Calling All Creative Thinkers!

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it (Psalm 24:1).

            It all belongs to God – the land, the people, the creation, the resources, and the mission to love and to bless the world.  The question for us is always how we can be faithful with the resources that God has given us.  I’d like to invite any of you who dare to do some creative thinking about this.

            St. Luke’s Zion is blessed with a resource that most congregations do not have:  acres of land.  While some people have shared their dreams of what they would do with this land if they had millions of dollars to spend, I’d like you to think about what we can do with it now.

            Are there ways that we can use this land to support the mission and ministry that God has given us?  Are there ways that we could use it to share God’s love with all people?  Are there ways to use it that don’t involve spending millions of dollars to build something?  Or, is there something that is such a pressing need that it would be worth it to go into debt to build it?

            I am not always very creative in my thinking and certainly don’t have all the answers.  I suspect there are things we could do that I’ve never even thought of.  That’s why I’d like to invite those of you with creative minds to think seriously about this and talk about this.

            I remember having a conversation with a Roman Catholic priest about the parish he serves where a columbarium with niches was built right into the church.  He spoke about this as a “revenue stream,” which is not a term that I’m particularly fond of.  However, at this particular parish, this was going to be one way to pay for everything.  This is just one example of an idea for how to support the work of the church.

            At the same time, though, the church is not in the business of making money.  Healthy stewardship involves making offerings with an attitude of thankfulness and praise and a commitment to God’s mission in the world.  This is always preferable to fundraisers or bingos or whatever else churches might come up with.  Those with a healthy and life-giving relationship with God give to God first – giving “first fruits” rather than leftovers.  After all, we are simply returning what already belongs to God!

            At St. Luke’s Zion, some give generously, and some do not.  Generosity is not based on the amount of the offering, but the amount in relationship to how much you have in the first place.  God doesn’t ask anybody to give what they don’t have.  I am convinced that there are people who could give more if they wanted to.  At the same time, I know that there are others who already give all that they can.

            My hope is that at least some of those who could do more are reading this.  We are approaching a critical juncture in the life of the congregation, and either the “revenue streams” must increase, or people and salaries will need to be cut from the budget.  There is no other way I can see to make up approximately $20,000.

            However, as I already intimated, some of you might be far more creative thinkers and might come up with some far more interesting options.  I still maintain that God has given us all of the resources that we need in order to fulfill our purpose – To share God’s love with all people.  We may, however, need to start thinking outside the box.  There are endless possibilities for what we can do with what God has given us.  We just need to discover them and do some discernment around what comes next!

            In Christ,

            Pastor Lynne Hutchison