Philosophy of scarcity or abundance?

Do we live a philosophy of scarcity or a philosophy of abundance? The difference became apparent to me when I learned of the difficulty that missionaries faced in Bolivia in the late 1960's. The farmers harvested their "potato" crop long before the "potatoes" matured.

They feared their neighbors would arrive in the dark of night and steal their crop. Neither the farmers nor their neighbors believed there was enough for everyone. Therefore, they harvested their crops prematurely and there was insufficient food for everyone. Their fear induced behavior produced the results they anticipated.

Fear and anxiety hang over many people in this country. The global recession caused many individuals and companies to collapse. Some congregations suffered from the same malady. They made bad decisions, assumed they would experience significant future growth, and these new members would be very generous contributors to the church's desired future. The recession hit and their response was to cut ministries and focus their energy on finding sufficient money to meet their financial obligations instead of concentrating on God's mission and calling.

God promises to meet our needs, but not our wants and wishes. God provides sufficient resources so that no one needs to go hungry, without shelter, or deprived of an education. God provides, but God assumes that we are willing to take only what we need and share with those who do not have what they need. God expects us to keep our eyes and hearts focused on our mission instead of allowing our fears and anxieties to lead us into acting as if God is unable to provide for our needs.

Several years ago a congregation invited me to consult with them about designing strategies for their congregation's future. It became obvious that the leaders were unable to envision big hairy audacious goals. Everything was restricted by what the leaders believed they could afford. Even when I urged, begged, and pleaded with them to allow an awesome God to use them in ways they had never known before; they were unable to shake off the philosophy of scarcity. They did not have enough money and could not imagine carrying out the ministries without the infusion of far more money than they had ever known before.

This philosophy of scarcity is contrasted with another congregation in the community that believed God would provide. They dreamed of doing ministries that some thought were impossible. They refused to allow the lack of financial resources to curtail their assurance that God would transform the lives of individuals in their communities beyond their wildest expectations. They learned to do many of the ministries without additional money. They became the resource people instead of hiring individuals to do the ministry for them. They learned leadership skills they did not know they possessed. Those big hairy audacious goals became a reality.

We worship and follow an awesome God. Our God provides for our needs. As Eugene Petersen paraphrases Paul in his letter to the Church at Corinth, "Just think-you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale" (I Corinthians 1:7).

Grace & Peace,

--by Bishop Max Whitfield

To comment on the Bishop's Blog, send an email message to karla@nwtxconf.org Your comment may be published on this website.

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Miss Lladale Carey

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Year-round Stewardship Made Easy

There is no doubt that church committee work is cyclical and this is absolutely true for Stewardship Committees. After Labor Day they start to get organized, are busy in October and November, are done by Thanksgiving or so and are back to sleep before the Christmas decorations are put away. Afterall, there is really nothing to be done stewardship-wise the rest of the year, right?. Of course there is. To help guide you the rest of the year the Foundation has developed the Five Star Stewardship Award. The program has 17 activities, ranging from having a stewardship campaign to developing a narrative budget to having the children and youth take on a fund raising project for missions. Some activities are required, having a campaign and a budget, for instance while others are optional. Each activity has a point value, and any church earning 150 points earns Five Star recognition. For you over achievers out there (and you know who you are) the church with the most points in each district will be recognized as a Gold Star church. And Five Diamond status will go to the church in the Conference with the most points. The Foundation will make a matching gift to a mission project supported by it. There are almost 800 churches in the Conference, so earning this recognition will require a significant commitment. But the point here really isn’t to earn points. It is designed to lift up 17 possible things your stewardship committee can be doing to strengthen the church. Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised to know that many of the activities are based in three areas that I think are important: missions, financial transparency, and talking about money. Each church in the Conference will receive a complete packet in the mail this week, but if you just can’t wait, you can download the Program Description, the Tally Sheet and even a Spreadsheet to help you evaluate your past success. As of two weeks ago I am once again chairing my church’s Stewardship Committee and I know that this program will be a centerpiece of our activities for the year. I hope it is for you as well. --Brian D. Sheetz, Executive Director, East Ohio United Methodist Foundation God Is Still In Control! Miss Lladale Carey Web Content Producer UMCGiving.org United Methodist Communications lcarey@umcom.org

Lifeguard

Trust and Joy in the Midst of Trouble

“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation” Habakkuk 3: 17-18, NRSV

This scripture reminds me about something that happened when I was about 8 years old. I took swimming lessons at the YMCA in West Philadelphia, near 52nd and Market Streets. I progressed well enough to move to the deep end of the pool. I was afraid, but I went out on the diving board, closed my eyes, and jumped in anyway. I touched bottom, but couldn’t get to the surface quickly enough. I felt like I was drowning. The lifeguard was watching and put a pole in the water and pulled me out in what seemed to be just in the nick of time.

Sometimes We Need Saving

Some days we may feel overcome by the things life brings our way. Situations or conditions occur that we did not anticipate and cannot resolve by our own efforts alone. We need a lifeguard...one who is watching over us and knows just what we need. Habakkuk prays the prayer of a man overcome by realities his people were facing. So much pain, so much destruction, so little hope. Yet, as he listened to God’s response to his cries, he was reminded that God was watching over them and would not let them be overcome.

Sometimes We are Called to Be the Savior

There are situations and circumstances occurring all over our world that make us want to cry out some days, “How long, O Lord? How long?” News reports of young wives in one Middle Eastern country for whom suicide is preferable to a life of abuse with their husbands. Young people in the U.S. who are giving up on life as a result of being bullied on the internet or at school. And millions still suffering from poverty and its diseases, stresses and pain. Yet, we have a Savior, one who guards our lives and watches over us and all creation. It is our task to grab the pole. The pole of prayer, or the pole of scripture, or the pole of fasting, or the pole of service, or the pole of worship. In this way, we can continue learning how to swim in the shallow and the deep waters of life. We can be witnesses to those struggling or in despair, and help them understand that no matter how difficult things can be, God is with them. We can speak to the powers that be for justice and rightness with God. And we can offer the love that Christ has so freely given to us.

We never know when God will be our lifeguard or use us as a lifeguard for others.

--adapted from a SoulFood article by Bishop Linda Lee, WI Ann Conf

God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
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UMCGiving.org
United Methodist Communications
lcarey@umcom.org

Making Room

Welcoming new people into our churches and making room for them might mean metaphorically and/or literally that we will have to rearrange the furniture, use some of our fancy plates and silverware, put out more food and coffee, and learn some new recipes and ways of eating, but in the end we will rejoice because we will be blessed with the love of God and the presence of HIS SON our Savior Jesus Christ.

When I lived in Mexico, one of my favorite Christmas traditions to participate in were Las Posadas (translated literally: the lodgings). Las Posadas consists of nine processions that take place every night before Christmas from December 16th to the 24th. These processions represent Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and their search to find a place to stay. Each night the journey is reenacted. People representing Mary and Joseph and rest of the procession of people go door to door asking for a place to stay until one family finally lets them. When the family lets Mary and Joseph and the procession of people into their house, they all celebrate, worship, eat, and fellowship together. The next night, a different family has the honor of hosting the celebration at their house.

When the procession goes from door to door they sing a song. The song goes along with the reenactment. When the procession arrives at the first house, they sing the first verse and the people inside the house respond to them that there is no room and so the procession goes to the next house and the next house until they arrive at the last house where they are finally let in to the house.

Outside the first house the people sing:

“In the blessed name of heav’n, I beg you, sir, let us in for the night, for my beloved Mary is with child, and is unable to go any further tonight.”

Inside the first house the people sing:

“I don’t have a room for you; please do not stop here, just move on your way. The doors are closed, I’m settled for the night. I will not open for fear that you might be some knave.”

Outside the last house the people sing:

“Please have pity my good friend, she is so weary, so worn and so cold. Her time is near, and soon she will give birth to a dear Child who will be the true Light of the world.”

Inside the last house the people sing:

“You are Joseph of Nazareth? With your beloved about to give birth? Enter, my friends, I failed to recognize One who will bring love and peace and good will to the earth.”

Then the people in the inside of the house welcome in Joseph and Mary and the possession of people by singing:

“Welcome, pilgrims to this shelter, let it peace to you impart. Though a poor and lowly dwelling, it is offered from the heart!”

And together everyone sings in great joy:

“Let us sing with rejoicing, Let our songs our joy convey, for the blessed Holy Family chose to honor us this day!”

This tradition helps us to reflect on how we respond to knocks at our door. How do we respond? How do our churches respond? Do we say that there is no room or do we make room?

As the Hispanic-Latino Missionary working in the Detroit Conference, I have seen the joy, the celebration, and the transformation that can happen when churches make room for pilgrims, for immigrants who are looking for a place of shelter and hospitality, for people who are looking for a loving Christian family because they are far away from their families.

Welcoming new people into our churches and making room for them might mean metaphorically and/or literally that we will have to rearrange the furniture, use some of our fancy plates and silverware, put out more food and coffee, and learn some new recipes and ways of eating, but in the end we will rejoice because we will be blessed with the love of God and the presence of HIS SON our Savior Jesus Christ.

I have created a guide for developing Hispanic/Latino Ministries called Making Room at the Table, which can be found by clicking here. . If you would like me to come and speak to your church about Hispanic/Latino Ministries please contact me at sluna@detroitconference.org .

For more information about Hispanic/Latino Religious Traditions such as Las Posadas and for the lyrics of the Las Posadas Song see the book- Fiesta Cristiana: Recursos para la Adoración Resources for Worship by Joel N. Martínez and Raquel M. Martínez (2003, Abingdon Press).

--Sonya Luna is a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church serving through the National Plan for Hispanic and Latino Ministries (NPHLM) in the Detroit Annual Conference.

God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey

Web Content Producer

UMCGiving.org

United Methodist Communications

lcarey@umcom.org

United Methodist Student Day and Others

I attended the Connectional Table meeting in Nashville in November. We heard a great report from the Call to Action Committee and tweaked its implementation. After that we met jointly with the General Council on Finance & Administration to begin budgeting for General Conference 2012 and the next quadrennium. One of the things that jumped out at me was a proposal to eliminate the 6 churchwide special Sundays that have offerings: Human Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing, World Communion Sunday, United Methodist Student Day, Peace with Justice Sunday, and Native American Ministries Sunday.

It was reported that these Sundays would continue to be observed but that their budgets would be rolled into an unified budget for the denomination. It was suggested that these causes could possibly receive more money this way. I am not convinced, but I am open-minded. Of particular concern to me are 3 of the offerings: Native American Ministries Sunday, Peace with Justice Sunday, and United Methodist Student Day. The first two are extremely important because they are the only 2 of the 6 that 50% of the monies received go back to the Annual Conference. If the Call to Action Report is all about strengthening local churches and empowering Annual Conferences in their helping local churches to do ministry then it seems logical to me to retain these two Special Sundays. I have been on our Annual Conference Committee on Native American Ministries for years and I know that we need the 50% money to operate and provide ministry to American Indians in South Carolina. I'm sure the same is true for Peace with Justice ministries.

Putting a face on offerings usually means a larger offering. I especially feel that is true when I and others of our Native American Committee are invited to speak in churches. The other offering that I want to lift up is United Methodist Student Day. Every church that I have served has had persons who have received United Methodist scholarships or a loan from the United Methodist Student Loan Fund. These monies make a difference with our young adults - one of the very groups that the Call to Action Committee has identified as vital to the United Methodist Church. If we expect one of our 4 Focus areas to be fulfilled: "Developing New Leaders," then United Methodist Student Day should not only survive but thrive.

We are the only denomination in all of Christianity that was founded on a college campus, Lincoln College at Oxford University. We need to support United Methodist Students and, of course, our campus ministries! My daughter is the Wesley Foundation Director at Winthrop University. Four of her former students are in seminary right now! She is developing new leaders for the church and on a shoe-string budget. Our Annual Conference has cut program money (about $850 a month) for all campus ministries for 2011. I pray that we can make up the shortfall. In a time when everyone is concerned about keeping their church doors open and being lean with ministry, this is a critical area that doesn't need to be cut short. These are the students and ministries that have some of the least discretionary monies available.

--excerpt from a Blog by Tim McClendon
Read More of McClendon's Blog here.

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Miss Lladale Carey
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UMCGiving.org
United Methodist Communications
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Wesley's Means of Grace helps us 'light up the darkness'

The sparkling oversized ring was one of the prized possessions of the “princess.” It was much too big for her tiny finger. It dominated her hand but she wore it everywhere. Twenty four hours a day. With every outfit. She was never without it. She was very proud of the ring and enjoyed showing it to everyone.

After her two week visit we stood in line with her at the airport. As we waited to check in for her return flight, she took the ring off her finger and handed it to my wife. With her words, “You can have it,” a lump formed in my throat and tears came to my eyes. I looked at Lena and I knew she was about to lose it, too.

The ring was one of the treasures of the “princess” and she gave it away.

After gaining control of her emotions Lena did all one can do in response to such an unselfish and generous act. She said, “Thank you. I will take good care of it.”

The ring had very little monetary worth but four year old Felicia valued it highly. And she gave it to her Nana as she returned to her “Tokyo house” at the end of the holiday visit. It represented a love that is priceless.

Dr. Lovett Weems, director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, told a group of United Methodist leaders last week that their task was to be “stewards of the Wesleyan witness of holiness of heart and life.” He intimated that our Methodist heritage was a precious treasure that had been entrusted to us. The early Methodist circuit riders were charged to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land. It is our responsibility and privilege to do the same.

We who have experienced the transforming grace of Christ are called to faithful living and to fruitful practices that help others to see and come to know Jesus.

John Wesley emphasized repeatable activities that draw us near to God and send us to serve others. He taught the Means of Grace as ways that Christians open their hearts and lives to God's work in them. These practices can be divided into two broad categories, with individual and communal components: Works of Piety and Works of Mercy.

Works of Piety such as prayer, fasting, studying the Bible, regular observance of Holy Communion, and Christian conferencing (community) are spiritual disciplines that keep us centered on Jesus Christ, the object of our faith.

Works of Mercy, such as visiting the sick and imprisoned, feeding and clothing those in need, giving generously, and seeking justice for oppressed people are ways that we let our light shine.

“Our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus ... It started when God said, ‘Light up the darkness!’ and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful … We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives (2 Corinthians 4:5-7, The Message)."

We have this treasure in earthen vessels. What an awesome privilege and responsibility. Lord, help us to be faithful and fruitful!

--Jamie Jenkins, North GA Ann Conf

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Miss Lladale Carey
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United Methodist Communications
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Giving breaks the temptation of greed

“The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7a)

Sherry often walked away from a night of volunteering at the Food Pantry wondering why she had given up such precious time to deal with such difficult situations. Then there were nights like last night, when the people were so very appreciative and thankful for what they received. She pulled out her calendar and automatically planned to be there again in two weeks. Whether it was a good night or a challenging night, she was always reminded of what a difference this ministry makes in the lives of real people, and she was happy to volunteer.

As we journey through the holiday season, we tend to focus primarily on the material gifts we can give one another. Yet we are also reminded that as disciples, we are called to give of ourselves – our time and talents, not just our treasures.

When we think about the gifts we can bring to the church, it is important for us to remember the value of our time. And it is important for us to give thanks for the time that some of our members give to the church. Without the precious volunteers who give so many hours of labor to the church, we would fail! We could not afford to buy all the good will, the energy, the creative talents, and the hard work that many of our members freely give to the church. Our volunteers give critical support to our ministries by teaching classes and leading youth groups, singing and playing in various choirs, cooking and serving meals, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, working in the nursery, assembling newsletters, and so much more!

Take a moment during the season of Thanksgiving to say “thank you” to the men and women who share the most precious gift of all in the name of Christ. For the gift of time is priceless!

--Wisconsin Ann Conf

God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey

Web Content Producer

UMCGiving.org

United Methodist Communications

lcarey@umco.org