Why we gave away £10,000 to another church

(I wrote this in response to a number of people contacting me to ask why we had done this today. This is not meant to be a boast, but we pray it would challenge and inspire. If you feel it's boastful then please forgive me and leave a comment and I'll pull the article )

 This morning my colleagues and I dropped into the staff meeting at All Nations church to take a £10k gift from our church to theirs. Our church Meeting (we are Baptists remember...) had talked it through and felt that this was the level of gift we should give.

Are we awash with cash? No.

Are we planning our own rebuilding programme soon? Yes.

Would it have been easier to hold onto that cash as we build up our own reserves to rebuild? Undoubtedly, yes!

So, why did we do it?

Firstly, we are aware that as we enter our own programme of rebuilding there is a strong temptation to focus solely on our own need. In giving away first we remind ourselves that we serve a God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Our rebuilding will not be done just because of our own abilities, but because God guides us and provides for us.

Simon Pearce, our Finance Manager,
hands a cheque to Pastor Steve Uppal
Secondly, we worship a God of incredible generosity. He held nothing back in coming to earth, living as a human, demonstrating how to live, how to love, how to serve, how to win the victory over sin and death. He gave everything for us, and continues to provide all we have, all we need. Our decision to give is a reflection of the generous nature of the one we follow.

Thirdly, we were very keen to express something of what it means to build God's Kingdom, rather than establishing our own empires. In giving this gift we want to demonstrate that competition has no place in the family Jesus is building, that the success of one congregation is a success for all churches in the city. 

Finally, we love the folks at All Nations, and we honour them for pursuing a big vision of what God can do in the city. There is simply no way that they will see the fulfilment of their vision without the Church across the whole city being blessed.

Today was a good day for them, but also a good day for us, and a very good day for the work of Jesus in the city of Wolverhampton.

Be blessed, be a blessing.

Comments

Sue said…
Well said Jonathan, we are all God's children.
17/11/15 19:25
jerseygirl said…
Bless you all at your church and your leadership. Yes, God has given all to us and as we bless others He will always bless us a hundred fold, maybe not in like manner with funds but it will be what He thiinks we need at the time. I have no doubt that you are all extremely sensitive to the Holly Spirit there hence your amazing gift to All Nations Church so I know that in your conversations with the Lord about your own building program you will hear His voice, do His will and He will bless you as you continue to obey Him. Thanks so much for this wonderful post. You are such a wonderful and much needed example within the body of Christ today! I pray that more churches will follow this Christ-like love which you have demonstrated and realize that we have a responsability to one another in the Lord and not just to ourselves.
In the Strong Name of Jesus, Alicia Renkema
17/11/15 20:47
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