Photo by TMAB2003 (Creative Commons) Many of us within the simple/organic church movement are so scared of organization and denominationalism that we have failed to work together to take financial responsibility for those from our midst who, according to Scripture, "deserve their wages." As a result, some of these people are either unable to put… Read More
"I think that God wants my wife and I to start up a network of house churches in a small town in northern South Australia. I am keen that these groups don't become inward looking, but give money (and time, energy, and prayer) away to needs within the local community and further afield. I'm of… Read More
I've almost finished this series on finance, and would like to know if there's any particular subject you would like us to explore together. Let me know… Many thanks to all who prayed for our time in Mexico. We had a great time with an awesome group of people who are making a difference in… Read More
Frank posted this extraordinary story–a demonstration of how God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, including the workplace–on an earlier post. It is all the more unusual because it happened in the UK. "In the early 80s, whilst out working, God clearly gave me a revelation for a business. The idea was… Read More
Categories
When Christian giving corrupts
Sometimes damage is done by well-meaning Christians giving their money in the wrong places. Example: if a church planting movement is dependent on outside funds to pay their church planters, there is a natural (financial) limitation as to how many church planters can be involved. This will limit the growth of what is going on.… Read More
It reinforces or creates a clergy/laity distinction. It can cause others to aspire to "move up the ladder" spiritually. Others in the body are tempted to let the paid person do all the work (after all, they are paid to do it!) Within a network of simple/house churches, there isn't enough work to do to… Read More
Photo credit (Creative Commons) swisscan We have some friends who think that because my husband, Tony, runs a business that supports us, we are somehow missing out on the best God has for us. "How much more you could accomplish for God," they imply or say outright, "if you were full time in ministry." Maybe they… Read More
Photo: Creative Commons vaXzine Perhaps because my husband, Tony, is a businessman, we regularly have Christians approach us: "God gave me this idea for a business. What do you think?" Sometimes it's a product they think everyone will buy. Sometimes a technology or a service. So we ask them some apparently non-spiritual questions? Do you have… Read More
Christian religious leaders will commit an estimated $34 billion in fraud in 2011 compared to $31 billion spent on global missions. (http://bit.ly/nPMSkp). Enough said!
Categories
About
I was born and brought up in the UK. On my first day of medical school at the Royal and Ancient Hospital of St. Bartholomew (Barts), I met my husband, Tony, and it was love at first sight (well, almost)! We married three years later. We had our first experience of church planting in the… Read More