Financierend Matthew 25 Kerk

Vroeger vandaag, aangezien ik bij de mijn bloglezing inhaalde, ik het volgende van las SAM Rima, een professor bij Seminary Bethel, met betrekking tot Matthew 25:31 - 46:

Dan zal hij de schapen bijeenroepen en zal zeggen, „kom, u die door mijn worden gezegend
De vader, erft het Koninkrijk dat op u van de stichting van wordt voorbereid
wereld. „En de basis van deze selectie is hoe de schapen behandelden hongerig, dorstig, vervreemd, naakt, zieken, en gevangengenomen
mensen van de wereld. Het is geen passage die wij gepredikt veel in ons hebben gehoord
kerken vandaag; en geen wonder, het is vrij veroordelend. Jesus schijnt aan
zegt dat hoe wij uitgesloten van de aarde behandelen waar is
bezinning over onze verhouding met hem. Het is een tot bezinning komende norm van
ware spirituality. En toch voor hoeveel van onze kerken deze a zijn
PRIMAIRE zorg? Zien wij als onze primaire opdracht ter wereld Houdend van Jesus
door echt met hongerig te houden en in dienst te nemen, dorstig, vervreemd,
naakte, zieke, en gevangengenomen mensen van de wereld? Wat het aan zal nemen
heroriënteer de evangelische Kerk volgens deze revolutionaire norm? Wat
kan elk van ons hulp onze eigen gemeenschap van geloof te geven heroriënteren en doen
leiding aan een trillend, kerk-breed ministerie aan de „minst hiervan“
onder ons? Om het even welke ideeën of gedachten?

Hieronder is mijn reactie, die ik op zijn blog postte, die door een paar kwesties van mijn wordt gevolgd.

Als nieuwe kerkinstallatie, wij binnen self-sufficient zouden zijn
1 jaar… eindigen wij met jaar 2 en ik heb moeten creatief zijn
with fund raising…it seems that the only way we can get funds from
suburban churches is if we can really pitch we are more of a parachurch
urban ministry than a church! Denominations may throw token money at
the sort of ministry that you are talking about, but most money is
invested in starting churches that are shiny and attractive. And most
shiny attractive churches tie up their resources in staying that way.
The most needy places get the crumbs from the table.

It is really frustrating. As one of the few BGC urban churches [in Minneapolis/Saint Paul], I
have been asked by a few well-intentioned pastors if I have though
about quitting. They see what I’m doing as a failure. They don’t
understand that I simply don’t want to have a big fancy church that
merely gives a portion of its budget to the needy. We are small and
committed. We are messy. That is why the evangelical church resists
going in the direction of Matthew 25–they would have to give up
prestige and power. They would have to be uncomfortable. They might
even have to be small.

Here’s the thing, ye urban church planters. You may get funding, but it is in the best interests of denominational systems to focus most of their resources on churches that will be big and bring in resources. The church tends to operate on a tithe mentality…spend 90% on furthering your own suburban ministry through staffing and facilities, and maybe give 10% to missions…some of that to urban churches. The problem with this setup is that wealth stays localized in wealthy places. The church basically follows free market capitalism.

The only way that the church can really be a Matthew 25 church is if it priviledges the needs of the needy above the wants of the wanton. We must put our resources in the places that have the most needs.

Churches aren’t likely to do this automatically. And denominations may help in redistributing the wealth (if they are centralized), but they will tend to priviledge numerically and financially successful churches. De-centralized denominational systems (like the baptists) generally leave it to individual churches to make up their mind about how to support various causes. I think this is a good thing, but unfortunately the culture of the BGC, of which I am a part, doesn’t have an ethos that cares much about urban stuff and the poor.

Where does this leave the would-be church planter? With good old fashioned fund raising. I have to go foster a spirit of generosity in others. I have to be a mendicant on behalf of my church…and I think many that would be urban church planters need to become mendicant as well. I’ve made it a goal to become a good fund raiser…and here is my promise: if I get good enough at this fund-raising thing, I will raise funds for risky church plants in urban areas.

Here are my questions:

1) Do you know of any groups (other than denominations) out there that fund urban church planting?

2) How can we encourage suburban churches to give more to the urban core?

3) Do you know anyone interested in supporting an urban ministry in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis?

for further reading . . .

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