Stewardship

Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, sets forth counsel about making year-contributions. Give to your local church first, he writes, and be fully informed about ministries making an appeal for your support.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- The church budgeting process ranks fairly low on the list of a minister's most motivating and inspiring experiences. Pastors will line up to deliver a message, shepherd the hurting, pray for the wayward and lead the body forward. However, if a pastor lies awake at night thinking of the church budget, it's often for the wrong reasons. For many churches, the budgeting process begins with ministry ...

"If you claim the tithe is passé -- and by that you mean we should all give more than a tithe, I agree," writes Jeff Iorg. "But if you use the claim to excuse your selfishness -- giving less than even a legalist would give -- I disagree."

We must do all we can to ensure that everyone—regardless of who they are or the struggles they face—knows they are not alone.

In stewardship, Missouri Baptist executive director John Yeats writes, "we are individually and collectively engaged in something much greater than ourselves." Southern Baptists' Cooperative Program "gives our churches the methodology to advance the Kingdom of our God for generations and for people who live here and over there," Yeats writes.

There are many reasons why we are not always enthusiastic about giving.