The finance people in our church are looking forward to our getting the stewardship team revitalized.  It occurs to me that they think if the stewardship team does a better job then their job will be even easier.  Let me disabuse them of that idea.

If the stewardship team does a good job then people will begin to realize that God is the source of everything in their lives and the reason for everything in their lives.  So yes, they will probably give more money to the church.  That is the part that the finance people are hoping for.

But members will also bring their hopes and dreams to the church.  They will bring their visions for what God's world should look like to the church, and so our mission will grow and what money we have will no longer look like money to get by on or to protect our future with. Instead, it will look like seed money for an incredible future that God is calling us into.

I always maintain that a church that just balances its books is not doing enough.  Well, actually all of us could and should be doing more.  That becomes clear when we look at all God is giving us.  I say that in the present participle because God has not finished giving to us: there is always more of both resources and mission.

The goals is not balanced books.  The goal is the same as the journey.  We wake every morning surrounded by God's grace and we ask God, "Lord what are we doing today?  What task would you lay on my heart?"  And then we look at what God has given us and we us those gifts to accomplish god's will in this world.  We do this as individuals but we do it much more powerfully as the people of God together in this church.

Lord,
Give us a vision to more than match the gifts you have given us. 
Amen