A Budget Item Every Congregation Should Consider
There are many reasons I love worshiping at Central. To list them would take awhile. Do we have problems at times? Of course! We are people, and people have problems. But this is a loving family and those who worship here see that on display all the time.
One reason that is the case is because of our elders. These men are truly shepherds who “feed the flock.” There is not a soul at Central who wonders about our elders’ love for the Truth, and no one questions if they care for each person.
Those two things–love for the Truth and love for each member–even show up in our budget. A church budget, in many ways, reflects the values of a congregation. If money is going to mission work (and that number is increasing over time), then you know that congregation values missions. If there is a significant amount of money allocated for the Bible school program, then you can almost guarantee that is a high value to the elders and members.
Central does both of those things (and, I’m grateful to say that our missions budget is increased each year by a fairly significant amount), but also has a fairly unique line item in each year’s budget. It is a line item that I would hope more congregations would consider, because it encourages members but also because it can have significant impact on the congregation.
What is it? The church helps pay for the registration of any member who wishes to attend Polishing the Pulpit. The amount that is given to each family is nearly equal to the registration cost, so that a person (or family) then only needs to be concerned with food and lodging.
Each year, a great number of our members take advantage of this; some going for the weekend and some for the entire program. It is not just preachers and/or elders. It is what some would call “members at large.” Bible class teachers, youth volunteers, personal workers, deacons, and more. They go and drink deeply from God’s Word and return to our area ready to put those things into practice.
Is it a significant amount of money? Yes, especially with how many take advantage of it. (I think, in 2022, we have somewhere in the range of 25-30 people from Central attending.) But do you not see the “payoff” for the congregation in the long-term? When that many members are growing deeper in their faith they are more prepared to teach others, to be more committed to teaching a Bible class, to helping someone who is lost, to serve in some capacity, and to help pass the faith on to future generations.
Maybe your congregation cannot afford to do this; at least, not to this level at this point. But, elders, maybe you could consider helping some. Even $50 per family would be a wonderful encouragement to help your members attend and be encouraged to grow in their faith. Over the years, you will likely see that this is a wise use of money, because the spiritual depth of the congregation is stronger.
Just one more reason I’m grateful to be at Central…
…and, can you tell I’m excited for PTP to be back! (Lord willing, we’ll be on the road in one week!)
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn