17.1.12
School for Leadership Training (Part 2)
The second workshop I attended was on making a personal budget.
We looked at various levels of budgets.
They were
1. Giving
2. Non-Discretionary
3. Joint Household
- Food, gifts, supplies, furniture, family outings
4. Personal Household
5. Personal
- Very important because people nickel and dime their money away.
- Set an allowance for each member in your family.
Giving becomes addicting.
You will give more joyfully and
Spend more wisely.
Personal household - personal money made for the house.
Extra money should be in a high pressure place that personal fund.
It is important for spouses to have conversations about their finances.
School for Leadership Training (Part I)
Workshop I
Church Budget...Exciting huh?
- Need to provide clear and accurate information.
- Regular Reporting - individual and congregational.
- SPENDING PLAN MUST REFLECT MISSION
- Must have checks and balances.
- Use of vouchers. Need to be kept up with.
- Stewardship on time, talent, treasures, estate, environment, etc.
Role Relationships:
- Intersecting roles are needed with clear job positions.
- Pastor leads the giving/financial culture of the congregation.
- Treasurer/Finance Committee must know leadership's view of giving.
Notes
- Don't share how much money is needed per week as it fluctuates.
- As far as designated amount it must offset the budgeted amount
- Cannot have a single person receiving a donation. (TAX ISSUE)
This was a good class, maybe not something everyone would be excited about, but in the church it is so important now and in the future.
10.1.12
The Personal God of the Bible Part I
The Bible is full of paradoxes and tensions.
One of these tensions is the idea that we serve a personal God who is also all knowing, all powerful, and all present. We as Christians need to live within this tension and remember both the God that loves each of us personally and that we are not bigger than God. This post will deal with the personal aspects of God and the following day's post will discuss how big our God truly is!
Sometimes we forget that our God is personal (and not just in the form of Jesus!) There are many examples of God acting in a personal and loving way. Check out Psalm 139 for a person's view of the amazing personal God who loves us. A couple of examples are:
1. God searches us and knows us better than we even know ourselves. (v. 1)
2. God knows me so well that God knows immediately what I will do (v.4)
3. God gives knowledge of God to us (v.6)
4. There is nowhere we can go or any situation that we find ourselves in that God is not there (v.7-12)
5. God knows us intimately and has put us together before we even knew who God was! (v.13-16)
6. God hurts when we hurt and God searches us to keep evil away from us.
Even in the midst of the pain of the author, God is there and the author finds strength, peace and comfort in God.
The author also recognizes the magnitude of God (v. 17 & 18) and realizes it is too much for them. We will dive into this tomorrow.
One of these tensions is the idea that we serve a personal God who is also all knowing, all powerful, and all present. We as Christians need to live within this tension and remember both the God that loves each of us personally and that we are not bigger than God. This post will deal with the personal aspects of God and the following day's post will discuss how big our God truly is!
Sometimes we forget that our God is personal (and not just in the form of Jesus!) There are many examples of God acting in a personal and loving way. Check out Psalm 139 for a person's view of the amazing personal God who loves us. A couple of examples are:
1. God searches us and knows us better than we even know ourselves. (v. 1)
2. God knows me so well that God knows immediately what I will do (v.4)
3. God gives knowledge of God to us (v.6)
4. There is nowhere we can go or any situation that we find ourselves in that God is not there (v.7-12)
5. God knows us intimately and has put us together before we even knew who God was! (v.13-16)
6. God hurts when we hurt and God searches us to keep evil away from us.
Even in the midst of the pain of the author, God is there and the author finds strength, peace and comfort in God.
The author also recognizes the magnitude of God (v. 17 & 18) and realizes it is too much for them. We will dive into this tomorrow.
6.1.12
2012 Resolutions
I really need to do better.
Isn't that how many of us feel this time of year. We create goals and then oftentimes never follow through.
This year, I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit to not just create goals that are superficial (like so many that are shared by television hosts) but try to create lasting goals:
I tried to include goals that would make me a better person physically, relationally, mentally, and spiritually. I also attempted to make specific goals and not just general hard to define goals.
Here are my five goals:
1. One night (a week) to be at home with Catie intentionally turning everything off for quality time.
2. Prayer/Study time for 30 minutes each morning. In addition to this I want to be sure to stop for midday prayer and evening prayer.
3. Blog more often with more time being intentional here than being mindless on Facebook (which I find myself doing more and more). I also want to include one post a week with Josiah/family pictures!
4. Lose _____ number of pounds (I have a number in mind...but don't want to share it!)
5. Read 1 non-academic book a month. This has to be an adult book and not the Pokey Puppy which Josiah seems to like!
These are my goals, what are yours??
Isn't that how many of us feel this time of year. We create goals and then oftentimes never follow through.
This year, I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit to not just create goals that are superficial (like so many that are shared by television hosts) but try to create lasting goals:
I tried to include goals that would make me a better person physically, relationally, mentally, and spiritually. I also attempted to make specific goals and not just general hard to define goals.
Here are my five goals:
1. One night (a week) to be at home with Catie intentionally turning everything off for quality time.
2. Prayer/Study time for 30 minutes each morning. In addition to this I want to be sure to stop for midday prayer and evening prayer.
3. Blog more often with more time being intentional here than being mindless on Facebook (which I find myself doing more and more). I also want to include one post a week with Josiah/family pictures!
4. Lose _____ number of pounds (I have a number in mind...but don't want to share it!)
5. Read 1 non-academic book a month. This has to be an adult book and not the Pokey Puppy which Josiah seems to like!
These are my goals, what are yours??
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