‘…each would send as much as he could to help…’

As we come into the season of Harvest Festivals it is appropriate to take a moment to pause and reflect on how our financial support for the churches at Goudhurst and Kilndown covers the cost of ministry locally and enables our mission more widely.   General Synod makes the recommendation that church members should:

‘…assess annually their financial giving as a proportion of income and to adopt as an initial target the giving of 5% of their after tax income to and through the church, and a similar amount to other work that helps to build God’s kingdom…’.

At both Christ Church and at St Mary’s we are ‘getting by’ financially.  But we do need to review and increase the amount which is contributed to pay for the ‘day to day costs’ of operating our churches.   For some, maybe on fixed incomes, maybe with need to pay for long-term care for a relative, perhaps needing to fund education for their young people, it is appropriate to maintain or even reduce their contribution.  But for many others it would be appropriate to increase giving, in line with the General Synod’s recommendation.

Luke’s account of the collection made to help the church in Judea featured in our services during the summer.   In Acts 11.27-12.2 we can read how the members of the early church sought to assist others at their time of difficulty.  They were challenged to offer only what each could afford – not to give beyond their means.

That was a good model for giving in the first century.  It continues to be a good model for giving in the twenty-first century.   But each one of us remains challenged to give generously and sacrificially for the support of those who have needs greater than our own.

The present pattern of giving at St Mary’s is shown on the diagram (printed in Parish Magazine).  For example there are twelve people who give, on average, between two pounds and three pounds each week…  There are eleven people who give between six pounds and seven pounds each week…  Numbers of givers at Christ Church are too small to allow a similar analysis – but the message is the same.  Only you, and God, know where you are placed in that larger picture.  Only you know to what extent your giving is genuinely sacrificial.   Might you be able to increase your contribution and move one or two (or more!)  places towards the right hand side of the diagram?

On two other weeks during the summer we heard again Luke’s concern with financial responsibility.  On 1^st August we heard the parable of the rich man who sought to store up all his wealth in barns but who was ‘…not rich towards God…’ (Luke 12. 13-21).  And on 8^th August, Luke encouraged us to recognise how generous God is towards us and, in response, to be generous to others (Luke 12. 32-40).  At Harvest Time we seek to show our generosity to those around us.   Perhaps this might be a good time to read again the passages from Acts and from Luke and to hear once more his call to ‘…Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…’

Every blessing,

Bill