One of the things that surfaced in my pastorate was the need to sit down and offer financial counsel to members of my congregation. In a church of any size, chances are you’ll have people who struggle, for one reason or another, with making ends meet. It might be that a person loses his job and then has difficulty paying his bills. Another scenario is that a person gets ill and her company eventually has to let her go. Sure, there’s workman’s comp, and other parachutes, but sometimes a person falls on hard times and can’t pay her bills. Another common situation is that people simply mismanage their money.
I faced all three with members of my church and I had to offer varying levels of financial counsel. In one case, I sat down with the family and helped them figure out a household budget. Some people never learn the basics about handling money and have to learn the hard way. A simple way to avoid spending more than you take in is to establish a budget: tithe, rent / mortgage, utilities, insurance, food, entertainment, vacation, clothes, etc. Knowing what you need to spend each month on necessities, and what money you have left for optional things and luxuries can mean the difference between financial security and bankruptcy.
Along the way, however, as I counseled some of the members of my church, I saw significant lapses in wisdom and judgment. In one case, I noted how the family was struggling to make ends meet, to pay the mortgage. As I approached the house, this family’s barking dog assaulted my ears and my mind. I wondered, how can a family that can’t pay the mortgage afford to keep a pet? Sure, pets are nice, but they’re expensive too. Dog food (this dog was pretty big), shots, and the like can quickly add up. It may be a Christian liberty to own a dog, but if you can’t pay the mortgage the better part of wisdom dictates that you should give up the dog. This was my counsel to the family—give up the dog so you can buy food and pay for the roof over your head—you need every penny you can find to pay for the necessities in life.
During such financial trials, one of the biggest challenges can be prioritizing giving to the church. Sadly, giving to the church often comes as one of our last considerations rather than one of our first. Ideally, we should be giving something to the church, even if we find ourselves in financial straights. I’m not saying it has to be much, but even five dollars is a good reminder that God is the one who provides for all of our needs.
Another important dimension of financial hardship is, churches need to look out for people in trouble. They need to be aware of whether people need financial assistance. The Scriptures are clear: in some cases, such as widows, the church has an obligation to assist them in every way possible (1 Tim. 5:9ff); the same applies to orphans (James 1:27). In other cases, people should first approach immediate family (1 Tim. 5:16). If there is no immediate family, or they are unable to assist, then the church should see what it can do to help. There are undoubtedly some cases where a little assistance will go a long way and enable someone to recover. In other cases, wisdom is key. Will giving a person money hurt or help them? Is there underlying sin that needs to be addressed before someone can stabilize their financial situation? Is church discipline necessary?
There are more unanswered questions, but these are just some of the things churches should consider when trying to help members in financial troubles. In the end, remember, whatever assistance you render, you do so in the name and for the sake of Christ.
