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I'm not sure there's enough talk about money. Talking about
money with other Christians in our churches might help us through some
of the difficulties we have about money. Money has somehow been
separated from our spirituality. We need to see it as a resource to
be used to better the world. We need to think more about how we can
use our resources where they are really needed. That requires us to
examine our beliefs and attitudes, just as we examine every other
aspect of living as disciples of Jesus. It's important to ask
ourselves, "How would God have us use our money?" just as we
ask for God's wisdom when we decide other ethical or moral questions.
Your financial gifts are used in literally hundreds of ways.
Your local church offering envelope or pledge card allows you to
designate your gift to the general fund or another use, such as a
building fund. Gifts to your church's general fund will be spent, as
planned in your congregation's budget, for local church operations,
programs, pastor and staff salaries, education, outreach, and
benevolent and mission giving.
Sometimes you might want your donation to address a special
need through the general Advance or conference Advance. Your local
church treasurer or a conference finance office representative can
tell you about Advance projects that match your special interest. You
might also have noticed special Sundays such as Human Relations Day,
One Great Hour of Sharing, and Golden Cross Sunday. On these days,
special offerings are requested, and they go to the causes indicated.
Don't forget you can serve God in many ways, not just with
financial gifts. You can give your time and talents. If you know
someone who needs a friend, you can be a friend. If you know someone
who needs help, you can provide assistance. God gives us many gifts,
and we respond to God's generosity and love by sharing with others.
If you wish to support the hurricane relief effort in Central
America, your dollars will be used for that purpose. If you want to
support missionaries in any part of the world, your dollars will go to
those ministries. United Methodists have built what is known as a
"connectional system." This provides the support necessary
to send designated gifts to their intended recipients.
You have a very large say in how your gifts are spent. If your
gift is for the general fund or the building fund of your local
church, it will be spent according to a budget approved by the
congregation's members - and that includes you. If you aren't already
involved, get involved. Attend congregational meetings, vote,
volunteer to serve on a committee.
You have a voice in the annual conference budget as well. Each
local church is represented at the annual conference session by its
pastors and lay leadership. The conference budget is developed by
elected leadership and proposed to the annual conference each year.
Clergy and lay members vote to accept or reject the budget. Your
church's leaders are the members of the annual conference, and they
are your voice in budget and financial issues.
Remember, accounting laws says that your donation must be used as
you specify. The finance staff of the annual conference and other
agencies work hard to ensure that contributions are used as intended.
If they cannot be put to use as the donor intended, for whatever
reasons, they should not be accepted.
Apportionments are what the local church gives to pay for many
programs and expenses at the annual conference, jurisdictional
(regional) and general conference (national/international) levels.
This money helps support outreach and missions through the following
funds: Africa University, Black College, Episcopal, Focus 2000 -
Mission Initiatives, General Administration, Interdenominational
Cooperation, Ministerial Education, and World Service.
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