Grace & Peace Magazine Summer 2019 issue

A D I A LO G I CA L R E S O U RC E FO R N A Z A R E N E C L E R GY

ISSUE 21 | SUMMER 2019

Ministry in a Connected Culture

U S A / CA N A D A R E G I O N , C H U R C H O F T H E N A Z A R E N E

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Grace & Peace Summer 2019, Issue 21 www.graceandpeacemagazine.org Bob Broadbooks USA/Canada Regional Director Managing Editor | Charles W. Christian > CChristian@nazarene.org Associate Editor | Jeanette Gardner Littleton > GPmagazine@nazarene.org Assistant Editor | Rebecca Rodeheaver > GPmagazine@nazarene.org Layout & Design | Caines Design - JR Caines ADVERTISING OR OTHER INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT: CChristian@nazarene.org or call (913) 577-2837

This publication is a dialogical resource for pastors and ministry practitioners affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Its purpose is to increase ministry effectiveness, stimulate theological and missional reflection, and promote healthy dialogue among its print and online readership. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the managing editor. Among other things, Grace & Peace Magazine commits to the following priorities for its readership: leadership development, theological identity, new church development, missional outreach, and church renewal.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NIV: From The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Our Perspective: We seek to continue the tradition of the early Church of the Nazarene that sought to integrate the diverse theological and methodological voices in the church.

We seek to be a movement of people who care about the same things, but not in the same way. Yet, always maintaining that difference is not the focus—Christ is.

We seek to be informed by missiology and cultural anthropology, which gives permission to innovate and seek renewal. We want to be open to listen, value, and pay attention to a variety of structures, missions, and programs, while affirming our commitment to the Wesleyan theological tradition. We seek methodological innovation in response to a changing culture as we work to make Christlike disciples in the nations.

Questions? Email the editor at GPeditor@nazarene.org.

Endorsed by: Wesleyan Theological Society, Wesleyan Holiness Consortium USA/Canada Regional Office Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, KS 66220

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C O N T E N T S

G & P I S S U E 2 1

SUMMER 2019

I N VO C AT I O N : T h e Hi g h l i g h t of Wors h i p by Ch a r le s W. Ch r i sti a n

3

USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene Giving Trends by Bill Kirkemo

6

Giving is in Our DNA by Jim Thronton

8

A Theology of Giving as Worship by Carl M. Leth

11

Teaching Children to Give by Rachel Donoho

14

Giving as Worship: A Canadian Perspective by Ian Fitzpatrick

18

Practicing Giving Close to Home by Daryl Blank

20

Worship at the Kitchen Table by Brett Rickey

23

T H E PA S TO R ’ S S P O U S E : Freedom or Fear by Jill Ross Barber

26

The Give and Take of Small Church Partnership by R.J. Montis

28

Embracing Mission: Fresh Takes on Stewardship by Jonathan K. Twitchell

31

I N T E R V I E W: Church Finances and Multicultural Church Planting: An interview with Otoniel Dannemann

34

God’s Perfect Plan at Abundant Blessings Ministry by Ron Sluder

36

I N T E R V I E W: Giving in Creative Ways: An interview with Mark Lail

38

N T S S P OT L I G H T: Theology and the Spreadsheet by Jesse Middendorf

42

B O O K R E V I E W: Shrewd Samaritan Rev i ewe d by Je re my He i gh t

44

H O L I N E S S TO D AY S P E C I A L F E AT U R E : Ten Questions by Ke i th Cox

46

Ministering to the Wealthy by Gina Grate Pottenger

49

B E N E D I CT I O N : Wesleyan Lessons on Giving by Bo b Bro a d b o o ks

52

NEWS: 4-5

2 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

FROM THE EDITOR

The Highlight of Worship

CHARLES W. CHRISTIAN

Managing Editor

I

t may be hard to believe, but the time of giving used to be the highlight of the worship service.

I am not talking about 50 or 100 years ago; I am referring to a few thousand years ago. If you recall, people would go to the Temple specifically for the purpose of bringing a sacrifice—an offering to the Living God. These sacrifices would include animals, the first fruits of crops, grain, and other items of value. They would be placed at the altar as a way of demonstrating devotion to God and of caring for the people of God who were in need.

This tradition continued, though in a different way, as the Church came into being in the New Testament. Offerings of money or food were given to the poor as part of the worship service. Even early second-century documents demonstrate that immediately following most Christian worship gatherings, a portion (or all) of the offering brought by the Church on the Lord’s day (Sunday by then) was taken by the leaders of the local gathering and distributed to those who were poor or in need (see William Willimon’s reproduction of a description of an early worship gathering in his book Pastor, for example).

Communion (the Lord’s Supper) soon became the focal point of the worship service, with the homily (sermon) preparing hearts for both the giving of the participants to the work of Christ and the receiving of the gifts that Christ gives through Communion.

The understanding was that this act of meeting at the Lord’s Table involved (among other things) the “taking in” of the sacrificial gift so that it may be a defining characteristic as the Church departs into the world. The term for Communion in the early church is still used today: Eucharist, from the Greek word eucharisto, which means “thanksgiving.” The

implication: We as the thankful people of God receive God’s good gifts (the bread and the cup, the body and blood of our Lord), so that we may be thankful givers to those in need and our lives can reflect the sacrificial love and the holiness of Christ toward others.

Around the time of the Reformation (early 16th Century), the sermon for most Protestants became the focal point of the worship service, and that is still the case in most Protestant services today. This shift came from the evangelistic emphasis of proclaiming the inspired words of Scripture so that people could be drawn by God’s Spirit toward salvation and sanctification.

This emphasis upon the proclaimed word resulted in unmistakable times of revival and even affected the literacy rates of Christians in a positive way! However, in modern times, it has often served (perhaps unintentionally) to push all other elements of the worship service into the background, including the offering.

This issue of Grace & Peace is meant to recapture a holistic view of what it means to worship God by focusing on giving as an act of worship. The offering, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, music, the sermon, and all other aspects of our gathered worship times work together to shape us into Christlike disciples. When we leave our gathered places of worship, we become examples of the self-giving love of our Lord.

Perhaps if we put giving in its proper context as another of the key elements of worship and as a necessary part of discipleship and formation, we can recapture a holistic approach to living and to giving that will continue to build and strengthen God’s kingdom throughout the world.

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 3

USA/CANADA REGIONAL CALENDAR DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

August 1-3

Spanish Churches Planting Churches Training

Bethany, Oklahoma

August 9-10

EMT—Evangelism and Multiplication Training

Soldotna (Alaska) Church of the Nazarene

August 16-17

EMT—Evangelism and Multiplication Training

West Virginia North and South Districts

August 22-24

CPC—Church Planting Churches

Roswell, New Mexico

August 22-24

Spanish Church Planting Churches Training

Spicewood, Texas

August 29

Discipleship Place Free Webinar: Rediscovering the Significance of Ministry to Women, Kayln Vogelmann

September 3-6

District Superintendents’ Leadership Development Program

Vancouver, British Columbia

September 13-14

EMT—Evangelism and Multiplication Training

Ainsworth, Nebraska

September 24-25

Hugh Brenner Preachers Conference: Preaching as Formation

Kansas City, Missouri

September 29-October 1

Urban Summit

Indianapolis, Indiana

October 28-31

Korean Pastors’ Conference and Bahama Cruise

November 1-2

EMT­—Evangelism and Multiplication Training

Danvers, Massachusetts

November 8-9

CPR—Church Planters Refresh

Wisconsin District

November 15-16

CPR—Church Planters Refresh

Maine District

December 8

SDMI Bible Society Offering

EVANGELISM AND NEW CHURCH DEVELOPMENT OFFERS NEW COURSE The Evangelism and New Church Development of the USA/Canada Region has announced a new course available: CPR—Church Planters Refresh. This course was created and designed by Mark Bane, director of Evangelism and New Church Development, to help those who have a vision for church planting who struggle to start or see any progress in their endeavor. In addition to offering practical steps, this course will motivate and refresh participants.

4 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

WHDL UPLOADS NEW BOOK The Wesleyan-Holiness Digital Library has announced that the English version of Holy Spirit, How I Long to Know You Better, a devotional book by Multicultural Ministries Director, Roberto Hodgson, is now available. This book is offered along with dozens of other free resources on WHDL.org.

HOLINESS TODAY OFFERS SPECIAL DEAL FOR PASTORS Imagine the benefit if all the people in your church had access to Holiness Today, the Church of the Nazarene’s flagship publication. Each issue of Holiness Today not only provides sound WesleyanHoliness doctrinal answers to problems your congregants face and questions they have, but each issue also gives them an insight into this tribe of Nazarenes they belong to.

And now we make it easier for you to provide this resource for those in your church! We would like to invite you to introduce Holiness Today to members of your congregation at a discounted rate through a bulk subscription plan.

With a bulk subscription, you can save up to $9.00 (56%) on every copy, and the magazines are shipped directly to one address. Bulk subscriptions are just $7.00 each. To subscribe, contact HT@cambeywest.com or 845.267.3040

M19 AUDIO WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE SOON The videos of plenary sessions from M19 have been available, and soon a limited number of workshop audio files will also be available. Bookmark www.usacanadanazarene.org/m19 to find these files.

DR. SUNBERG TO HIGHLIGHT COMPASSION CONFERENCE Dr. Carla Sunberg will be the featured speaker at the Urban Summit at Shepherd Community Church of the Nazarene in Indianapolis, Indiana September 29-October 1. The gathering is a partnership between the USA/Canada Region, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, and Evangelism and New Church Development. It is open to all and will include sessions on reaching people in urban settings. For more information, contact allens@shepherdcommunity.org.

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 5

USA/CANADA CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE GIVING TRENDS

While Americans’ giving to religious groups increased 2.9 percent, this progress was significantly smaller than increases in giving to education, human services, foundations, health organizations, arts and culture, and environmental and animal charities (Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017).

The trend for giving to the local congregation (as the exclusive or even the primary recipient) is shifting as shown in this graph.

This trend is reflected in giving to the churches in the Church of the Nazarene’s USA/Canada Region. While giving has grown on a per capita basis in the past decade by five percent ($1,723 to $1,804), this decadal increase has not kept up with inflation, which was 19.1 percent for this same time period. Adjusted for inflation, $1,723 from 2009 would have been $2,024 in 2018 (https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm).

Though there has been a decadal increase in per capita giving, this is not reflected in an overall increase in total giving due to a net decadal decrease in worship attendance. Total giving has decreased nine percent over the past decade. Total Church giving totaled $886,455,303 in 2009, but decreased to $802,423,007 for 2018. However, while church income and World Evangelism Fund giving decreased over this period, giving to Approved Specials increased 14 percent from $25,225,077 to $28,784,414.

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Actual Per Capita Giving 2009 Per Capita Giving Adjusted for Inflation $140m

$70m

Environmental and Animal Care

Arts, Culture, Humanities

Public-Society Benefit

Health

Foundations

Human Services

$0 Educational

Americans are increasing their giving to charities; however, the local church is not the exclusive charity to which they give. According to Aggie Sweeney, chair of Giving USA Foundation, while religious charities continue to be the nation’s single largest recipient of charitable giving, Americans “seem to be to be giving according to their beliefs and interests, which are diverse and wide-ranging.”

2017 Charitable Giving to Organizations Source: givingusa.org

Religious

Data indicates that Americans’ financial generosity is continuing to grow. Americans exceeded the $400 billion mark in charitable giving in 2017 for the first time in history, a fact which might come as a surprise to many local church pastors who are not necessarily seeing 5 percent annual increase in donations to their churches. A reason for this shift is that Americans are changing where they invest their charitable funds.

USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene Per Capita Giving Trend $2,300 $2,088

$1,875

$1,663

$1,450

2016

2017

2018

Actual Per Capita Giving 2009 Per Capita Giving Adjusted for Inflation

USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene Giving and Worship Attendance Decadal Trends $800m $600m

$400m

$200m

$0

2016 Church Income

World Evangelism Fund

Approved Specials

2017

2018

Worship Attendance

Prepared by Bill Kirkemo, Nazarene Research Services

2 0 1 9 H U G H C . B EN N ER P R EA C HER S C O N F ER EN C E

PREACHING AS FORMATION SEP TEM B ER 24- 25, 2019

#P R EAC H2019

Featured Preachers Molly Marshall

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Mike Pasquarello

Director, Robert Smith Jr. Preaching Institute: Beeson Divinity School

President and Professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation, Central Baptist Theological Seminary Kansas City, MO

Jennifer Guerra Aldana Director of Multicultural Initiatives, Fuller Youth Institute Pastor, La Fuente Ministries Pasadena, CA

Artists in Residence: Poor Bishop Hooper Jesse and Leah Roberts poorbishophooper.com

Dave Sharpes

Lead Pastor, College Church of the Nazarene, Olathe, KS

Michaele LaVigne

Regular Rate: $125 Students: Complimentary

REGISTER: NTS.EDU/PREACH

Pastor of Spiritual Formation, 8th Street Church of the Nazarene, Oklahoma City, OK

Plus many excellent preaching lab facilitators!

J i m T h o r nt o n

8 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

C at c h i n g

D

uring the late summer of 2016, members of the church I pastor, Tulsa Hills Church, were watching the reports of the flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Amid the myriad of news reports of weather-related tragedies throughout the world, for some reason, this one sunk deep in the compassionate spirit of the people at Tulsa Hills Church. Almost immediately, the church board was ready to organize a Work & Witness trip. Within days, our team of five men was in Baton Rouge, along with other Nazarene teams from across the region, ready to do what we could to be a part of the recovery effort.

Our first task was to unload a trailer full of crisis care kits that had just arrived from storage. Imagine our excitement when the boxes placed in our hands were marked “Tulsa Hills Church of the Nazarene” written in black sharpie! These were Crisis Care Kits we’d assembled months earlier for a time such as this.

In that moment, I was reminded that giving is in our DNA. Genetic research has taught us that as much as 99 percent of the DNA in any person is common to the rest of humanity. We have much more in common than we often realize.

What a great reality to embrace as the church: As children of the King, our DNA includes being compassionate and generous people.

So, what might it look like for a local church to embrace the reality that giving is in your DNA? Perhaps your church can find the answer in discovering your unique contribution in that one percent of your “Giving DNA.” That’s where your generosity can explode with passion and purpose. What would it look like for our local church to combine the image-bearing DNA of Jesus Christ with the unique expression that the Father has wired within the people we serve?

the

Vision

of

Giving

I’ll never forget a board meeting that occurred a year ago. We started with prayer, asking God to make His unified purpose known in our meeting. We also prayed for a willing spirit to obey His voice as decisions were made. As the meeting progressed, we considered the opportunity to financially support a ministry beyond our local church.

The amount suggested was slightly higher than I anticipated. Those around the table sensed that the Holy Spirit was confirming this amount. However, before we could vote, God laid it on our hearts to prayerfully consider two more ministries.

Before we knew it, we had approved supporting not one but three ministries— each more than the amount I had hoped they would consider for just one ministry. Over the past year, our church income has increased well beyond the amount approved at that board meeting. Not only is giving in our DNA, but God continues to bless His Church when we follow His voice.

H e l p i n g O t h e r s C at c h

the

Vision

Beyond serving in the local church, I have been blessed to walk with other pastors as a life and leadership coach. Nothing is quite like seeing fresh enthusiasm in a pastor’s heart as he or she discovers a unique opportunity for Kingdom partnership in the local church.

This tends to unleash a spirit of generosity like nothing else. God calls us to focus on glorifying Him as we seek to impact others for Christ and understand His unique plan as we embrace this partnership opportunity.

The following three key questions may be used to ignite and nurture the Spirit-led Giving DNA in local churches.

“What Stirs You?” The moment we combine dependence upon God with our willingness to make necessary sacrifice, an idea becomes a vision.

God-ordained visions have staying power.

God gives these dreams and visions to the people of our church as well. Many times, God will stir the hearts of our people in ways that are uniquely Kingdom driven.

Learning to embrace this vision will steadily

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 9

but certainly release the Giving DNA in local churches. These Kingdom-oriented visions begin with an idea that stirs us and others toward greater prayer and action.

“What Grieves You?” We don’t always know how to deal with the things that bring the greatest grief. Often we bury what grieves us or create a “quick fix,” which prevents us from discovering what God might be saying.

NOT ONLY IS GIVING IN OUR DNA, BUT GOD CONTINUES TO BLESS HIS CHURCH WHEN WE FOLLOW HIS VOICE. However, slowing down and truly facing what grieves you just might be the way God opens the door to a fresh opportunity. God often camouflages His visions in the very things that frustrate us the most.

Perhaps the best example is found in the story of Nehemiah. Upon hearing of the broken walls and burned gates, he went to walk through the rubble himself. There, among all the destruction, God revealed a vision of restoration.

What might happen if pastors and leadership teams sat around the altar crying out to God in the midst of what grieves them about their current circumstances? What miraculous provision might God be ready to supply as a result?

“What Invites You?” Social media tools share local events and show us which friends plan to attend.

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As Nazarenes, we are a part of something much larger than the local church. We are a part of a district, national, and global church that invites us into ministry efforts greater than any single congregation could address alone. Embracing this global connectedness provides opportunities for God to invite our local congregations to engage in ministry projects outside of our immediate context.

Embracing a special project, such as building a church on another region or child sponsorship, reminds the local church that the members are participants in this great, global ministry called the Church of the Nazarene.

A c t i v e ly S e e k i n g O p p o r t u n i t i e s

to

Give

Over the past few years, our local church has joined a movement of God across our city called Unite My City. Churches of all Christian backgrounds are coming together to represent Jesus Christ on a scale that no single church could ever accomplish. We have accepted an invitation to be part of something bigger, which has again resulted in affirming that giving is in our DNA. What is God doing in your community, your district, and around the world that your church can participate in? How might God bless your local church as you accept His invitation to be a part of something beyond your walls?

God, help us as Your people to embrace the truth that giving is in our DNA. Stir us with new dreams. Move us with what grieves You. Invite us into the bigger picture of Your Kingdom plan. And may You be glorified as we practice generosity that honors You.

JIM THORNTON has served as senior pastor of Tulsa Hills Church of the Nazarene for over 20 years. He also serves as district secretary of the Northeast Oklahoma District Church of the Nazarene.

Carl M. Leth

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 11

W

hat does the offering have to do with worship? A survey of practices in our churches suggests that we are not really clear what the answer to that question should be. Sometimes we resort to “collection” language: “It’s time to take up the collection.” We often do this with little or no theological explanation and sometimes without any offertory prayer at all. These practices suggest that collecting funds for the operation of the church is a pragmatic necessity but essentially disconnected from the service of worship. Those sensing this disconnection—and the uncomfortable character of “fundraising” in the middle of a service—relegate the offering to plates or boxes at the entrance to the place of worship outside of the worship service.

Even when we explain the offering, it is often in pragmatic terms. We say things like, “It is necessary to support the church and its ministries.” When we raise money in special campaigns—a building campaign, for instance —we often explain the reasons for raising money in practical or business terms: We need to expand the ministries of the church, to relocate to a more outreach-conducive area, or to avoid greater expense in the future. All of these may be valid explanations, but they identify the business of giving as simply a means to a higher end: We need money to be able to do the “spiritually important” work of the Kingdom.

But what if our giving is already the work of the Kingdom? What if the offering belongs in the heart of the worship service, as an important part of worship?

The Larger Context

of the

Offering

It will help if we place the act of giving in a larger context of stewardship.

Sometimes we reduce stewardship to a synonym for giving. A stewardship campaign is a “fundraising campaign.” But the meaning of stewardship is much broader than this.

We encounter the idea of stewardship early in the biblical narrative. While the term “stewardship” is a more recent linguistic development, the ideas of stewardship emerge clearly in Genesis (vv. 1:28–30).

Humans are entrusted with the care of God’s creation. Stewardship is the management of

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something entrusted to the steward’s care.

God leaves the world in our care.

Unfortunately, the narrative of our stewardship takes a sad turn in Genesis 3. Through Adam & Eve’s disobedience, sin was introduced into the creation that God had just concluded was “good” (Gen. 1:31). The consequences of sin began to be revealed, identified with “the curse” that produces disorder and death. All of life—humans, society, and nature—would suffer from this deadly disorder. Creation was “broken,” suggesting our tenure of stewardship should be over—a brief and failed experiment. However, as God’s “project” turned from managing a “good” creation to redeeming and restoring a “lost” creation, so did His vision of humanity’s stewardship. We are, of course, subjects of that redemptive work. But we are also called to participate in the divine project to restore a disordered and broken world. Paul refered to this divine intention in Ephesians: “[God] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Eph. 1:9–10). Everything sin has disordered will be restored into submission to the lordship of Christ and the rule of the kingdom of God. When this has come to fruition, “no longer will there be any curse” (Rev. 22:3). This is now the focus of our stewardship: not merely managing creation, but participating in its recovery and healing.

This broader vision of stewardship encompasses restoration of people, families, society, and the natural world. We are

The Offering and its R e l at i o n s h i p t o W o r s h i p

agents in the work of the restoration of the Kingdom on earth and the realization of the New Creation. This is at the heart of the message of holiness. But what does this broader vision of stewardship mean for our finances and giving?

T h e I m p l i c at i o n s U p o n O u r G i v i n g

One of the ways sin has disordered us is in our understanding and use of resources, including our money and goods.

A casual survey will quickly reveal the power of money and its misuse in our families and society. As Christians, how we use money is an expression of our faith.

Proper management of what we are given is an act of discipleship—making Christ Lord over all of our lives. Struggle with tithing (or with giving God financial priority in any measure) is often a spiritual struggle.

The fundamental issue is not financial management but spiritual priority.

God’s lordship over our lives will not be complete until He rules (orders) our finances.

The significance of this dimension of our lives is underscored by the prominence of the topic of money in Scripture. Our struggle to surrender to God’s purposes for our lives is often described in terms of money (see Matthew 6:24,33; 1 Timothy 6:9–10, for instance). Significantly, this struggle refers to both the possession of money and the desire to possess money­—a challenging issue for everyone, rich and poor.

God’s reordering of our understanding and use of resources and the full recovery of God’s intention for our lives is a point of serious struggle, with our salvation at stake!

When we give our offering, we are (or should be) declaring God’s lordship over the financial dimensions of our lives. On any given Sunday, this may be a step of obedient faith by givers who are responding to God’s reordering initiatives. Some people may be tithing, uncertain of how they will make their adjusted budget balance, but committed to the priority of God’s lordship and stepping out in faith. Others may be giving for the first time, an initial step of response, acknowledging that surrendering to God’s will is more important than what they could have purchased with that money. Yet another is a mature disciple and giver who is responding to a special need and giving generously beyond tithe, because this person has submitted all resources to the Lord’s disposal, available on call.

The primary concern of all of these examples is not simply supporting operating budgets or funding timely expansion initiatives. This may be a by-product, but it is not the main emphasis. When we define giving in worship primarily in pragmatic terms, we diminish the meaning and spiritual importance of giving. We also fail to teach and encourage disciples in this important dimension of God’s reordering work in their lives. As a pastor, I understand the pressing nature of these pragmatic financial concerns.

However, I would also call us to teach giving from the Kingdom perspective first. As Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt.6:33). As we learn to worship in our giving, God will attend to our practical financial needs.

CARL M. LETH is professor of theology and philosophy at Olivet Nazarene University.

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Rachel Donoho

14 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

“W

hat does God do with the money?” This is one of those sincere questions that kids innocently ask children’s workers when they least expect it. I had just finished teaching a group of children in Sunday school the reasons for taking an offering at church when this question took me by surprise.

I wish I could tell you I had the perfect answer for their developing minds. Instead, I bumbled my way through a few practical ways the church uses the money, regretting the lost opportunity only minutes later.

Clarity

for

Developing Minds

and

Hearts

As an adult with a lifetime of church experience, I think of giving as an act of worship, being reminded of Paul’s instructions in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

Teaching this concept to a child with a concrete view of his or her world is a scary instruction. Offer our bodies? Sacrifice? Like an animal? Worship? Do you mean singing?

The challenge: to take an abstract mandate from Paul and present it in a relevant and meaningful way to our developing students.

In the 1920s, Jean Piaget began his work studying the learning and development process of children. His hypothesis: The minds of children are not merely smaller versions of adult minds. He proposed that intelligence is something that grows and develops through a series of stages.

Piaget suggested that there is a qualitative change in how children think as they gradually progress through four

stages. A child at age seven doesn’t just have more information about the world than he or she did at age two; there is a fundamental change in how he or she thinks about the world.

This creates a challenge for all of us in children’s ministry. We have the disadvantage of being adults with completely developed operational thinking, trying to relate and communicate to our precious little ones who are just beginning to think symbolically and learning to use words and pictures to represent objects. Our elementary students are on the starting line of developing basic logic, while still concretely processing information and experiences.

The Heart

of the

M at t e r

In truth, God does not need the change and dollar bills kids bring to the children’s worship experience each weekend.

Children, however, do need to learn the act of giving in ways that let them see a concrete result (not just paying the electric bill or the salary of the children’s pastor), and their families must be involved. During my tenure as the director of children and family ministry, my team has looked for ways for kids to practice the act of worship by giving through specific experiences for a concrete purpose, so they can make a textto-world connection.

When my daughter was learning to read, one of the strategies her teacher used to improve comprehension was to make a connection to the text. After my daughter read a book to me, she was supposed to identify a connection to the text, to herself, or to the world around her. How did the ideas in this text remind her of another

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 15

A child at age seven doesn’t just have more information about the world than he or she did at age two; there is a fundamental change in how THE CHILD thinks about the world. text? How did the ideas in this text relate to her own life experiences? How did the ideas in this text relate to the larger world—past, present, or future?

In a similar way, when we gave kids a hands-on, concrete experience of giving to other kids, locally or globally, and we combined those experiences with the text of Scripture, we gave them a text-to-self and text-to-world connection with ideas such as, “God loves a cheerful giver,” “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Kids connect with the idea of helping other kids.

At Crossbridge, we strive to provide many text-to-world opportunities to our kids. Each year, we challenge families to participate in Operation Christmas Child.

We encourage parents to take kids with them to the store when buying gifts. This outing will give kids a chance to pick out the items and have an investment in the box that each family assembles to send away to children in need.

We are a church that partners with Team World Vision and have participants who raise money each year by running in the Chicago marathon for clean drinking water for children in Africa. One year, we took empty five-gallon water jugs and decorated them with pictures of kids carrying water in Africa in order to collect an offering for clean drinking water, where every $50 provided clean water to one child for life.

Another time, we bought inexpensive baby bottles and handed them out to our families to fill with money to bless a local crisis pregnancy center. We explained to

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the kids that the money went to help babies who needed food, diapers, and equipment (such as car seats). Recently, our church formed a partnership with Nazarene missionaries in the Dominican Republic. Our kids are currently challenged to bring an offering that will be used to purchase soccer balls, goals, and nets to give kids a clean and safe place to play. Each week, we tell them it is not simply about soccer. By helping to provide kids with a safe place to play, the missionaries have a chance to tell those kids about Jesus.

T h e U lt i m at e G o a l

Ultimately, we desire for the next generation to grow up being sacrificial givers of their time, talents, and wealth. We desire for them to offer their lives up to God, just like Paul asks of all of us in Romans.

“What does God do with the money?” I wish I had the quick response and depth of thought in that moment to tell my students, “He changes the heart of the giver.”

RACHEL DONOHO is director of Children and Family Ministries at Crossbridge Community Church of the Nazarene (Ottawa, Illinois). She is also a licensed social worker.

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“I wish I would have known these things 25 years ago. I would be in a different place today.” L.B. “We have transferred more money into our savings account this second quarter than we have ever done in our 10 years of marriage.” R.W.

Giving As Worship: A Canadian Perspective I a n F i t z pat r i c k

T

he Church of the Nazarene in Canada has had a long history of faithful and sacrificial giving. The call to support God’s work at home and abroad has been met with conviction and resolve. It could be argued that the Church of the Nazarene is a microcosm of the ethos of the country I call home, Canada. The offering of oneself in the ministry of stewardship is, according to Romans 12:1, “true and proper worship.”

At home and abroad, Canadian Nazarenes play a vital role in this true and proper worship. We are committed to supporting God’s work. In 2018, our congregations raised almost $15 million for all purposes. That means that on average, each church raised nearly $91,000 in tithes and offerings. This is amazing faithfulness. These amounts come from people who sit in the pew Sunday after Sunday. There are relatively few “mega-givers” (i.e., those who give extremely large gifts), but they are people who have somehow understood what “true and proper worship” is. As a result, their sacrificial giving reaches far beyond what is expected. In addition to this, we are heavily engaged in overseas ministry, including partnership with CFGB (Canada Food Grains Bank), where we are able to realize a three-toone or sometimes a four-to-one matching grant from Global Affairs Canada.

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Canada, led by Rev. Elaine Bumstead, is engaged in many areas of “true and proper worship” impacting God’s children around the world: blankets and mosquito nets for refugees, a school building extension in Malawi, blankets and food security projects in Nepal and Bangladesh, sponsoring leadership and discipleship projects in creative access areas, funding child development centers in Sri Lanka, new church buildings, purchase

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of goats and sponsoring agriculture conservation projects, anti-human trafficking projects in the Philippines, refugee support for the Middle East, and many others.

Our Compassionate Resource warehouse, located on Vancouver Island and directed by Del Marie Wergeland, ships needed items around the globe. This doesn’t happen by accident. There were 44,475 volunteer hours, 108 volunteers, and other people who are invested in the work of the Lord through serving and giving. These people understand “true and proper worship.” The ministries of NCMC (including Compassionate Resource Warehouse) amount to a stewardship investment of several million dollars.

For well over 20 years, the Church of the Nazarene in Canada has supported the work of the Church of the Nazarene in Cuba. Teams from each Canadian district gave financial and physical aid to support the seminary in Punta Brava, a “Pastor Partnership Program,” and Work & Witness teams that included responses to a tragic air disaster in 2018 among Cuban Nazarene leaders.

I have been reading a book written by our former governor general, David Johnson entitled, The Idea of Canada: Letters to a Nation (Penguin Random House, 2016).

In the book, he talks about what makes us who we are. He cites one story that was of particular interest: “Many years ago Mother Teresa. . . made her first visit to Canada to share with Canadians the story of her work to help the dying, sick, and destitute of Calcutta.

An editorial in one of our country’s major newspapers lauded her intentions, yet despaired at the futility of her efforts. Her work was described as a drop of hope in an ocean of despair. What was the point, the

paper proclaimed, in helping a mere several hundreds of people in a city of millions in a country of hundreds of millions, most of whom live in desperate poverty?”

Governor General Johnson goes on to describe how troubled he felt upon reading this assessment, but as he prepared to respond to the article, he remembered an experience that he described as an “epiphany.” When Johnson was dean of law at Western University in London, Ontario, he had a colleague named Andy McFarlane.

McFarlane, dean of journalism at the same university, was also a magician on the side and performed at children’s birthday parties on weekends.

One day, Johnson went to see McFarlane at work and was invited to stand in the back to watch the faces of those amazed children. Andy declared that he was going to change water into wine and produced a glass of clear water from his cape. Johnson was watching carefully from the back, and as Andy moved his hand and sleeve over the glass, he was able to secretly pour a small vial of food coloring into the

water. Upon moving his arm to reveal the glass again, there it was for all to see: The water had turned red. It only took one little drop to transform a large glass of water, and it only takes one little drop to transform an entire community. As Governor General Johnson concluded, it’s not about math, it’s about chemistry.

North of the 49th parallel in the land we call home, we who call ourselves Nazarenes understand that giving is “true and proper worship,” and we seek to go beyond mathematics into the realm of God’s chemistry, which takes what we give and suits it to His purposes.

The “Order of Canada” is awarded to those who have contributed to society in an extraordinary way. It is in the shape of a snowflake. Every snowflake is different, and as it joins forces with other snowflakes, it becomes a force to be reckoned with. There are over 12,000 Nazarenes in Canada who have come together to be greater than the sum of their parts. Joining together in the mission of God calls us to remember that He can do amazing and wonderful things by taking what we joyfully give and multiplying it to suit His purposes.

The hymn writer Frances Havergal makes a promise in her prose when she presents herself to God: “Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.” Indeed, this is “true and proper worship.”

In this worship of giving, we trust the words of Scripture: “Now to Him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen” (Ephesians 3:20–21).

IAN FITZPATRICK, a native of Ireland, served as a pastor in Canada for more than 20 years before accepting the call of district superintendent of the Canada Central District. Since 2017, he has served as national director for the Church of the Nazarene Canada.

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D a r y l B l a nk

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I

n the spring of 2015, Springdale Church of the Nazarene in Cincinnati, Ohio, set out to reconnect with our community.

Springdale is an 85-year-old church with a strong history of supporting world missions.

We did not want to lose that world missions emphasis. At the same time, we realized our local mission funding was greatly lacking.

So, we established a strategy to raise funds for both local and world missions. We now take two major offerings a year. The annual Faith Promise offering supports our world missions efforts and takes place each October. The second offering called “Offering for Others,” takes place in May. For this offering, we place 200 envelopes on a large board, numbered 1–200, with each number representing a dollar amount (#5 is $5.00, #52 is $52.00, etc.). We then ask attendees to take one envelope and give that amount as an Offering for Others. If all the envelopes are taken and used, this will mean an additional $20,000.00 is available for local missions.

This has engaged our people in participating in the local mission of the church, since no one is giving more than $199.00. The lower numbered envelopes are usually picked up by younger congregants.

The larger numbers are sometimes picked up by a softball team or Sunday School class, so it is not a large amount for those who are already stretched in their finances. The extra $20,000 allows us to partner with individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses.

Last year, 29 transactions were made through the Offering for Others account.

Some of these transactions involved individuals, but most were organizations doing great Kingdom work. For instance, we partner with a local coffee shop run

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by Chris Bean, who is a missionary to the University of Cincinnati. His ministry provides great Christian influence, and his mentorship is changing lives.

Another partner is a local mechanic. Tim is a former drug addict turned Jesus follower.

He started Mr. Godwrench, a for-profit organization with a nonprofit division to help single mothers and young adults with car repairs. To date, he has given away 57 cars!

Some of these cars were donated by members of our congregation. We help get the cars in top shape with donations from the Offering for Others. These cars are a game changer for the recipients, often making the difference between having transportation to get to a job or not being able to have a job.

In addition, Mr. Godwrench and his team of volunteers set up oil changing stations in church parking lots and do free oil changes.

Last year, over 120 cars received a free oil change at our church on a cold, rainy Saturday.

Each car went through an inspection. Fluids were filled and tires were checked for the proper amount of air. Tears flowed down the faces of some of the car owners as they got back into their cars following the free work.

This ministry is done several times a year in Ohio and Kentucky. It is a beautiful and generous expression of love and concern for the “least of these.” Supplies for this event are made possible in part by the Offering for Others.

We also partner with Tri-Country SOUL Ministries, which manages a food pantry on our site (SOUL is an acronym for Serving Others Unto the Lord). A clothing room on the upper level is available for families in need to shop for apparel at no cost. Just over 1,200 people per month receive food through this ministry. Some of our neighbors would not eat if it were not for the SOUL Pantry. Our partnership puts food on the shelves. Most of the volunteers come from our congregation. The labor and funding for a recent remodel of their facility came almost entirely from our local church.

Additionally, the Offering for Others has helped us to give aid to a family who lost their home in a fire. We supported our local police department with a need it had. I had the privilege of giving a $1,000 check to our district superintendent to be used at his discretion to help pastors in need.

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It is a great feeling to meet someone who operates a drug rehabilitation center and end the conversation with, “Hey, we want to partner with you. Send me your address, and I will send a check.” We do not have to look hard to find places to invest. Our people send in names of individuals and organizations they know and ask us to consider assisting them. Some of these partnerships involve volunteer service in addition to financial aid.

These partnerships have been life-giving for our church and for the recipients. With the Offering for Others, we can now fund local needs in our community. In the past, we might have heard of a need but would not have had funding for it in our budget. Now, when we learn of a need that fits our mission, we jump at the opportunity to participate.

It is no surprise that God has blessed these efforts. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

The church is living in abundance.

Finances have never been stronger, and attention to outreach is on the rise. We continue to look for ways to invest in our neighborhood and surrounding communities.

As I write this, a community north of us was hit by a tornado. No doubt, the resources we have will be used to assist people in their loss. We will continue partnering with organizations and ministries that are improving life for individuals and families.

Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). The Offering for Others is allowing us to be Jesus to the “least of these.” God is giving us a front row seat to witness transformed lives.

DARYL BLANK is the lead pastor at Springdale Church of the Nazarene in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has pastored churches in Michigan, Tennessee, and Ohio.

B r e tt R i c k e y

“H

ey mom, where is all the food in this house?” Those words frequently rolled out of my teenaged mouth, probably on a daily basis.

At this moment, we were down to an alarmingly low supply of snacks—toaster pastries, cake, and bananas.

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My mom had long since grown immune to this kind of whining from her boys. Her face showed none of the emotion that must have been going on inside her heart. She had the look of steeled confidence, which was odd.

I needed food! So instead of answering with words, she began to teach. In that moment, she personally modeled the most memorable lesson that I have ever learned about generosity, faith, and worship—at the kitchen table. That day, God caught me by surprise.

Growing up in a Nazarene parsonage in the late 1970s, I experienced many benefits, but financial security was not one of them. We frequently ran on the cutting edge between supply and lack.

My father and mother always lived sacrificially so that we could have at least one new pair of pants for the school year and new Sunday shoes for Easter. My mom did go all in one year at Easter when she bought me a canary yellow leisure suit (and I have the embarrassing photo to prove it), but that was about as extravagant as life ever got.

Since they both lived through the depression, they had a knack for stretching a dollar and for saving even when money was scarce. What I didn’t know at this time was that all the money was gone, and we didn’t have food. Also, we wouldn’t get paid again for a couple of days.

So, mom didn’t answer me with words that day. She just sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out her purse. I sat down next to her. She pulled out her checkbook and began to write a check with her beautiful, lefthanded cursive scripting. She started with “Pay to the Order,” and then she wrote these words: Champion Church of the Nazarene.

I had seen her do this before. When it came time to write the usual 10 percent number that I had memorized, I noticed that she took that number, and doubled it! She wrote a double-tithe check to the church, and wrote “tithe” in the memo line. This was strange and troubling to my hungry teenaged brain.

Immediately I said, “Mom, what are you doing? We need food in this house! I have needs, you know.”

She calmly said to me, “I know. We are out of money. We don’t have any food. But we serve the Lord, and when finances get tight, I have learned to increase our giving. When I do this,

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God always comes through, and He will get the glory again for meeting all of our needs.

I trust God to be as generous in return to us. Now it’s up to Him to back up His word when He said to ‘give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, and running over.’”

She then said the words I have learned to live by and have preached over the years to others: “Brett, you can never out-give the Lord.”

This was crazy talk, but she was not crazy. In fact, this was not just talk; this was what worship looked like from the kitchen table.

Before the ink was even dry on the check, someone knocked on our front door, and we heard tires racing out of our gravel driveway. When I opened the door, there were two full sacks of groceries, a frozen turkey, and a bag of fresh-picked green beans. I tried to figure out who had done this, but only saw brake lights in the distance.

I was totally amazed! I had just witnessed the first of many reminders that God’s Word is always true, and that He can always be trusted in every matter of life. I had never been more thankful to have food and for the mom who had that kind of faith. That sacrificially generous church would later pay to put braces on my 14-year-old teeth!

That lesson was 40 years ago, but it is an indelible reminder that God is pleased to bless those who exhibit calmly measured, radical acts of worship through giving.

Giving

Mom was right: You can’t out-give the Lord, but when Mindy and I were first married, I forgot this important element of worship in my own life. We were both fresh out of college, and we were trying to put together a life as a young married couple. We didn’t have much furniture, or money, or anything for that matter. Our cars never knew what it felt like to have a full tank of gas, and usually, by Wednesday of each week, our money was completely gone, with payday not coming until Friday.

We literally never made it to the next check without hardship. Ramen noodles were our manna. This was our first three years of married life.

Finally, I said to Mindy, “We really need to give to God first. We need to tithe.

I’m tired of living like this.” She is an accountant, and she knew the numbers.

She knew that we were already struggling, but like me, she knew something needed to change. We decided to begin to give to God first and then live on the rest.

You can probably guess what happened next. Mindy got a $300 bonus at work. I got a raise. By the end of 60 days, we were tithing and had money left over. We weren’t pastors at the time. We weren’t giving to get.

We were giving as an act of faith, and when we gave, God showed up. We found out what mom showed me at the kitchen table: We can never out-give the Lord.

as

Worship

Over the years in church life, I have come to learn that many people don’t see giving as a part of their worship. They see it like I did early on: as something they would like to do but can’t afford to do. I have also observed those who give faithfully and sacrificially. They always seem to have more than enough to cover every bill and even money left over to bless others.

So, when it comes to asking our congregation to give on Sundays, and every other day, I never hesitate. Why would I rob these good people of a blessing that can only come by faith demonstrated by sacrificial giving? I truly believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and I refuse to hide this important truth.

I know there is debate in the church about whether or not we should even talk about tithing—that we aren’t under that old covenant, etc. For me, tithing isn’t law, it is life! It’s a starting point when I have every reason to pare down that number to a more comfortable one.

It is the beginning of worship in the financial realm, just like singing “Jesus Loves Me” as a child. It’s a declaration of war on the kingdom of selfishness that wants to own me and my family.

Learning

to

Give

as

Worship

Now, each year, we ask God how much more we should give. The tithe is just the start. For the last 34 years of tithing, giving to missions, and other opportunities, we have never missed a bill. We have always been able to save something.

Sometimes worship starts at the kitchen table, where checks are written and lessons are silently spoken. When things get tight, we do what my mother lived: We give more. You can never out-give the Lord.

BRET T RICKE Y is the lead pastor of Highland Park Church of the Nazarene in Lakeland. He is a mentor to pastors and the author of three books published by The Foundry Publishing: Boomerang, Chasing Cool, and Stay in the Yard.

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THE PASTOR’S

SI P NO T EURS V EIEW

Freedom or Fear Jill Ross Barber

S

ummer always reminds me of trips that I have taken to the ocean: the smell of the salty air, the sand in between my toes, and the chilly ocean water. I can hear the waves crashing with a consistent rhythm. I feel the sun on my skin warming my bones. The water makes me feel like a kid again, as I let the tide wash over my feet and jump the waves after I have dived through the boundary of their breaking. I revisit my awe in the One who made all of these. Truly, something about the ocean seems to help my soul and body relax.

Let’s use the ocean experience as an analogy for living the call as a pastor’s spouse.

As we stand in the ocean waters, to our right is a buoy entitled “Freedom.” At this buoy, there is complete freedom, no judgement, and the courage to be ourselves.

In the ocean waters to our left is a buoy entitled “Fear.” At this buoy, there are expectations of who others think we should be. There is anxiety and a depth of loneliness that is heart-wrenching.

We stand in the middle of these two buoys. We can feel the current constantly pulling against us. This current naturally pulls us toward fear. Before we know it, we are swept toward the buoy of fear, and we soon find ourselves colliding with it. We ask ourselves, “How did I get here?” I don’t think anyone chooses to live a life of fear, so how does this happen?

We wind up at the buoy of fear by not paying attention.

Life Currents

We are all subject to the currents.

Perhaps many people in our churches grapple with a current pulling them toward fear. Many

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of us jumped into ministry with the best of intentions, thinking we could help save others, but we forgot that the same current that pulls them pulls us. Sometimes, in our efforts to help others, we get swept away. We don’t mean for it to happen, but it does. It has happened to me. I have bumped my head on the buoy of fear more times than I care to admit. The good news is: We don’t have to be pulled away by the currents of fear.

N a v i g at i n g

the

Currents

First, we must start paying attention and start swimming. If our goal is the buoy of freedom, we must put effort into our everyday spiritual development, which moves us toward the freedom God has in store for us. God wants us to live in His sweet freedom.

So, to counteract the ever-present current of fear, we must swim. Swimming requires both our arms and our legs. Let’s think of our arms as reading the Bible, which provides us with everything that we need for life and salvation. The same Spirit that that was given at Pentecost is the same Spirit that breathes through the Scriptures. When I neglect the Scriptures, I am neglecting a life-giving encounter with the Spirit of God. Each time I do, the current of fear sweeps me further away from freedom.

The second part of swimming is using our feet to kick. Let’s call that prayer. Don’t know where to begin? Prayer also propels us toward freedom. The Lord’s Prayer is our model. We pray for those who have hurt us and for those who don’t understand us. We can pray for our marriages and families. In the intense pressure of ministry, we pray for a kind spirit and for maturity of character.

Developing depth in our own study of

Scriptures and in our prayer lives keeps our arms working and our legs kicking!

Moving away from the buoy of fear requires diligence and work. Reading Scriptures and praying is the way we swim toward the buoy of freedom. It’s the only way to live.

Lifeguards

While we are fighting the currents of life and swimming, we keep an eye out for lifeguards. You may hear a voice asking if you need help. How wonderful are those people who encourage our swimming against the current! How blessed are those who urge us toward freedom! Sometimes we have people in our lives who mean well, but their idea of help is really not much help at all. Sometimes, they even beckon us toward the buoy of fear.

They haven’t really learned the importance of swimming against the current, and they are in danger of taking us under.

We want to make sure we respond to those who really are lifeguards. We learn from others who are experiencing freedom in Christ right in the middle of ministry.

The Beauty

of

Swimming

A day in the surf usually wears me out, but I love the experience. Swimming against the current of fear can be tiring too, but we aren’t alone, adrift in the waves. The Holy Spirit gives us strength and inspires us to keep at it. Spending a life praying and reading Scriptures results in freedom. God wants to give peace and hope to you and to all those in your life as you live beside the call. Today seems like a great day to turn toward the buoy of freedom and start swimming. Join me in being a voice that calls others away from fear and toward true freedom.

JILL ROSS BARBER is a pastor’s spouse whose husband, Sam, pastors Central Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas.

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R. J. M o nt i s

28 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

W

hen we pastor small churches, we can encounter unimaginable joys and incredible closeness with our congregants. But just as pastors of larger churches can face certain challenges because of their size, those of us in smaller churches can also encounter our own inherent issues that may cause stress and call for creative problem-solving. In our small church, partnership has provided an answer to some of the challenges.

My own situation started with a very loving and gracious church. Currently, we average about 65 people per week in worship.

Just five years ago, when I started at Grace Pointe, there were 15 people, a mortgage that was about to crush them, and not much hope for the congregation to continue.

As I began my pastorate there, I did what a lot of pastors do. I became involved in community programs, got a part-time job at the school, and I helped coach a Little League baseball team. Through these efforts and the continuing faithfulness of our congregation, we were able to reach children and families that began to call Grace Pointe in Bloomfield, Iowa, their home.

One of the biggest struggles for a small church in a small town is finances. As the church grew, we reached people who gave faithfully, as they were able, but we still dealt with a mortgage that was very difficult to pay, along with other obligations. Perhaps every pastor who encounters a similar situation knows that a majority of the church’s finances often go to the building instead of community ministry. Thankfully, we have seen God do some incredible things in recent days.

A New Partnership

About a year ago, our district superintendent, Rev. Kim Smith, took me to a church board meeting in a town an hour and 15 minutes away from Bloomfield. The Chariton Church of the Nazarene was in a different situation than what I started with at Grace Pointe, but it still faced a possible closure due

to struggling attendance, an aging building, and few people under the age of 55.

In that board meeting, we discussed the possibility of bringing two congregations together. Linked by technology, one pastor could begin the process of raising leaders in both churches. If we did that, the Chariton church could remain open and allow God to do a new thing in them (Isaiah 43:18–19). In Bloomfield, lay leaders could be trained to help fulfill the duties of the church (Ephesians 4:11– 12). Visitation, teaching, and administrative duties could be shared by committed members of the church who desired to see God do something through them.

Over the last year, both of our campuses have seen God work through this plan. Every Sunday, I preach from either one of our locations, and we livestream the sermon to the other. Both campuses have live music during worship, and lay leaders take on the responsibilities of the services.

Partnership Results

One of the greatest results of this partnership has been seeing how the people in our churches have taken on the commitment to pray for each other and for the other campus! God has called Grace Pointe Bloomfield to sacrifice their pastor for the sake of a congregation over an hour away from them.

Grace Pointe Chariton has prayed for God’s blessings to continue, not only for their own community but also for the people of Bloomfield, as well. They see the sacrifice that has been made, and they are moved to prayer. We have certainly encountered some difficulties along the way. For a pastor, being present in specific situations is very important. When a car accident happens in the town where the pastor lives, he or she can get to the hospital quickly. When it happens in the other town, getting there takes a bit longer. When someone needs spiritual counsel at the altar after a service, the pastor must make sure that there will be someone on site who can minister to that person.

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T h e s e two c o ng re gations h av e l ea r ne d th at g iving o f th e m se lv e s h a s b ee n a n a c t o f wo r s h ip.

paying a part-time salary. So, with our two campuses sharing the expense of one pastor, I am able to focus on full-time ministry.

Splitting my week in half allows me to be in both locations throughout the week. Our Bloomfield campus holds midweek activities on Wednesdays, and our Chariton campus activities occur on Thursdays.

It is amazing to see two very different groups of people join together in this unique plan God is revealing to their congregations.

In areas where one church struggles, they are able to learn from the other. Youth and their positive energy comes from one, while maturity and commitment comes from the other. We are trying new ways of community outreach and revisiting older ideas at the same time in both congregations. Everyone involved has been learning valuable lessons through this partnership.

Dreams for the Future

Another challenge to having one pastor running two services is the time synchronization. If only the sermon is being livestreamed from the first location, worship and any other activities in the service must be finished at the second service by the time the livestreaming begins. So the leaders at the second church have to make sure everything follows a preset schedule.

In addition, for the pastor to singlehandedly work with two church boards while fostering healthy communication between them at the two locations can be a challenging task. Watching a preacher on a screen may happen frequently in urban cities around the country, but in small town Iowa, some people will have difficulty adjusting to this method. We remind our congregations that even our school districts are learning that sharing teachers over the internet is a great way to save expenses and still expose their students to quality learning experiences. What may be strange for some of our congregants is normal for our children and teens, even in smaller school districts like ours. As time passes, we will see this approach used in more and different ways.

This partnership has resulted in several awesome outcomes. For instance, both churches are able to save money by only

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As both campuses look toward the future, we are dreaming big. There are small communities all over southern Iowa that need holiness preaching and teaching.

Exciting ideas about using college interns are in the works. Our life groups, which are small groups that meet on Sunday evenings, are already extending beyond our current towns and planting communities of believers in the geographical area between Bloomfield and Chariton. As congregants of each campus have opened up their hearts to allow God to do a new thing, they are dreaming of more possibilities. These two congregations have learned that giving sacrificially is an act of worship. We will continue to pray for God’s blessing and direction as we continue to seek to follow His will.

R.J. MONTIS was appointed pastor to Grace Pointe Church of the Nazarene in February 2014. He is currently working toward his degree in pastoral ministries from Nazarene Bible College.

Embracing Mission: Fresh Takes on Stewardship J o n a t h a n K. T w i t c h e l l

N

early four years ago, my wife, Melody, and I moved to southern California.

Since then, we’ve probably made more than 50 trips to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Melody can identify most of the tigers by name, and lately we’ve enjoyed watching the clumsy frolicking of two baby elephants.

I have discovered that the zoo is an incredibly successful nonprofit that understands the importance of funding its mission. I am continually struck by the fact that every employee of the zoo knows the mission of the organization inside and out. It doesn’t matter if you talk to the person who takes your ticket or the keeper who gives pedicures to pachyderms, all staff members are integral to the zoo’s mission and can invariably boil that mission down to two simple words: ending extinction.

The zoo’s mission is not to provide a great guest experience or to bring visitors to San Diego. It is to end extinction. Every employee has been trained to not only know this mission but to point it out to anyone who will listen. I can’t begin to count the number of times I have heard these words, almost verbatim: “Just by being here today, you are helping us to accomplish our mission to end extinction around the world. The San Diego Zoo is a nonprofit organization, which means that we pour all of our resources into accomplishing our mission. Your admission fee, your t-shirt purchase, and even the hot dog you buy for lunch help us to save snow leopards just like this one. Thank you for being a hero for wildlife.”

W h at W e C a n L e a r n

from the

Zoo

Generally, people coming to the zoo do not give to keep the lights on. They are not

motivated by the need to pay salaries and administrative expenses. They give because they are passionate about saving wildlife.

They give because the mission compels them.

I believe that the church can learn something from the San Diego Zoo. The church must consistently connect giving with mission. However, this has not always been modeled well for us. I can’t begin to count the number of conferences, assemblies, camp meetings, or revivals where the offering has been announced with words like these: “Hasn’t this been a wonderful time together? It’s like a little slice of heaven.

There’s just nothing like a Nazarene family reunion when God’s people get together. Now we’re going to receive an offering to help cover the costs and expenses of this gathering.”

I understand the need to pay for the convention center or hotel. I understand the need to cover travel expenses and speaker fees. These words do not connect giving with the mission of the church. While they may affirm the person who is already committed to the organization, they rarely compel the new or uncertain giver to open his or her wallet.

Unfortunately, that model has drifted into the local church. We collect an offering because it’s that time in the service.

Sometimes we nearly apologize for it or tell visitors that they shouldn’t worry about letting the plate pass them by.

In my current ministry role, I visit about 40 churches each year. Regrettably, I don’t often hear anything that connects the offering time with our God-given mission.

I know giving is an act of worship. I know that we give to glorify God. We give because God calls us to give, because the Bible tells us to, and because 2,000 years of Christian history has modeled generosity

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Our

job is to

bring lost people to the feet of

Jesus. Yet

we

are often timid about asking

God’s

people to

g i v e g e n e r o u s ly toward accomplishing

God’s

mission.

for us. I know we give as an expression of gratitude for all that God has given to us. These are the primary reasons many Christians faithfully give.

However, I think we are often missing a key component that matters to people who invest in ministry—communicating how generous giving helps us to accomplish the mission God has given to us.

Giving

and the

Scope

of

Our Mission

Our mission is far more important than that of the San Diego Zoo. As much as I love the zoo, and as glad as I am for people who work to protect and preserve the world that God gave us, the mission of the church is even more important than ending extinction. Our job is to bring lost people to the feet of Jesus— to help people experience life transformation now and for eternity. Yet we are often timid about asking God’s people to give generously toward accomplishing God’s mission.

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Many of us have been part of a January stewardship campaign on the Three Ts: Time, Talent, and Treasure. Historically, this has been a tried and true method of approaching stewardship through a holistic lens, helping us to understand that stewardship isn’t just about giving money to the church but also about offering all of ourselves in faithful obedience to God. In many contexts, though, that triedand-true formula has become tired and toasted. The wise church will find ways to consistently connect giving to mission. Some churches share a story of a transformed life just before passing the plate. Others are intentional about linking generosity directly to the success of a ministry, either locally or globally. The offering can be a celebratory time where we are invited and inspired to partner with God. People give to mission.

They give to ministries that bear fruit.

C r e at i v e P r e a c h i n g P at h s

and

Giving

Creative preaching paths can also help us present generosity in fresh new ways.

Those who have the honor of preaching God’s word need not look far to find scriptures that illustrate the importance of stewardship and generosity. We can present a familiar story in a fresh light simply by being alert to the narrative of generosity woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture.

As we preach the story of God, we can highlight themes of sacrifice, generosity, and stewardship. The mission of the church is worthy of asking the people of God to support it with their finances. May the following sermon starter ideas help God’s people be formed to increasingly reflect God’s image to the world.

JON TWITCHELL served as youth pastor, pastor, and funeral home chaplain in Maine for 15 years before moving to Southern California to serve the Nazarene Foundation. Jon travels to churches to preach and teach on legacy, stewardship, and planned giving. He is also the author of Presence: A Pastor’s Guide to Funerals.

SAMPLE SERMON HELPS FOR GIVING AS WORSHIP Generosity as holiness: reflecting the image of the God who gave

Stewardship as “leaving things better than we found them”

Central to our understanding of the creation narrative is that we are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). While this image was tarnished in the fall, the Gospel is all about restoring the image. Scripture contains the story of God’s grace and generosity toward creation. If we are to be holy people, then we are to be shaped by the generosity of God, most evident in the sacrificial gift of Jesus (John 3:16).

The parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14–30) forms the basis for our understanding of stewardship: caring for things that have been entrusted to us. It is a parable about leaving things better than we found them.

The people of God should leave everything we touch better than we found it: our family, our workplace, our church, our ministry, and our world. If we are going to leave our churches and ministries better than we found them, we will make significant investments into them.

Generosity toward those in need The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37) is about hospitality, neighborliness, and finding holiness where we least expect it. It is also a story about extreme generosity. The Good Samaritan gave of his resources (time, energy, money) with no expectation of anything in return. The person portrayed as holy in the story was not the pious priest or the pure Levite but the generous Samaritan.

Love the Lord with all your stuff I was recently reminded that the word “strength” in Deuteronomy 6:5 could just as easily have been translated “very-ness” or “much-ness.” The meaning of the word encompasses the Greek translation of “power” and the Aramaic translation of “wealth.” We could just as easily say “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your stuff.” This is a call to radical, passionate, generous stewardship of all that God has placed in our care.

Partnership with God The promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3) extends to God’s people today. God desires to use us to be a blessing to all people. Scriptural examples are numerous: Mary and Joseph, the women who supported Jesus (Luke 8:1–3), and the believers who partnered with Paul (Phil.

1:3–5). God invites us to partner together in mission with all of our resources, including prayer, time, energy, and financial gifts.

What do you have in your hands? God can use it I recently had the task of preaching on stewardship on Palm Sunday. As I contemplated the scriptural stories of Holy Week, I realized that it was full of people bringing the simple things they had in their hands to be used by God. The list is seemingly endless: a donkey, palm branches, cloaks, perfume, coins, an upper room, the strength of Simon of Cyrene, a tomb, linens, etc. When we consider the list, we realize that the gifts varied greatly in monetary value, but each was significant in the story of Jesus’ passion. The people of God are continually invited to offer the gifts in their hands to bring glory to God. Zacchaeus Perhaps the most obvious lesson from this passage (Luke 19:1–10) is the story of a transformed life. An encounter with Jesus immediately impacted Zacchaeus’ pocketbook. Not only did he make restitution, he gave generously beyond what he owed. We don’t know how it got there, but we do know that our generosity helps plant trees like the one Zacchaeus was in, so that others can see Jesus.

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INTERVIEW

Church Finances and Multicultural Church Planting: An Interview with Otoniel Dannemann I N T E R V I E W: C H A R L E S W. C H R I S T I A N , M A N AG I N G E D I TO R

G&P: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FINANCIAL AND LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES OF PLANTING A MULTICULTURAL CHURCH? OD : The financial challenges in planting a multicultural church include the economic support that we must give to the planting pastor.

It is advisable to know the resources that this person has. These resources include pastoral experience, professional training, and contacts in the city where you plan to open the work. It is also necessary to invest in basic training for church planting, so the pastor can appropriately implement his or her vision. We also need to invest in resources to promote the new work.

The vision for the church plant helps determine the approach and resources. It is also important to have a prayer group that knows the vision.

G&P: WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SOURCES OF INITIAL INCOME FOR NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING NEW START CHURCHES IN THE USA/CANADA? OD : When we start a new church, one of the biggest challenges is the source of income. When you start a project, there is often a vision but not financial resources. Basically, we try to examine the options we have in each situation, since each new church plant has its particular nuances.

Generally, the district contributes a portion, although it does not supply what is necessary to cover the basic issues of opening the work. In some cases, when a local church opens its doors to a multicultural work, in addition to offering buildings, local churches provide some initial support, such as a percentage of the allocation for the pastor, health insurance, and pastoral house rental.

In terms of logistical support, I believe it is necessary to have people with experience to train those who start new works, in areas such as the

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process of developing the vision by examining the environment, options, advantages, and disadvantages. Once the pastor has the vision formed and internalized, he or she can present it to his support team. It is important that this team grasps the vision for joint work aimed at achieving the objective.

Among the resources are the buildings of already established churches. Many churches see the increase of a culturally different population in their community and feel the need to open their buildings to these new works. In other cases, hotel rooms, cinemas, or schools are used. If a cell church is developed, the homes of families in the new work will serve as the initial platform.

G&P: NAME SOME SPECIFIC CHALLENGES FACED BY PASTORS WHO ARE STARTING CHURCHES THAT REACH A SPECIFIC CULTURAL/ETHNIC/LANGUAGE GROUP. OD : As a starting point, it is necessary to know the particular situation of the people we want to reach. In the Hispanic community, depending on the area where we are ministering, we have first-, second-, and third-generation people. Each generation has its demands. With the first generation, it is only required to speak the language of the particular ethnic group, but with the second generation it is necessary to speak the ethnic language and English. It will also be necessary to work with the new generation to integrate the culture of the country, so we will not lose this important group.

Another challenge is to have creative ministries, that is, to adapt our way of doing church to the customs of the ethnic group to whom we minister. We must have an open mind for adaptation and for change. It is also important to respond to the expectations of the ethnic

group. In many cases, the first generation needs a leader who is able to help in specific situations of need: healthcare, legal issues, etc. We must be flexible so people have access to us. We have to close the gap between ourselves and the group we want to reach.

G&P: WHAT ENCOURAGING STORIES CAN YOU SHARE REGARDING INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION YOU HAVE WITNESSED AS A MULTICULTURAL CHURCH PLANTER AND COORDINATOR? OD : Our church has groups in the homes of our congregation. One of the groups opened in a city called Claremore, which is 30 minutes from our church. This group started with a family in a house with the leader who was in charge of the group. The father of the home was trained to take charge of the group, and the group grew until they could no longer meet at the house. After a few years, the group grew to about 40 people. We saw the need to move to a more appropriate environment, and we spoke with the pastor of the Nazarene church in Claremore. That is how the Hispanic Church of the Nazarene opened in the city of Claremore.

The Church of the Nazarene at Regency Park is another example of evangelistic vision that added to the growth of a Hispanic population in the community. They offered us a building to use to start a Hispanic church. One of our leaders accepted the challenge of planting this work, and now we have about 90 people who need to relocate to another church with the same vision.

G&P: HOW CAN NAZARENES IN THE USA/CANADA REGION PRAY FOR AND SUPPORT MULTICULTURAL CHURCH PLANTING EFFORTS? OD : We are facing a great harvest, and it is important that we lift our eyes and look out because the harvest is great. We have to ask the Lord to open our eyes, so we can see the crowds that cry out for a church that has a missionary conscience in their Jerusalem.

Here in our neighborhoods are people who need Jesus. We need our churches to be more dynamic and creative in order to impact the different ethnic groups that exist in our cities.

We are opening new works, but resources are scarce. The church has to be intentional, financially and logistically, to make a missionary impact in our communities. Investing in new churches is sowing in fertile fields. The reward of this investment is thriving churches.

G&P: HOW CAN CHURCH PLANTING PASTORS—SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO ARE PLANTING NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING CHURCHES—TEACH AND EMPHASIZE THE IDEA OF “GIVING AS WORSHIP” IN THEIR NEW CHURCHES? OD : One of the challenges for pastors of new multicultural churches is to teach people that not only should the gospel impact their lives, but that they should also be committed to advancing the kingdom of God. This commitment includes our economic resources and our time. Many of our new church members do not have an evangelical tradition and do not understand the concept of consistent giving. Therefore, we must lead the believers to such a relationship with God that they are moved like Mary when she spilled the perfume of pure spikenard on the feet of Jesus. This is a process that must be initiated from the moment of conversion. Giving is a principle of adoration and not simply a religious obligation.

G&P: WHAT ARE THE MARKS OF A SUCCESSFUL AND GROWING CHURCH PLANT IN SPANISH-SPEAKING SETTINGS? OD : A church should pray daily to impact its community with the gospel. A church should both welcome each member and integrate into the culture. A church that loves and values the community and focuses on reaching its community will make a lasting impact. A healthy church must sow in the kingdom of God in order to obtain fruits. To achieve this, we must foster an environment where our members learn to give and become selfsustaining.

OTONIEL DANNEMANN is the pastor of Tulsa Fuente De Vida Church of the Nazarene in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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God’s Perfect Plan at Abundant Blessings Ministry Ron Sluder

T

Ron Sluder

he Rolla Church of the Nazarene is not a large church, but we do big things through the power of our Lord Jesus.

A few years ago, we felt strongly called to begin ministering in Newburg, Missouri, a small community near our town of Rolla.

Our first step was to try to partner with a foodbank in a larger city nearby, Columbia, Missouri, to provide food assistance to the people in Newberg.

We began paperwork and applied for a grant; however, nothing seemed to be happening.

To complicate matters, I developed some health issues that caused me to slow down significantly and to be out of the office for some time. Thankfully, just as I got back in the office, the foodbank came to the office and presented us with a grant check for $7,500 to begin the food distribution.

The first month of the ministry, we received only one or two pallets of food, but we were overwhelmed at this great gift!

36 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

God continued to bless us beyond our wildest dreams. One incredible answer to prayer that comes to mind is from the annual hog roast we host at our Rolla church.

Typically, people sign up to bring staple items we need, such as buns, barbeque sauce, and watermelons. But this year, only one person had signed up to bring watermelon.

My wife began to pray for this matter about the time when we were scheduled to receive our monthly food distribution.

Yes, you guessed it! In that distribution shipment, God not only put two giant crates of watermelons but also sweet corn, individual bags of chips, and ice cream cups! This wonderful provision not only helped us host a successful hog roast for the community, but we were also able to distribute hundreds of pounds of food that month into the Newburg community.

We continue to distribute food, now receiving about 20–25 pallets of food each month. We share that food with approximately 225 families every month, which feeds about 1,000 people. The foodbank reported that our little church was responsible for distributing $250,000 worth of food into the communities we served that year. That included only what we received from the food bank—not the regular

donations we received from businesses such as Panera Bread, Big Lots, and others!

This work in Newburg surpassed all our expectations, but God was not finished yet.

As we distributed the food, we strove to involve other churches and ministries. We recognized that we were a smaller church with an older congregation, and we knew we would need help for the giant task we were undertaking. God provided, and we are blessed now to have at least six churches partnering with us each month to help the community.

One of these partner churches was a 140-year-old United Methodist church in Newburg. The congregation was reduced to just seven members, but several of them helped us each month. As we got to know these people, we heard about their financial struggle to keep the church going; they had already contacted their district leaders about voting to close or stay open.

One day, as our church team headed to Newburg for a luncheon event, we passed the old Methodist church. One of our board members suggested that we approach that church about renting their building and having services there. “I don’t think they’ll ever agree to that,” I thought, but God compelled us to ask anyway.

We set up a meeting with their board, which basically included everyone still at the church. We presented our idea, but they were not very willing to consider it. I believe they were tired from trying for so long to survive. Their board voted 4-3 to close rather than accept our offer, but they voted 7-0 to give us a check for $1,000 towards our ministries in Newburg.

A few days later, while I still had the check sitting on my desk, I received a call from their district superintendent wondering if we were interested in purchasing the building and property. This is where that boldness God talks about in scripture kicked in for me. The DS talked with me about what they would likely ask for the property and asked me to make an offer.

I sat staring at the $1,000 check on my desk. Not thinking it would be enough, I offered $1,000 plus any closing costs. The DS took my offer to their advisory board and they accepted it! We would be the owners of this new facility free and clear, without even having to raise the money. God had a plan for us to be in this building and to use it for His glory!

Once we received appropriate approval from our district, we purchased the property using the money we had received from the last members of that church. Since the closing costs were also donated, we took possession of the property with no cost to our local church!

We did some minor remodeling and clean-up; then in June of 2016, we launched Abundant Blessings Family Ministry Center. The launch brought out 53 people from around the district and community. Even better, the Lord moved in that service, and at least one person came into relationship with Jesus.

Ministry at Abundant Blessings has blossomed since then. We have worship services each Thursday evening, with dinner following worship; we have settled into a consistent attendance between 20 to 25 people each week. We also began a Celebrate Recovery Group on Friday evenings. Through these great ministries, many people have made decisions for the Lord. We allow the fellowship hall and outdoor facilities to be used for local community events, have hosted several clothing giveaways, and host a monthly family movie night.

We also began a senior luncheon in Newburg like the one we host in Rolla each month. In Rolla, we serve between 75 and 80 seniors each month; our Newburg luncheon feeds 10 or so. We will soon offer life skill classes which will include resume preparation, basic budgeting, and even some healthy eating classes. Our board is also praying for direction and resources for a possible Hispanic congregation.

Through all these experiences, we have learned that God has many big, great plans for our little community! We need to be patient and let Him lead. God’s plans are so amazing!

Beyond all we could ask or imagine.

RON SLUDER is senior pastor at Rolla Church of the Nazarene, where he and his wife love helping people come to a place where they can receive the perfect peace, hope, and joy found in a relationship with the Lord.

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INTERVIEW

Giving in Creative Ways: An Interview with Mark Lail Grace & Peace sat down with Mark Lail, a former pastor, former director of stewardship for the Church of the Nazarene, and current executive vice-president of the Nazarene Foundation to talk about giving outside of the expected venues.

I N T E R V I E W E R : R E B E CC A R O D E H E AV E R , A S S I S TA N T E D I TO R

G&P: WOULD YOU SHARE SOME STORIES OF STEWARDSHIP FROM AROUND THE USA/CANADA REGION? ML : We have good stories, but I have to preface these stories with the fact that I change the names and the places in the stories to protect the identity of our donors.

One wonderful donor was a farmer. Back in a time when farmers were going bankrupt everywhere, he was a young farmer with small children. His cash was down to nothing. He was invited to go to a revival at a Nazarene church and got saved. Two Sundays later, the church had a missionary speaker, and the Lord told him to pledge more money than he had: $1,000. The following week he received a check that he wasn’t expecting, and it was for far more than $1,000. He believed the Lord asked him and helped him to take that step of obedience. That farmer is in heaven now, but he spent the rest of his life giving to others. He wanted to give because he recognized that the Lord had blessed him so much.

This is not about a “prosperity gospel” approach, but this farmer believed that the Lord led him in that instance to step out on faith with a gift that was beyond his ability, and the Lord took care of him. We get that testimony a lot: “The Lord’s done so much for me, and the Lord has been my provider.”

This happens with church boards, too. Part of the pastor’s role is to find the right balance. A feasibility study would have shown that Noah

38 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

couldn’t build an ark and shouldn’t have. He had to have faith to get there. You have to pay attention to the reality of the numbers, yet step out on faith when God asks.

G&P: WHAT DREW YOU FROM THE PASTORATE INTO HELPING THE DENOMINATION WITH PLANNED GIVING? ML : I think God spent a lot of my life preparing me for the things I’m doing right now. Numbers came really easy for me. In college, even as a religion major, I took all the accounting classes I could. I joked that I was trying to bring my grades up in religion. It was a passion that stuck with me.

I remember being pretty young, 27, just out of seminary and pastoring my first church when the district office referred an older pastor to me with a tax question about housing allowance. People were seeing these gifts in me early on. I ended up serving as a district treasurer. Then, in my 22nd year of ministry, the general treasurer called offering me a job, and I felt like that was an easy decision to say yes. That initial transition to serving the general church was as director of stewardship, but that put me in association with the Nazarene Foundation, and eventually I began serving in the Foundation full time.

G&P: HOW WAS YOUR THEOLOGY OF GIVING FORMED? ML : I grew up on a farm, and when I was still too small to lift bales of hay, I was old enough

For

me,

worship isn’t just about

singing songs.

It

is about

putting our lives in hands. to drive a tractor. One of the neighbors hired me for a day to rake hay, so I raked hay all that day and walked proudly into my home with a $10 bill that night.

I was waving that thing around saying, “Look what I did! I earned this!” I was probably about 12 years old. My mom stopped me and said, “One of those dollars belongs to the Lord. You will only be able to use nine dollars for you, because one of those you’re going to put in the offering. That’s God’s money.”

So, from early days, the Lord taught me that when I put something in the offering plate, I’m not giving Him my money; I am taking my hands off of His money. That taught me that we don’t have anything that didn’t come from God. G&P: WHAT DOES GIVING AS WORSHIP MEAN TO YOU? ML : For me, worship isn’t just about singing songs. It is about putting our lives in God’s hands. So, in those times when giving to God seems very difficult, I believe we should continue to give. It should be our first priority.

It is a way of worshiping the Lord by trusting Him completely. If worship is letting the Lord

God’s

know how wonderful He is and how much we love Him, releasing our gifts to Him when He asks us would be a part of that worship.

I like things spelled out clearly, so it can be tempting for me to depend on my own savings, skill, and hard work to provide for myself. However, God is the Provider.

Unlike me (and everyone else), God will never run out of money. God never spends a day worrying about recession. God is the provider, and God’s provision is abundant.

A key reason God asks us to give is for our spiritual development.

G&P: WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT NAZARENE FOUNDATION HELPS PEOPLE UTILIZE THEIR GIFTS? ML : We handle several types of giving, both cash and special items, special possessions.

Recently some people wanted to meet with me and give a gift to the Foundation.

Usually these meetings involve people bringing a check. However, these people had a special possession: gold bullion. It was $25,000 worth of coins that they’d had for years. With tears in their eyes, they said, “We believe that God is telling us that we’re

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supposed to give these to a missions project.

We don’t know what the project is, so it’s an undesignated gift—but somewhere in the world, God has something He wants to do, and He wants to use these coins to do it.”

This gift was helpful to missions, but it was also an act of worship on their part. They gave something precious in obedience to God. In the Old Testament, a high percentage of worship involved these kinds of gifts.

People brought their best gifts to the altar.

In America, we like our toys. If God says, “I want you to give that boat or your pickup truck to the Lord,” or something that’s meaningful to us, it can be a very worshipful experience, just as much as giving cash.

Everyone I have assisted in the giving process has been joyous about it. In fact, we often have people say, “Thank you for helping me do this.” This is especially true in the area of planned gifts.

G&P: WHAT DO CHURCHES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PLANNED GIVING? ML : We work with people who have been deeply involved in their church through their life. Many have chosen some kind of nonprofit for a portion of their will or their revocable trust.

In conversations with these folks we have asked, “Since you have been closer to your church than you ever were to the other nonprofit you are supporting, why did you choose them instead of your church for a gift in your estate?”

Consistently, the answer is: “This other group asked us to be in our will. The church never asked to be in our will.” So, doing something to make planned giving available can produce wonderful results.

We pastors may spend a lot of time preaching to people that they need to get ready for heaven. What we don’t often consider is that there is a lot of spirituality tied to our possessions. Being a steward of our possessions at the end of life is

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important. People have peace when they know that when they pass away, they will bless their church and their family. That’s the reason the Nazarene Foundation exists.

Our sole purpose is to help Nazarenes make planned and deferred gifts to their church or to any Nazarene ministry.

G&P: WHAT ARE AMONG THE MOST UNIQUE GIFTS PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH? ML : About seven percent of what America owns is in cash, but when most churches think of taking an offering, cash is the only gift they think about. Opening the door to non-cash gifts is really important.

For example, it’s very advantageous for a farmer to give grain, rather than to sell the grain, pay tax, and give the money. So, we handle thousands of bushels of corn, soybeans, and wheat every year.

We also handle gifts of real estate and stock on a regular basis. A few weeks ago, someone gave us a unique piece of artwork.

The owner knew it had some value but really didn’t have any idea what to expect.

The art gallery told us that there were several unusual things about the painting that could bring the price down. So, they offered to help us sell it, but they didn’t think it was going to bring more than six or seven thousand dollars.

We followed all their instructions and took it through the sales process. When it sold just a few weeks ago, it brought $68,750!

I’ve just had a little bit of fun saying that if the Foundation can sell a crayon drawing on paper for over $68,000, think of what God can do in your church through planned and deferred giving!

G&P: WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO MENTION ON THIS TOPIC? ML : We preachers often fear talking about money. I was first trained as an auctioneer when I was 18. An auctioneer does nothing all day but ask for money. We’re taught to look in people’s eyes, nod our head up and

I

just wish

I

could take that

f e a r away a n d m a k e ta l k i n g about money an opportunity t o h e l p p e o p l e g r o w d e e p ly in their faith.

down, do a little hand motion toward our bidders and say, “Don’t look at him, this is between you and me! You’ll give $50, won’t you?” So asking for money has never really been a problem for me, or even talking about money.

even for a visitor to take a step of obedience in regard to giving.

I know that many pastors fear talking about it, but giving is wonderful! It’s a deeply joyful, spiritual experience. I don’t think pastors should ever apologize for inviting people to give. It would be similar to saying, “I know you’re a busy person, but I want to talk to you about prayer. I really hate to take any of your time, but you should be praying.”

Giving gives Christians great fulfillment.

We are really helping people to do something joyous. We are leading people into a spiritual experience. An attorney once said to me that he would hate my job since I ask for money all the time.

I just wish I could take that fear away and make talking about money as an opportunity to help people grow deeply in their faith.

It’s just as strange to say to people, “I really apologize that I have to talk to you about your stewardship of the things that God is blessing you with.”

I told him that I don’t ask people for money.

I lead people into using their assets for God’s glory. It’s a different thing. They have a vision for doing something significant in God’s kingdom, and I help process that and make it happen. We are helping people fulfill their dreams in God’s kingdom.

I wish there were ways I could reach into Nazarene pastors’ hearts and just turn the dial over toward “No Fear” when it comes to speaking about those things.

God is the provider, and God’s provision is abundant. God is not going to run out of anything. God asks us to give for our spiritual development.

I have also heard preachers say, “If you’re visiting here today, just don’t listen for a while, since I’m going to talk to the congregation about money.”

God may have put somebody in the congregation that day because they needed to learn to give. The first step for them in God’s direction might have to be releasing some money and making a gift to the Lord.

Any given Sunday could be an opportunity

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 41

NAZARENE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

SPOTLIGHT

Theology and the Spreadsheet

By Jesse Middendorf

P

reparation for ministry takes many forms in the church today. Our pastors come from district training centers, college and university degree programs, seminary, and other graduate programs.

We desire and believe it is necessary that we have authentically “educated” pastors— women and men who have participated in a vigorous effort to study the Scriptures, to comprehend our theological beliefs, and to have a working knowledge of the necessities of pastoral care.

In all of the avenues of preparation for ministry, we seek to deepen the spiritual life of the candidates, helping them become genuine disciples of Jesus Christ: shaped

by Him, filled with His Spirit, living transparently holy lives, and leading people into a transforming encounter with Christ.

We want to lead people into the Church of Jesus Christ. We want them to become actively engaged in the fellowship of the gospel, worshipping, serving, and evangelizing those they encounter in their everyday living.

Creating a healthy congregational life is one of the primary objectives of every pastor. Believers are not intended to live in isolation from everyone else. We are called to become a part of the Church, the Body of Christ. As Paul said to the Corinthians, we are “members of one another” (1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Philippians 2:1–4).

One of the duties of those who are ordained is “to order the life of the congregation.” That does not mean that the ordained minister is the “boss” of the people.

It means that the minister, especially the pastor, is charged with the responsibility to see to the orderly functioning of the local church (1 Corinthians 14:33).

42 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

One part of that responsibility, among all the others, is to see to the proper management of the finances of the local church. Every congregation depends on its people to financially support the church to the best of their ability. However, that is not an easy thing to do.

No course in theology includes training in the ability to read a financial spreadsheet.

Yet, at some level, every pastor must become competent enough in that arena of responsibility to function adequately.

The pastor has a responsibility to see that the church is being a good steward of the resources entrusted to the congregation through the faithful giving of the people of the church (including the faithful giving of tithes and offerings by the pastor). It is necessary to oversee a budget and develop a plan for the proper allocation of resources to meet the financial obligations of the congregation and to develop a plan for ministry utilizing those resources.

Many pastors come to the assignment with little or no experience in leading a complex organization like the church.

The majority of the leaders and workers in a congregation are volunteers, elected by the congregation to various leadership responsibilities. Some of them may well be adept at financial management and can be a great resource to help the pastor monitor the financial health of the congregation.

In many cases, the pastor must learn financial principles, including how to read spreadsheets, in order to assist church leaders in developing and following a budget. A pastor is expected to lead the congregation in developing a strong sense of what it means to be a steward—to hold in trust the resources provided the church by its people.

There are a variety of resources available to assist pastors in developing these skills. Capable business leaders who are part of the local church are often more than willing to assist. No pastor should be too proud to ask for this assistance. If a pastor is willing, there are often local community colleges that offer courses in accounting.

There are church accounting software programs that are available as well.

The Center for Pastoral Leadership is a resource available for pastors for continuing education, ministry enrichment, and a variety of webinars, conferences, and other events.

One of the recent resources is an audiovisual program for pastors and local lay leaders called, “Let’s Talk about Church Finances,” which is a conversation between Dr. Bill Kirkemo and me addressing this vital aspect of pastoral leadership. There are two videos.

One is designed for the pastor, giving some basic but helpful information about leading the church in addressing stewardship and finances in the local church and in the pastor’s personal life. The second video is designed for use with the local church board. It addresses basic ideas for how the church board should manage the financial resources of the church for the benefit of the mission of God. This resource provides a way pastors can find help in developing a basic understanding of church finance. It is offered

to the church with the prayer that this responsibility will be managed with care, integrity, and transparency. Preparation for ministry is complex. It is obvious that no degree or diploma will ever mark the end of our study. Lifelong learning is not just a duty; it is an absolute necessity in our ever-changing world and in the varied and complex work of the ministry.

Our theology of holiness is not separate from the issue of reading financial spreadsheets. In whatever the area of ministry we are working, we are called to exhibit the highest degree of integrity. In the fulfillment of our call to this work, we continue to sharpen our skills, expand our capabilities, and lead our people with grace and grit. We call that stewardship!

JESSE MIDDENDORF is general superintendent emeritus in the Church of the Nazarene and the founding director of the Center for Pastoral Leadership at Nazarene Theological Seminary.

NTS SUMMER/FALL 2019 CALENDAR August 19

Fall Classes Begin

September 4-15

Ireland Pilgrimage

September 24-25

Hugh C. Benner Preachers Conference: Preaching as Formation (www.nts.edu/preach)

October 3

Convocation Chapel

October 24

Brain Matters: Science for Seminaries

November 1

Priority Scholarship deadline - Spring/Summer 2020

December 5

Fall Semester Ends

BOOK

REVIEW

Shrewd Samaritan: Faith, Economics, and the Road to Loving Our Global Neighbor Bruce Wydick (Nashville: W Publishing, 2019), 247 Pages.

R E V I E W E R : J E R E MY H E I G H T

B

uilding upon years of frontline research and personal involvement in poverty alleviation and economics, Bruce Wydick presents his latest book as a resource for those who are passionate about addressing poverty in biblically based, effective ways. Wydick is professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco and is widely published in the area of economic development.

Wydick uses his role as the lead investigator of the worldwide impact study of Compassion International’s child sponsorship program to develop a book that serves as a tool for Christians who are passionate about being what he calls “Shrewd Samaritans.” This phrase is based on an intersection of two parables of Jesus: the Good Samaritan and the Shrewd Manager.

Using these two stories as his biblical foundation, the author helps those who desire to love their “global neighbor” by explaining how we can harness “the resources at our disposal . . . on behalf of those who are victims of injustice, disease, violence, and poverty” (14).

Upon introducing his central Shrewd Samaritan concept, Wydick focuses on three areas for the book. He spends several chapters revealing proper understandings of poverty as well as effective (and ineffective) poverty interventions before bringing these ingredients together in his final product of explaining how the reader can use this information to become a Shrewd Samaritan.

He begins this tripartite progression by explaining his view on the journey most people take to becoming a global neighbor and Shrewd Samaritan. This journey consists of the “Six I” words: ignorance, indifference, idealism, investigation, introspection, and impact. His stated goal is to help the reader better discern where each of us is in this

44 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

journey, as well as to move individuals farther down the path toward impact and global neighboring.

Throughout chapters three to five, Wydick helps readers to have a better understanding of what poverty involves, as well as the multiple, convoluted factors that contribute to it on individual and community levels.

In perhaps the most eye-opening section of the book, the reader is presented with mountains of data and research in chapters six through nine about what does and does not work in addressing the injustice of poverty— both domestically and internationally.

Wydick then arrives at the central goal of the book across his final three chapters by producing a picture of how the reader can live as a Shrewd Samaritan in a hyperglobalized world. He concludes with a call to action for Christians, complete with tangible steps based upon the research presented throughout the book.

In the popular book genre of Christian social justice and poverty work, Wydick contributes to the conversation with a unique voice. While authors can too often build their poverty-focused books around a handful of anecdotal stories and cherry-picked stats, Bruce Wydick uses his own research as the bedrock upon which he builds the central arguments and convictions of Shrewd Samaritan. This focus on data as the driver for strategies and practical steps is the strength of this book and the key to why this publication is essential in our conversations as Christians working against the evil of poverty.

From rating individual approaches to poverty (such as fair-trade coffee and child sponsorships) to examining the multiple facets of the cycle of poverty, Wydick has

produced a book that is lean on stories and heavy with thorough, research-based statistics on poverty interventions. This emphasis on research, however, is woven together well by his explanations of how the data applies to an aspiring Shrewd Samaritan.

Wydick presents the Christian community with an important challenge in the area of poverty alleviation by presenting a convincing call to become Shrewd Samaritans. He calls us to love others with our hearts (Good Samaritan) and our heads (Shrewd Manager). And, in laying out such a challenge, he has created an essential tool for any Christian who desires to do good—and to do good well—as we participate in God’s inbreaking kingdom throughout the world.

J E R E MY H E I G H T is the univer sit y and communit y engagement pastor at Trevecca Communit y Church of the Nazarene.

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H O L I N E S S TO DAY S P EC I A L

FEATURE T E N

Q U E S T I O N S

KEITH COX

Keith Cox

H

As general treasurer of the Church of the Nazarene, Keith Cox has a unique perspective on funding the mission of the church.

oliness Today (HT) recently sat down with Keith Cox (KC), who has served as general treasurer of the Church of the Nazarene since 2016. Keith previously

spent over 35 years in the banking industry and is a longtime Nazarene, currently serving his local church in the Kansas City area as a Sunday school teacher. We include Keith in this issue to highlight his work for the Church and to start the year by highlighting the importance of stewardship in regard to funding the mission of the Church of the Nazarene.

HT: What brought you to your current position?

KC: I have attended a Nazarene church since birth, and through the years I have participated in a variety of ways, including short-term mission projects and JESUS Film Harvest Partner trips. I attended a Nazarene college (MidAmerica Nazarene University) as a business major, and toward the end of cole are giving lege, I started working at a local bank.

W

to works that Along the way, I continued my involvement in church life and got to know my God uses to bless and predecessor here, Marilyn McCool. As transform real people. she was nearing retirement, I was asked if I would consider moving into this role. At that time, having been part of assisting our bank through some difficult economic transitions, I felt the Lord leading me toward this kind of involvement in the church.

HT: Over the years, what changes have you seen in the way churches approach the ministry of giving?

KC: I still see many examples of generous Nazarenes who give sacrificially for our work all over the world. I do think that, like many groups, we have a danger to isolate ourselves as local churches and become disconnected with the global mission of the Church.

When we remind each other that when we give, we are not only supporting our local work, but are participating in something even bigger—something on a global scale— it encourages more participation. I believe it is important for all of us, especially our pastors and leaders, to convey the bigger vision of the Church to people consistently, so that they can see how their giving and other participation fits in the bigger picture.

HT: What are some key things that local churches can do to teach and encourage people to give consistently?

32

HT J/F 19

46 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

KC: It helps if we can remind people that we do not simply give to a “bureaucracy.” We are giving to works that God uses to bless and transform real people.

HT: As g of the S of the G is your r

In my previous job as a bank president, I kept pictures on my wall of mission trips to places all over the world.

When customers, executives, and clients would visit with me, it was not unusual for them to ask about these pictures of people working and serving together. This gave me the opportunity to share stories with them about these mission trips funded by our church, and even those who were relatively unchurched expressed interest in funding and even participating in this kind of work!

KC: The ly with t (CAO) ministry ing toge of the B guidance distribut works w ministry each do wide is u

If communicating in this way works in a secular business environment, I believe it can have much more impact if we can share these stories and encourage members of our church to see the faces of people who receive a blessing from our giving.

HT: How can both clergy and non-clergy work together in local churches to enhance confidence in handling financial matters?

KC: I believe that churches should practice loving accountability and transparency in finances. For clergy, it is common for pastors to (rightly) insist that their offices have windows so that there is no doubt about the integrity of what they are doing. In the same way, pastors and other church leaders can work together to provide a “window” for the way they handle finances.

Pastors should not be expected to do it all. Those in the congregation who have backgrounds in business and finance can be helpful additions to the pastor’s leadership team and can help the church communicate with transparency and within the best legal and ethical practices.

Working together in this way will increase the giving potential of the church.

HT: Do

KC: I us I love m (especia

HT: Tell

KC: My daughte

d people “bureauthat God l people.

HT: As general treasurer, you are part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the Global Ministry Center. What is your role on this team?

nk presill of mishe world. and cliwas not out these d serving portunity out these church, relativeterest in ng in this

KC: The SLT is a team that works directly with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to help ensure that all of the ministry areas of the GMC are working together to carry out the mission of the BGS. My role is to help provide guidance on a global scale regarding the distribution and use of funds. My office works with regional directors and other ministry leaders in helping ensure that each dollar given by Nazarenes worldwide is used as effectively as possible.

ay works nment, I impact if d encouro see the blessing

HT: Do you have any hobbies?

Fun questions

also very involved in church life. She and I have both served in a variety of capacities, including teaching Sunday school.

HT: Do you have a favorite place you have traveled or would like to travel?

KC: I particularly enjoy the opportunities to go on mission trips. Seeing where people live and serve in places far away from where I live is exciting to me, and it is a thrill to see God work outside of my own local setting. It is wonderful to be able to say that I have friends in places throughout the world where I have gotten the opportunity to serve in some way.

HT: What is your vision for the financial future of the Church of the Nazarene?

HT: Tell us about your family.

KC: I would love for us to continue to move away from an isolated view of how we fund our mission and continue to move toward more cooperative, “big picture” approaches based on where we can do the most good.

KC: My wife and I have two grown daughters who live nearby. My wife is

Second, we are working on the possibility of short-term finance teams who

KC: I used to participate more in sports.

I love music, photography, and traveling (especially on a motorcycle) when I can.

ocal nce in

uld practranspart is comnsist that hat there y of what way, pascan work w” for the

ected to ation who nd finance e pastor’s he church ency and practices. l increase h.

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can go into regions of the Church and assist in setting up strong financial systems that will maximize the budgets of each region. Groups like this can help us properly assess risk management where finances are concerned as we seek to make the best use of what God provides through our giving.

Finally, I want us to continue to practice the best stewardship possible with the properties that the Church of the Nazarene owns and oversees throughout the world. We want to help assess what can be sold to provide funding in the areas where more cash flow is needed, and in areas where property expansion is needed, we want to help our churches and district/regional offices find the best value.

Together, we can continue to be good stewards of God’s blessings through His people.

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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T

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A magazine for everyday faith

Ministering to the Wealthy G i n a G r a t e P o tt e ng e r

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 49

“I

never go into that part of town. That’s where all the rich people live,” a friend said disdainfully.

This Christian friend had laudably chosen to live in a deeply impoverished part of her city in order to bring the light of Jesus’ love to those in need. By moving into the neighborhood, she hoped to work alongside the other residents to develop solutions to their poverty-induced suffering.

I was surprised by her words. I had seen her sacrificial choice of living in an area of higher crime and poverty as selfless and loving—a Christlike choice. However, it seemed that while she called God’s people to justice and love for the poor, her heart had hardened toward people she perceived as rich. She withheld love from people she found difficult to love and relegated the rich to the fringes of God’s kingdom. This was not the first time I had such a conversation with another Christian.

An unquestioned truism in church circles insists that God favors the poor.

However, I am reluctant to accept the word “favor.” It is, of course, not up for debate that God calls His people to give special attention to the poor, the orphans, and the widows.

God knows that our human systems often allow the weakest and most powerless to fall through the cracks of society. He shines a spotlight on those who need extra attention and care so that we do not forget them.

God reminds us that justice requires using any advantages we have to advocate and provide for the marginalized. However, I would like to make a proposition: What if Christians were able to honor the desire of God regarding the poor while still reaching out to those who are wealthy?

Statements like the one made by my friend who said she would never venture into the wealthier zip code of our city give me reason to believe that sometimes Christians unknowingly dehumanize and stereotype the affluent.

It is clear that in the early church both the rich and poor found places to serve God and to advance God’s kingdom, while seeking to maintain a healthy balance of care and concern for those in need. What might that look like today?

50 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

There

are

G o o d W e a lt h y P e o p l e

It was hard for me to hear my friend’s unloving words toward the rich in our city because of my own experience with people who are affluent.

I worked several years at a nonprofit organization that sought large donations from wealthy business people. In my role, I spent considerable time with people I initially found intimidating because of their material ease and comfort. Many had large amounts of money, large houses, designer clothes, and expensive cars. They were CEOs and high-level business people. Many were entrepreneurs, running businesses they had started, and these businesses now provided valued services to their communities, including jobs for dozens or even hundreds of people.

The leaders of our organization understood something important about these wealthy individuals: God had given them a gift for business. These believers wanted to give that gift back to the Lord, for His mission to the world.

Our organization affirmed to these wealthy and socially powerful people that God had a purpose for their divinely bestowed business acumen, for the influence they held in their network of contacts, and for their wise stewardship of the wealth God had given them.

Our organization did not treat these people as human cash machines or as stepping stones on our way toward achieving our ministry goals. It is a temptation for the Church to dehumanize the rich by objectifying them for our ministry purposes.

Seeing people with money as a means to an end is wrong—even when that end is ministry.

It is exploitation.

Instead, our organization saw them as individuals uniquely gifted by God, who yearn for eternal significance beyond the temporal satisfaction of building a business that provides jobs, products, and services. We offered them opportunities to use their wealth, but more importantly, their knowledge, skills, and talents to bring hundreds of thousands more people into God’s kingdom.

Business

as

S a c r e d S pa c e

Because there may be some clergy and lay people who seem to view business and profit-making with suspicion, wealthy people can be sidelined by the church. We risk treating Christian brothers and sisters who are called to the world of business as lesser citizens of God’s kingdom. We often falsely dichotomize the secular and the sacred.

Specifically, we see business as simply a secular venture with no real contact with the sacred world of “ministry.”

In reality, God’s presence and activity are everywhere, including in business. By working in a variety of industries from plumbing to marketing, our fellow believers are carrying the light of God into places where most people in full-time vocational ministry are not able to go.

The

problem with judging

Sometimes it seems the term “greedy rich” is one newly coined word: “greedyrich.”

To some, it is as if you cannot be rich without being greedy, and you can’t be greedy unless you are rich.

You don’t have to be wealthy to be greedy. A middle-class or poor person can be greedy, too. Rather than the size of your bank account or asset portfolio, the only qualification necessary to be tempted toward greed is to be a fallen human.

I also know that not all wealthy people are like the Christian leaders I had the privilege to work alongside. But I do believe it is unfair when we judge an entire ZIP code as “greedy,” or if we judge by outward appearances alone.

Could not the wealthy person we pass on the street be someone who lives on 10 percent of what he or she earns and gives away the other 90 percent (like one of the donors to our ministry organization) and yet have a larger house and more expensive car than we do?

We must examine the root of our uncharitable attitudes toward those with wealth. Perhaps we are intimidated by those who have more money and possessions.

Perhaps we are envious of the wealth and the perceived ease and security of others.

The gospel of Christ can transform our fear or envy (or both) into compassion, love, and a desire to minister to all people, rich or poor. Even those who take security in their own wealth or prestige, whether they claim to be Christians or not, are among the lost that Jesus came to seek and to save. In the Gospels, we see Jesus accepting invitations to the homes of the wealthy. He approached both the poor and the rich with compassion and truth.

In Luke 19, Jesus stopped to acknowledge a wealthy tax collector named Zaccheus out of a crowd of hundreds of people, no doubt many of whom were poor and powerless. On that day, Jesus singled out this corrupt man of wealth (he had stolen much of what he had), and He even invited Himself to eat in Zaccheus’ home. The story concludes with Jesus pronouncing, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

In another famous Gospel scene, Jesus ate a meal in a Pharisee’s home. Pharisees were wealthy, privileged, and powerful religious people. Although the Pharisee is depicted in an uncharitable light, criticizing a woman who broke open a wildly expensive bottle of perfume to wash Jesus’ feet, the fact is that Jesus was there socializing with the wealthy and privileged Pharisee.

An oft-quoted truism is that Jesus spent time with prostitutes and sinners. However, we sometimes forget he spent time with the wealthy and powerful, too.

If we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we must go wherever we are welcome as well.

It just might mean going into “that” part of town, where the “rich people” live.

GINA GRATE POTTENGER editor of the Eurasia Region’s newsletter, Where Worlds Meet, and the former editor of Engage magazine. She and her husband, Andrew, have served as Nazarene missionaries in Germany.

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 51

Wesleyan Lessons on Giving

BOB BROADBOOKS

USA/Canada Regional Director

“G

iving as worship” is much broader than realized at first glance. When we read that phrase, we automatically think of giving our money as an act of worship. However, effective stewardship of our lives goes much deeper than mere money. Wesley, Murphy, and Stanley give us a broader understanding.

Thirty years after preaching his sermon entitled, “The Use of Money,” John Wesley spoke of his concern that Methodists, to some degree, were being faithful in observing the first two points of his sermon, while largely ignoring the third. He said, “Of the three rules which are laid down . . . you may find many that observe the first rule, namely, ‘Gain all you can.’ You may find a few that observe the second, ‘Save all you can.’ But, how many have you found that observe the third rule, ‘Give all you can’? Have you reason to believe that 500 of these are to be found among 50,000 Methodists? And yet nothing can be more plain than that all who observe the first rules without the third will be twofold more the children of hell than ever they were before.”

Wesley famously gave most of his money away while he was alive and urged other Methodists to do the same. He was chagrined to realize that most Methodists were not so generous with their money.

He must have known that saving to hoard will waste away a person’s soul, but saving in order to give will free the soul. This is not just true of money. Generosity in every area brings life.

Nazarene evangelist Mark Murphy has written many songs. One of them is about a little boy who was saddened that he didn’t have any money for the offering

52 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

plate. The next time he went to church, he had a plan. When it came to him, he put the offering plate on the f loor and then stood in it. The boy sings that he will give all of himself to God. E. Stanley Jones said, “You will never live until you go to your own funeral, and then you will come back singing.” His point is that true joy comes with the total surrender of everything we have and everything we are.

There is one more voice we must mention as we reflect on the theme of “Giving as Worship.” The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).

We naturally recoil from surrender, not realizing that the deeper the surrender, the greater the joy. When we finally “give all we can,” as John Wesley reminded, the music is glorious.

The

W

KEYS

to a Better

RETIREMENT

e all know retirement will be here someday, still we put it off.

We’re young or we “can’t afford it right now” or we’re older and it feels like it’s too late to start.

The keys to a good retirement are saving and time. The younger you are, the more time there is for your money to grow. But regardless of your age, beginning a regular, disciplined plan for saving and using the time available between now and the date you plan to use your funds can make the difference in having a comfortable retirement or having to work longer than you’d like.

The Nazarene 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan through Fidelity Investments offers a tax-advantaged means for Nazarene church employees to invest for retirement, and the fee structure is very competitive. Money can be managed aggressively or placed in target-date funds that maintain an appropriate mix of investments depending on age and when you choose to retire.

No amount is too small to invest in this plan. What’s important is saving something and doing it consistently over time. As you get older, perhaps you can increase the amount you contribute, and if your church employer adds to your savings, your funds will grow even faster.

Find out more by visiting pbusa.org and selecting the Benefit Plans tab, followed by the Retirement tab. Or have a conversation with us at 888-888-4656 or pensions@nazarene.org.

Pensions and Benefits USA

Church of the Nazarene

A Century of Serving Those Who Serve 1919-2019

17001 Prairie Star Parkway – Lenexa, KS 66220 – 888-888-4656 – pensions@nazarene.org

USA/Canada Regional Office Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, KS 66220

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