The sticky issue of MONEY

I found it interesting at the Mission 21 conference that a potential source of church-plant FAILURE is having too much money! Big denominations have learnt the hard way that putting loads of finance into a fledgling church can actually kill the faith nevcessary to get really rooted into God and reach a place of dependence on him. I think God puts the financial issue in our way to learn faith which then translates into faith for seeing people saved and seeing structures changed. Lack of money is a place to see our faith grow so that the plant will ultimately be successful.

Reemmebr that all things are under Christ's control now, every principality and power, including Mammon. He can release finances to us whenever he wills, whenever we ask and pray and wait. Dont be burdened by false guilt from a sense that we are not meeting supporters expectations...this is the task of building good partnerships and educating people in urban mission

Remember, too, that one of the church's primary enemies in these days (if not THE biggest enemy) is Mammon. This takes the form of global economic slavery as well as consumer slavery in the Western world, and even slavery to crime and in areas of poverty. You are right in the battle with the power of Mammon, which is exactly where the church should be in this day and age. Yes, we feel weak, powerless, oppressed in the midst of the battle, but if we persevere we will reach a new level of strength and faith that will release powerful counter-cultural forces and be an inspiration to many who are seeking an alternative way of life...

Also, spend time recruiting, recruiting, recruiting. Get out there and encourage people to join the team and get involved with the team-financing aspect. People are dying for opportunities to devote themselves and their resources to something worthwhile and bigger than themselves.

I agree with Alan that being in a place of dependency financially like those we are reaching out to is a good thing. How did the disciples feel when they wandered around, totally dependent on other people's hospitality? It must have been a little hopw you are feeling now.

See the situation as an opportnity for creativity. Esther and I are enjoying scouring around on Freecycle and intend to get hold of an allotment and grow our own vegetables etc...these are just ideas for now though.

What are your thoughts?

It is probably good to be in the same position as the people we are bringing the gospel to.

Having 'funding' might, just might, make it easy for the people around us to think, "It's easy for you, you have time to be a Christian and do Christian stuff because you don't have to hold down a job - or, at least, look for a job". I am aware that Christian funding rarely allows those who receive it to live in luxury, but it can still create a certain impression.

It can also give the impression that the important thing as a Christian is what you do with your spare time ("I just don't have time to be a Christian": Discuss). It can make us forget that we can live for Christ at work and that we should be encouraging those around us to do the same.

Perhaps our default model should be earning our own living, our equivalent of Paul's tent making, and seeing how we can build church from there, modelling that.

The opposite danger is that we make earning money our God and pour all our energies into that - but that I imagine that is not the case among most people in Urban Expression.