Nov
18
2011

Finance Fridays: Maintain Your Focus

An article by Matt

Jason McNeal had a post earlier this week that I believe is a great reminder for churches and non-profits during the year end giving season. In this season it is easy to become so focused on properly making asks and delivering messages using language that our congregations (or donors for the non-profit community) will resonate with, that we lose sight of what it is that we are really called to be doing: make disciples.

As church leaders, our primary mission is to be developing fully devoted followers of Christ. While the management of a person’s finances is a part of the discipleship journey, it is not the be all, end all. The point of all your finance related communication, all of your finance related sermons, even of all your finance presentations at church business meetings need to be focused on what you have been called to do: make disciples.

During the hectic weeks to come we are going to hit from all sides by the tyranny of the urgent: Christmas pageants, candlelight services, New Years, end of year statements, and the list goes on and on and on. In the crush of getting everything done, in the push to get everything just so, and while you are doing your work with one eye on the year to date giving and spending numbers, do not lose sight of what you are called to do: make disciples.

If all of our programs are done well, if our budget numbers are off the chart in a good way, and if the Christmas Eve service comes off without a drop of wax on the carpet (which would be miraculous) it will all be for naught if we forget our true calling: to make disciples.

How do YOU make sure that in all the craziness of Christmas and year end that YOU maintain YOUR focus?