot of ways to give.there really are a lot of ways to give.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-59939191496466804672009-04-15T00:51:00.000-05:002009-04-15T00:51:00.000-05:00Let me throw in another aspect of giving that is o...Let me throw in another aspect of giving that is often overlooked. Most of what Christians give to the local church goes to property, maintenance, and salary. A study I saw a year or two ago indicated that in 2004, only about 15 percent of every dollar given went to external ministries.<br /><br />My question is, are you really giving money to God if most of it is spent on church upkeep? The same study said that when they averaged out over 30 different denominations, about 2 cents of every dollar went to foreign missions. <br /><br />It's a sad state of affairs for the church. I think God wants us to be good stewards of our money, and that might mean keeping it out of the local church in some cases...Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07807281450810557990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-28206797080766890552009-04-14T22:48:00.000-05:002009-04-14T22:48:00.000-05:00Bino, that's so true. It can sometimes be a good ...Bino, that's so true. It can sometimes be a good thing give to organizations to support a larger work that they're doing, but how often does that keep us from being <I>personally</I> involved in the lives of others?<br /><br />You're right... it becomes 'mechanical' and it's not necessarily giving from a heart of love but rather as a duty or as a "should." By trying to keep a 'system' (a church or an organization) alive through telling people they need to devote their resources to it, they're really keeping people from growing in <I>grace</I>, and instead keeping them in bondage.Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-83108430030595362182009-04-14T20:04:00.000-05:002009-04-14T20:04:00.000-05:00Joel, You make an excellent point. When we give to...Joel, You make an excellent point. When we give to an organization, we basically disconnect ourselves from the sweetness of giving (knowingly or unknowingly). The organizations such as Red Cross etc is doing a great work, but the issue is, people think giving money to such organization is equivalent to helping the needy in person. Wherever we aren't involved on a personal level, it becomes a 'mechanical' giving and we think that we did our 'duty' of helping the poor or needy. <br /><br />When we walk into a nursing home and take care (pray/wash/sing/encourage/buy him his favorite food) of an old person, thats where the beauty of serving lies in. Instead, people prefer to dump a check or some bills into an offering plate or into the mission program of a big organization. In my mind that is escapism, just a way of coping with our guilt. I am not saying there is no value at all in giving to organizations, but what I am saying is, that is NOT a substitute for personal involvement in serving the needy (both in terms of physical need and spiritual need)Bino M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02303467552834533436noreply@blogger.com