Economy

As I write this, we don’t yet know what the week will bring to the stock market. Will it continue to plummet? I certainly don’t know, but one thing I do know is that God is still in control! Churches all across the country are in the time of year where budget setting and stewardship campaigns begin to take place. In an uncertain economy will people still pledge? I don’t know. One thing I do know is that God is control! Should we make our budgets based upon our pledges or based upon what we want to accomplish for God in the next year? If we limit our vision to the money that has been promised, does that leave room for faith? I grew up in a congregation that never had a pledge campaign, instead, they presented a “faith” budget detailing what they wanted to accomplish and then had the faith that God would provide for their needs.

I think it is time for us to plan and budget, not based on what monies have been promised, but to trust God to provide for our plans and to dream big. Will everyone be comfortable with this approach? I doubt it! And doubt is the key word. We have become comfortable in our faith and are no longer willing (at least for the most part) to truly have FAITH. Faith that allows us to at least step out of the boat, even if we don’t have the faith to keep on walking on the waves; faith to let God be God and to trust Him for our needs.

Will a faith budget work? I don’t know for sure, but one thing I do know—God is in control!