Earlier, I ranted and raved about how you should give CASH DOLLARS to your church community, and I just went ON and ON about who exactly that might be and how you might give to them.
It was fantastic. What a blessing for you. You’re welcome.
NOW I want to go FARTHER into your giving strategy. I think a great sadness is that, because of the teachings from the local church house (which according to books like The Open Church, didn’t exist in any form outside the home until the 390s), agency and responsibility has been extracted from homes (read: families (read: fathers)) and re-assigned to an external organization. The local religious organization has co-opted you in many ways:
- They educate your children spiritually (which you’re supposed to do),
- They handle spiritually serving the Body of Christ (which you’re supposed to do),
- They handle leading in Kingdom ventures (which you’re supposed to do), and
- They handle re-distributing money… which YOU’RE supposed to do.
From this point on, I’m going to act like living out the administration of the Kingdom is YOUR problem, and that you’ll answer straight to God on what His Kingdom looks like in your locale. (As if, you know, God was making His appeal straight through you…) So please do not interrupt today’s diatribe with “but my church/religious organization…” I’m not talking about them; I’m talking about YOU.
Flex your muscles, boys. I’ll remind you that a Big Packet of Money will go through your hands this year, and what happens with it is ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. That’s power. I’m going to assume from this point that you understand, based on your thorough digestion of Part 2 of this series, that giving to your community of faith is Quite Important and that we can proceed from there. So let’s do it.
The aspect of giving we’re going to forge into today might be the most fun of all them. It’s an aspect that’s entirely up to you (giving to your church community isn’t player’s choice; it’s assumed. And next week’s subject, “Giving To God’s Concerns” is, well… defined by God, not you), and you can do with it as you please. For somebody with vision, it’s a way to pour fuel to your interests (but can feel paralyzing for someone who’s never considered it). It’s one of the best ways you can put a dent in the world… and it’s virtually unexplored territory by much of the Bride of Christ. It’s… (you ready for this?)… It’s GIVING TO YOUR VISION.
I’m a believer in understanding (best you can; it’s never complete or perfect) exactly why God has you here. Yes, yes, you’re supposed to be a servant, and you’re supposed to look like Jesus, and you’re supposed to make disciples and lead… but HOW? We’re all different, and each man is a unique combo of gifts, skills, and personality. Again, each married couple is still more varied in its combination of gifts and proclivities. And each FAMILY is… well, there are simply no two families exactly alike. So:
Why has God put YOUR family on planet earth? Have you ever asked that question? (I’m pretty sure the answer is NOT, “because clothes need wearing, food needs eating, and Disneyland needs another batch of customers”.) Your family team exists because there’s a specific aroma God wants on this planet at this time… and you’ve got it inside your collective.
If you lump together the specific gifts and callings of your family, and can find a throughline in there, we call that your Family Mission. Here’s a few examples:
The Smith Family exists to call prodigals home to the Kingdom of Christ.
The Fowler Family exists to reproduce godly leadership in the marketplace.
The Winger Family exists to shepherd new believers into mature families.
Or
The Manuel Family exists to create environments where disciples of Jesus can be formed.
Now, these “Mission Statements” evolve, and different seasons of life produce different missions. (“The Joneses exist to keep 5 small children alive and put some Bible verses in them as we can fit it in between feedings and diaper changes” is not a joke; it’s a reality for one stage of a large family’s life.) But let’s just say for today’s purposes that you’ve got a good, concrete mission statement and you’ve found it to be the perfect heading for the last 3 years. Like:
The Oaxaca Family exists to exalt the Word of God in our neighborhood and networks.
Very strong statement there (and very strong surname!); I would assume that at least dad is gifted as a teacher, if not the majority of the members of this family. So they are a teacher family! Wonderful; we desperately need those. I would expect that this family does stuff like:
- Hosts a pre-teen girls Bible study with mom (Renata) and daughter (Sofia Fernanda) leading the way. (I’m totally making these names up. It’s fun.)
- Dad teaching through the epistles at the church house (Primera Iglesia Bautista of Greenville, NC)
- A dedicated study hour during their sabbath.
- Etc.
You get the idea: They love that Bible! And they work their gifts and calling into every part of their family’s rhythms and efforts!
Here comes the fun part.
So if God put the Oaxaca family on earth to make much of His Word… what should they do with their money set aside for giving? Should they just dumbly write a check to the local churchhouse and be done with it?
NO!!!
They should exploit ALLLLLL their capitals to execute their God-given mission! Imagine the wonderful things they could do to push their family’s teaching mission forward with cash dollars! They could:
- Buy Bibles for all the girls in Sofia Fernanda’s group!
- Make dad’s church content more robust with some sweet software, or visual aides, or a study program for dad!
- Give to Gideons, who pass out free Bibles all over the frankin’ WORLD.
- Give to The Bible League, who also give out Bibles, and train pastors around the world (who could never otherwise have access to scriptural training)!
- Create a mission trip for expounding on, and handing out, God’s Word in a nearby city. Heck, invite the girls from the Bible study!
- Give to Wycliffe Bible Translators (did you know that over 2,000 languages on planet earth have yet to have a Bible translation STARTED?)
- Take a family trip with any of the above groups, or go visit the (killer) Museum of the Bible in D.C.! Or to Israel where dad (Guillermo) can learn all sorts of awesome Bible stuff right at the source!
- ANYTHING that spurs on the Oaxaca family and furthers their mission to exalt the Word of God in their networks or neighborhood!
Can you see how amazing this is!? Just DREAM of the possibilities for YOUR family’s mission!! What if you plunked actual CASH MONIES down to further God’s mission in and out of your family!? It could be so great! Just imagine:
What if all the evangelists you knew were actively pushing out the gospel in fun, culturally-current, meet-them-where-they-are ways?
What if all the apostles you knew were funded to put feet to their God-inspired dreams of Kingdom expansion?
What if all the prophets you knew were going wherever they felt Holy Spirit Ground Zero was, getting the download from God then having the time and platform to megaphone it out to the rest of us?
Wouldn’t that be AB-MAZE-INK?
Yes, it would. You’ll note that, above, I’ve got people going on several trips in an effort to live out their family calling/vision. This, too, is quite Biblical, as God MANDATED (didn’t suggest) that His people burn an ENTIRE TITHE going on a family spiritual trip annually. It’s all right here; read it for yourself. This tithe was to be consumed by your family, as you went somewhere to seek the LORD. So… maybe that’s a conference you go to as a family! Or a long, spiritually oriented visit to a church of someone in your church community (see previous post)! Or a historical road trip to see, for instance, sites of the Second Great Awakening reival! All are great uses of this money!
“B-but I th-thought that ‘giving the tithe’ only meant giving money to the local church!!” you stammer. Well you th-thought wrong br-br-bro! “Giving to the LORD’s work” includes funding the work He wants done in and through your home! Ever thought of that one, Ernesto? Well wake up pal!
And THAT’s why you should give to your vision! It’s what you’re here for!
Tune in next time for even more of my great ideas for spending your hard earned money in wonderful ways!
