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THE VINE NEWSLETTER OF BELLAIRE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
FAITH + MONEY
MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD MAY 22, 2016 VOLUME 52 ISSUE 8
MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD
FAITH + MONEY GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND. 2 TIMOTHY 1:7
In the church, we often treat money as if it is tangential to the spiritual life. We relegate it to a once-per-year conversation each fall as we fundraise for the next year’s budget. Beyond that, we usually only talk about money when it seems like there’s not enough to “pay the bills.” This is a mistake. Money, and the use of money, is central to the human experience. Thus, it has a whole lot to do with our faith and our life with God. It turns out that God—through scripture—has a lot to say about money, how we should use it, and what we should think about it. So, for the next three weeks in worship, we will be opening up some honest conversation about money to discover what it is that God has to say and consider how we can be faithful. We will discuss the ever-elusive concept of “enough,” why God cares about money, and how God would have us use our money.
Why have a series on Faith + Money? (1) Money is a spiritual issue. None of us would argue that prayer is somehow only a practical issue, but the Bible talks about money four times as often as prayer. (2) Giving is an indispensable part of Christian discipleship. God is a God who gives. Jesus gave all of himself, and learning to follow Jesus means learning to give ourselves. (3) Jesus is calling all of us to lives of unbridled generosity. God is not so much interested in making sure we follow rules. God desires that our hearts be changed, that we be generous in everything in the way that God is generous. I’m excited to begin this journey with you! In Christ, Pastor Seann
WHERE IT GOES Below is a graphic representaTon of our 2016 Ministry Budget. This is how we invest the money that you give to God through Bellaire UMC. Note: Staff salaries and other expenses are divided among the ministry categories that they support.
FaciliTes & OperaTonal Support
Discipleship & Caring
24%
30%
16% Missions & Outreach
Total 2016 Ministry Budget $1,196,460
30%
Worship, InvitaTon, & CommunicaTon
People like you are the only source of income for this church. We wouldn’t be able to do the work of making disciples if not for your gi;s. Thank you!
YOUR FINANCIAL GIVING
SOME DEFINITIONS stewardship — Stewardship is not the annual fundraising effort
to underwrite the local church budget. In the case of the church, stewardship means the management of resources that belong to God—including money, faciliTes, and personnel.
Bthe — In the Bible, a Tthe is 10% of one’s total income. This was the porTon of one’s resources that belonged to God and is the biblical standard for giving among God’s people.
proporBonal giving — To give proporTonally means to give a pre-determined percentage of one's total income.
The act of giving is an act of obedience, and an act of love, and an act of worship that helps a believer in Christ grow spiritually. When we give, we parAcipate in God’s ongoing work in the world. —Dr. Michael Reeves
FAITH + MONEY
GENEROSITY Generosity is a core value of the ChrisBan faith. ChrisBans in America now give a smaller percentage of our income to the church and other chariBes than we did at the height of the Great Depression in 1933. Total giving as a share of income by religious affiliation sorted by total gift as a percentage of income
Mormon Other Protestant* Pentecostal/AOG Muslim/Buddhist Baptist Jewish Episcopal Presbyterian Lutheran Methodist Catholic None Jehovah’s Witness Greek/Russian/ Eastern Orthodox
Percentage giving
Mean total gift
Mean religion gift
Total gift as percentage of income
Religion gift as percentage of total gift
Religion gift as percentage of income
90.6 69.0 61.9 49.2 64.2 91.8 82.6 84.1 77.9 69.6 68.7 52.6 66.4 95.9
$4,078 $2,134 $1,282 $2,091 $1,302 $2,837 $1,573 $1,349 $1,230 $1,107 $1,083 $642 $358 $479
$3,665 $1,137 $1,106 $587 $1,014 $1,129 $868 $727 $760 $680 $549 $203 $257 $255
5.2 3.5 3.4 2.8 2.6 2.3 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.1 0.9 0.8
89.9 53.3 86.3 28.1 77.9 39.8 55.2 53.9 61.8 61.5 50.7 31.6 71.7 53.3
4.7 1.9 2.9 0.8 2.0 0.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.4 0.7 0.4
*Other Protestant includes nondenominational Protestants and adherents in Protestant denominations not listed.
Source: P. Rooney, Religious Giving, Indiana University Press, 2009
Money is not tangenTal to the spiritual life. For ChrisTans, the way we use and view money is a core spiritual issue. Sixteen of Jesus’ thirty-eight parables address the connecTon between faith and money. He talked about money more than belief, prayer, and jusTce combined.
WESLEY’S
RULES ON MONEY
EARN all you can
SAVE all you can
GIVE
all you can No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. —Matthew 6:24
NEWS Welcome Abbey Weaver! We are excited to once again share that our congregaTon has been chosen by the Texas Annual Conference to receive a summer intern as part of the College Pastoral Intern Project. Abbey, a rising senior at Abilene ChrisTan University, will begin serving as an intern at BUMC on Sunday, May 29th. In her Tme here, she will be learning about the various ministries of a local church like ours as she conTnues to discern God’s call in her life. Help us welcome Abbey to Bellaire UMC! Write her a note of welcome and encouragement and drop it off in the ConnecTon Center on Sunday or in the church office during the week. News from the BUMS! Join the Bellaire United Methodist Seniors on Thursday, June 16 as they head to Galveston to tour the new Bryan Museum, which houses the world’s largest collecTon of historical arTfacts, documents, and artwork relaTng to the Southwestern United States. Those who have already been through the museum can’t say enough about how good it is! Some were so impressed that they are going back a second Tme. The bus will leave at 9:15am, so plan on arriving in the west parking lot across Newcastle by 9:00am. The tour is a docent-led tour and costs $10 per person. Following the tour we will have lunch (on your own) at Kelley’s Country Cookin’ Restaurant in La Marque. Sign-up sheets are in your Sunday school classes. You may also call Tom & Sandra at (713) 703-1153, or email us at tandswms@ak.net. Please reserve these dates for BUMS events: Tuesday, July 19 and Saturday, September 17. Beginnings. This summer, we will focus on the book of Genesis in worship. It’s a story of beginnings, and in preparaTon, I would love to hear some of your story. Would you be willing to share your story of how your relaBonship with God or the church began? I’m not looking for any parTcular type of story—just yours. If you’re willing to share, send me an email at sduffin@bellaireumc.org, and we can set up a Tme to chat. We also will be offering a related Bible study to dive deeper into the stories of CreaTon, Cain & Abel, Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob & Esau, and Joseph. Stay tuned for Tmes and dates. Volunteer OpportuniBes. Do you want to be a part of making Sunday mornings great at BUMC? There are a number of ways to serve. You can be a greeter, read scripture during a worship service, or serve communion. We also always need people who are willing to serve behind the scenes as part of our A/V team. Training is provided, and no experience is necessary. Contact Pastor Seann at sduffin@bellaireumc.org to learn more or to volunteer.
4417 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, Texas 77401 www.bellaireumc.org 713-666-2167 Bellaire United Methodist Church
THE BELLAIRE UNITED METHODIST NEWSLETTER USPS 048-820 is published semi-monthly by Bellaire United Methodist Church. Periodical postage paid at Bellaire, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address change to, The Bellaire United Methodist Newsletter, 4417 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, TX 77401, 713-666-2167; FAX 713-663-6397. Second Class Postage Paid at Bellaire, TX 77401