Question primarily for pastors

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I can only post for myself if I was pastoring the man and his heart was to be involved I would help him.

Good man!

I remember when I started attending my first Apostolic Pentecostal Church. It was 25 miles from my house. The Pastor and I got into a discussion about attending 4 services a week.

That's 200 miles per week. He actually said this:

Brother Gibson come to the meetings and pay your tithes. Then I will return the money to you because of the hardship of faithfulness (or words similar).

Well that first week he actually did this! But you know from that time on he never mentioned it or did it again.

So for the next year I came usually to at least two if not three meetings per week. In the end he forced me out anyway.

[allstate1]

This thread is a prime example of what I call church religion. The only way most pastors know how to judge anyone is church attendance. The pastor at the UPC church my parents attend has repeatedly stated how his church should be a draw for a 100 mile radius. Not only is this not feasible it also ignores the fact of the dozens of churches that are within that radius. Including Alexandria , West Monroe ,Baton Rouge and Jackson Ms. Just don't make much sense to me!

[allstate1]

It should be God first then family then church. However most confuse God and church. Fall in love with Jesus not the emotional high of a church service!!!!!!!

[seguidordejesus]

I believe if a man doesn't provide for his family (as much as it is within his power), he is worse than an unbeliever. If finances only allow Sunday and occasional Wednesday attendance, I wouldn't fault him at all. He'd be better off spending Wednesdays with his family in a private prayer meeting and saving the gas money for an emergency fund.

If that is truly all you can do in that area with your skill set, I would really encourage you to move somewhere else.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I can only post for myself if I was pastoring the man and his heart was to be involved I would help him.

See? Here is a Poster Pasting

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by seguidordejesus

I believe if a man doesn't provide for his family (as much as it is within his power), he is worse than an unbeliever. If finances only allow Sunday and occasional Wednesday attendance, I wouldn't fault him at all. He'd be better off spending Wednesdays with his family in a private prayer meeting and saving the gas money for an emergency fund.

If that is truly all you can do in that area with your skill set, I would really encourage you to move somewhere else.

This is how I have always felt referring to your post above.

I learned today of another horror story. I know a licensed minister, a man in his early 30's, who is now 80% blind. He is newly married and his young bride is having to work two jobs as he does not yet qualify for disability. It turns out his family in Louisiana has invited them to move out there as they have job connections for him and moral support to offer. However, their pastor here has told them he does not feel this is God's will for them. I guess he'd rather the young wife work two jobs to support her blind husband. But she had better not miss any church!

[Jason B]

Originally Posted by Originalist

Let's say there was a family in your church that was really struggling with basics like keeping the lights on and buying gasoline. They have one car and miss about every other Wednesday night simply because they cannot afford the gas as they live about 13 miles from the church. The are dedicated Christians but simply are having a difficult time. With their hardships they do good just to get to church Sundays and most Wednesdays but simply cannot afford to participate in off night ministries or functions. As a result of the hardships the father has to get a second part time job just to stay afloat and to be able to provide a meager Christmas for his kids. This eats up most of his time and eliminates his participation on off night ministry even more.

Would you say this person is out of the will of God somehow?

Should he just dive into all the extra off night functions at church and trust trust God to supply the gas and meet his needs instead of getting another job? Is he "not putting the Kingdom first" if he has to work two jobs? Or is God trying to tell him its time to move to an areas where better work is available?

I knew a man who was an unpaid associate pastor at a church. He and his family lost everything during a hurricane. They both worked but could not catch up. He did not get a second job because he would not have been able to continue to carry the load at church he normally did. He finally had to declare bankruptcy. Now if he had, for a season, curtailed some of his ministry involvement to work a second job, his pastor would have not been happy (I know him). Yet this man ends up having to declare bankruptcy. He refused to curtail any "ministry" activity even for a season in order to remain "faithful". Wouldn't it have been more noble and godly to get a second job for just a season?

I would say he needs to do what is necessary to provide for his family and support him in his decision on what's best.

Also I would try to lighten his load if indeed he was a true believer and was doing all he could. I wouldn't rule out either 1) having the church pay his electric bill, housing, or helping with groceries for the month or 2)doing those things for him myself out of my own income if I was able to.

[seguidordejesus]

Originally Posted by Originalist

This is how I have always felt referring to your post above.

I learned today of another horror story. I know a licensed minister, a man in his early 30's, who is now 80% blind. He is newly married and his young bride is having to work two jobs as he does not yet qualify for disability. It turns out his family in Louisiana has invited them to move out there as they have job connections for him and moral support to offer. However, their pastor here has told them he does not feel this is God's will for them. I guess he'd rather the young wife work two jobs to support her blind husband. But she had better not miss any church!

As soon as Blind Man leaves that church, he doesn't have to worry about what that pastor says It's a no brainer.

[rick g mcmahan]

i am not a dictator anyway and tithes is for the store house to help others in need i will say that most americans are very poor money managers and that is often times the problem. we help our people in need from time to time i have been in that problem of in need and no one helped me so i learned the hard way. there are so many factors i dont know about but bankruptsy is a reproach to the family that followes many years. stealing from someone else does not fix problems and many times that is what happenes

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by rick g mcmahan

i am not a dictator anyway and tithes is for the store house to help others in need i will say that most americans are very poor money managers and that is often times the problem. we help our people in need from time to time i have been in that problem of in need and no one helped me so i learned the hard way. there are so many factors i dont know about but bankruptsy is a reproach to the family that followes many years. stealing from someone else does not fix problems and many times that is what happenes

This is why if I was a pastor I would suggest bankruptcy to a member only as a last option.

I bear allot of personal guilt for my own money problems. I do not feel worthy to even pastor until I can get a grip on things and make doubly sure I'm living within my means and setting an example. I could not in good conscience recommend myself to manage a church's money right now. Maybe I'm just being hard on myself, but that is how I feel.