Todd Adams: We serve a God of abundance | Faith & Leadership

As we face uncertain times -- as churches and as individuals -- what does that mean for our Christian stewardship and giving? Do we cut back or not? As congregations face difficult times, they cut costs, and when they cut costs they tend to cut mission spending -- both locally and globally.

Todd Adams, Associate General Minister and Vice President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) -- and a new friend for me -- addresses the question of abundance in a time of scarcity in an interview posted at Duke's Faith & Leadership website.

He speaks there of the roller coaster that we're facing, and the difficulty of juggling resources. He makes two points that I'd like to note and then I'll invite you to check out the interview (which includes a short video excerpt).
First, he notes that when we cut mission giving because we need to tighten the belt, we need to ask what signals we're sending to our members -- who are also tightening their belts. Will that encourage them to cut back on giving to the church and its ministries?
Second, he raises the question of ministries in the church. He notes that the General Church of the Christian Church (we call it general because our "national" church covers both the US and Canada, and Canadian churches don't appreciate being lumped into an American national church) have been cutting back on spending and on certain programs. He asks the question -- if we were to start afresh, would we start these programs? Too often we let programs and ministries continue on long after they have served their purpose in our churches. They consume time, energy, money, but don't deliver the ministry they once did. He notes how revitalization occurred in the church he pastored in Houston, when they restructured to fit the congregation as it was, positioning it for a new future.
It's an interesting conversation that is worth examining and discussing.

Todd Adams: We serve a God of abundance Faith & Leadership

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Ending a mission that isn't needed any more should be a joyous thing- a cause for great celebration.
If it wasn’t effective in the first place, consider it an opportunity to reflect and redirect.
I would be more likely to continue give at prenent levels or higher if these things were done in a timely manner.
I don’t have any local programs in mind, purely hypothetical. Like most/ many, I do give outside the church too. If I thought the United Way was wasting lots, I would redirect.

Hey, I met that guy. He was very pleasant.


David Mc
Anonymous said…
Hey, This is sort of off topic, but that never stops me.

Check out this new theological advice from the American Psychological Association-

Psychologists repudiate gay-to-straight therapy

...Instead, the APA is urging therapists to consider multiple options — that could range from celibacy to switching churches — for helping clients whose sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090805/ap_on_re_us/us_psychologists_gays

David Mc
Steve said…
David, here's a blog you may find helpful.
http://www.waynebesen.com/
Anonymous said…
Thanks Steve, that was a good read, full of simple truth. David Mc
Jason Lewis said…
At times like this we have an opportunity to dig deeper into the relationship between our faith and finances.

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