Finance Article: IMPACT


Last week I and a few others from the church went to a seminar about how to help the church be in a better place financially.  The speaker was Dr. J. Clif Christopher, and he did a great job.  He has written several books and made several good points.  I would encourage you to look him up.

This seminar made me think of the article I wrote a couple of months ago. Do you remember the one that talked about how we should share gifts of financial resources where ever we feel led, not just to the church?  One of the points I took away from the seminar was that writing an article talking about giving without reluctance or compulsion  in celebration of God’s generosity to wherever you decide in your heart may have been  just plain dumb!

You could have taken that article as me saying to give your money to the competition, and I was, if that is where your heart is.   The speaker pointed out there is over 1.5 million non-profit organizations in America and we are competing with every single one of them.  Many of these organizations do great things.  They feed the hungry and they house the homeless.  They support good causes, but is that were your heart is?
Another point that Dr. Christopher made was we should not talk about our need.  We should only talk about positive stories.  We should focus on our IMPACT not on the elements that are needed to cause that impact, and certainly we shouldn’t talk about how much is needed to make that IMPACT.

I kind of agree and disagree with Dr. Christopher on these points.  And the reason is I believe your hearts are with this church.  I believe you are this church, and as such can handle all the information.  So let’s look at 2 Corinthians 9:7:
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Yeah, I know this was one of Paul’s letters “scolding” the church of Corinth, but I believe this verse is a framework for what our mind set should be about giving.  I also believe that if Paul was writing this now he would have to say, each of you should give what/where you have decided in your heart to give (not sure there were 1.5 million nonprofits in existence back then).  I also believe the church is in your hearts because your hearts are the church, and your hearts are what make the IMPACT we have on our community and the world possible.

I do agree with Dr. Christopher that we need to talk about the IMPACT.  You may recall recently we had some homeless families stay with us through IHN.  I was in the building early one morning setting up for the all church workday we had and the families were eating breakfast.  Phil Sell and Paul Lucas walked through the main doors and three or four of the kids got up (from over by the kitchen) and ran to great them, giving them hugs, and high fives.  You would have thought it was there two favorite uncles coming to visit.  Paul and Phil had established a relationship with these kids in just two weeks.  They had given them a since of family.  They had planted a seed.  And just maybe, when these kids grow up they will remember the love and compassion that was shown to them by Paul, Phil, and many more of you that served with IHN, and just maybe the love they received will help them walk a little differently as adults.  Now that is IMPACT. Sure we housed them, fed them, and provided transportation for them, but many of those 1.5 million nonprofits could have done that.  However, I think few if any of those nonprofits could have provided the love and compassion that our family did.
That is impact that is only possible with your gifts of financial resources, time, and talent.  Thank you, for your IMPACT.


Brandon


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