Stewardship: It's about $

Here at Mt Albert (The Meeting House) we are working up to a Planned Giving Program. That means that at some time we have to preach/teach about giving and MONEY! It doesn't matter where you are in the world, or what the culture, when you speak about money there are people in the Church that would seem to prefer that the world come to an end, rather than give up some control on their wallet.

I know that Planned Giving is about stewardship and stewardship is everything you do with everything you have and are. I know that it's about giving of time and talents as much as it is about money. And I believe it, and preach it loud. I know it's about being a good steward of all that God has generously given me, all that I am and all of God's creation. But let's not kid ourselves - we want to see more people giving more money.

And I don't think we should apologise for saying so. Jesus didn't! The Church, (MT Albert) needs the money to sustain it's ministries.

So by all means give God your time, make your talents available to the Church - but then do the harder thing and give your money too.

A Priority for Transformation

We are born into this world naked and equal, but we live in it utterly unequally, and it cannot be said that we do this out of free choice. The inequality is imposed by a whole host of forces, most of which can be identified, and many of which can be controlled, if not reversed and obliterated. (Kennedy, 1989:425)

As a community development practitioner I need to believe that a particular situation, inequality or disadvantage can be controlled, reversed, or obliterated and as a result the context transformed.

Surely this same desire for contextual and individual transformation, and the deep seated belief that circumstances can be improved, resonates in the spirit of every Salvationist? It must be this conviction and this hope, which motivates the actions of every Salvationist.

It is this priority for transformation that makes every Salvationist a community, and human capacity developer. (I sure don't do it for the financial gain!)