Reflections during a Sinking Economy

As I talked with the pastor, whom I’ll call Andy, his insights challenged my own thinking. A newspaper article had focused on the gloom and doom of multiple churches that were not making budget.

“Even the few churches in our area that claim to be meeting budget are probably not doing so,” Andy suggested.

“Something else is really happening. But look at it another way. We get to the annual budget meeting. We’re over a hundred thousand under projections, but we didn’t overspend what we received. So which is more motivational? To say we’re a hundred and thirty thousand under in our giving? Or that we finished the year in the black?!!”

“Aha!” I exclaimed. “So people try to dig up the ‘woe is me’ story, and you come back with how God is doing new stuff!”