Background:
As money began to come into our churches in the fall of 2006, the "Start-up" team set about the task of preparing to determine what we were to do with it all. Our desire was to develop a very simple framework for where we were to use the funds (i.e. some for local and some for global work) and then engage a discernment process where all of our churches could contribute what they were sensing the Holy Spirit saying in regards to the details of that framework (i.e - our church is sensing we support an AIDS orphanage in Africa). From there we could make decisions that reflected where God seemed to be leading the network as a whole.

However, as we got into the framework, providentially we were led to ask a very basic question: does God have anything to say about how he intends his church to use his money? After some study of the scripture the answer came back very clear: yes he does! In the OT, NT, and in the early church God revealed very clearly how he wanted his church, as a corporate whole, to steward his money.

Thus, with this in mind, knowing our ability to stray from his guidelines, one of our group members suggested that we study further and then develop some guidelines ("pillars" as she called them) that would help us articulate what we felt God was communicating to the chruch about money. Further, putting these "pillars" down on paper would serve as an ongoing reminder for how we are being led to use the church's resources.

What follows then are the two documents that we have worked on - and we would like your prayerful, Spirit-led, scriptural responses to both. Consider these two sides of the same coin. The first articulates the "pillars". This is the theory if you will. It is a general statement about what we feel God has said to the church regarding money. The second is a simple chart that seeks to give practical legs to the pillars. This is where the nitty gritty gets worked out. It articulates basic ideas for both global and local mission - and our hope is that it keeps us on track for actually living out the "pillars". In the two months ahead our goal as a network will be to discern where God is leading us in each of these areas.

So, have a look through the following (they are also attached as separate documents). Reflect on them. Pray about them. Are there things missing? Corrections needed? Do you have a big "amen"? Please remember that these are stiill working documents - we've tried to keep it simple enough to honour who we are and yet thoughtful enough to enable us to really live out how God is leading our churches with regard to money.

Happy Reading!
(btw- as mentioned above, in the two months ahead we are going to engage a simple process (probably a couple of people from the start-up team will visit each church for discussion) in order to discern how God is leading in each of the churches. This will be a great time to hash out the below and ask further questions. Otherwise you can always contact Andy or post some simple thoughts/questions on the reply - someone is sure to reply.

Article 1: "The 'Pillars'"

An Opening Statement About the Church and Money:(1)
As an “alternative society” within our world, our corporate desire is to bring glory to God by living according to his understanding and plan for money. We believe Jesus understood money as an alternate god, further revealing that it is easy to be ensnared by a love of this god [Matt 6:19-24]. We also believe that God is uniquely oriented toward care for the “poor” and his revealed plan for money is centered around provision for those in need [Is. 58; Am. 5; Acts. 2,4,6; Jam. 5]. Our corporate heart then is to stand against the “god” of money, trusting and loving the one true God alone while standing with him in enacting justice for those in need. We will thus determine to live out a spirit of “enough” while conversely engaging in the life-giving act of radical generosity and through this participate in the in-breaking of a kingdom where all have enough.

Financial Pillars of the Simple Churches(2) - Revised: March 5, 2007

With the above in mind, the Simple Churches hereby attest to the following:

1. We affirm that all money is God's money we must use it according to God's will revealed in Scripture and via the Spirit. [Ps. 24:1]

2. We believe that we are merely funnels of God's resources - transferring funds out into his kingdom. Therefore, unless otherwise discerned, our goal will not be to save our money in “contingency”. Rather, we will trust that God will provide for our future, while we seek to honour extravagant, faith-filled dreams and goals. [Matt. 6:31-33]

3. As a corporate body, we determine to live out a Spirit of "enough" [Phil 4:10-19]. Our desire is to keep our infrastructure and staffing simple, while at the same time, not being unnecessarily restrictive to meeting our "real" needs as the Spirit permits.

4. We believe that a majority of the Church’s resources are to go toward redistribution for the needs of the world’s vulnerable - first to those in the family of faith, and then beyond [Gal 6:10]. This has been affirmed to us by the Scriptures, the witness of the early church and the Spirit’s unique leading in the formation of the Simple Churches. [Ex. 2:22; Lev. 19:9-10; Amos 2:6-7; Acts 2:45; 4:32-35; 6:1-4; James 1:27] (3)

5. We believe that the Scriptures make provision for the care and support of a broad spectrum of Christian work – relief, church planting, evangelistic, etc. [1 Tim 5:17]. Thus we must also feel freedom to give in a variety of directions as the Spirit leads. However, as was instructed to Paul, our desire is that all those we support will “continue to remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10). (4)

6. Continuing in prayerful discernment, we seek to make financial decisions that: understand how God is speaking to the whole network (5); honour our Simple Churches’ values; and foster solidarity and relationship with those that are the recipients.

7. We believe that, in our unique context, living on “enough” while engaging in sacrificial giving/redistribution will serve as a very significant proclamation that God’s kingdom has come and is coming. It testifies that God truly is creating a people who will reflect his goodness and this we believe will stand as an important witness to his reality and character.

___________________________
Footnotes:
(1) Much has been written with regard to how the individual is called to handle their money – but what about the church? When the church as a corporate body receives money does it not have a responsibility for how it stewards those funds? These “pillars” intend to articulate how we believe God teaches the church – specifically simplechurches – to handle the money God has entrusted them.
(2) While these are intended to apply to our corporate handling of money, it seems apparent that these pillars also provide wisdom for how the individual is to also handle their personal finances.
(3) Beyond just giving money, which this document deals with, our actions must go further. We must also be willing to ask the difficult question: Why and how are people poor in our world? And next, we must work toward the restructuring of that which leads to oppression in our world. Further, we must also be willing to see where we in the western church have knowingly and unknowingly gained through others oppression and in this offer both confession and reparation. That is we must seek to right the wrongs that we have committed. It’s in this, at least in a significant part, that we participate in the kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven – a kingdom which ultimately brings low all which oppresses, diminishes and destroys God’s creation.
(4) With this we must guard against the separation of “Christian work” (evangelism, missions, church-planting etc.) from “social work”. Such a separation is not biblical. The two should always exist in tandem. Evangelism with social work and social work with evangelism. As we support Christian work our goal should be to support those that both understand and honour this.
(5) This implies that the leadership will engage processes that aim to give voice to the whole community. Striving to understand how the Spirit is already leading the priesthood of all believers.

Bibliography:
Jacques Ellul, Money and Power. Available here: Ellul Paper

Shane Claibourne, Irresistible Revolution.

Ronald Sider, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.

Ray Mayhew, Embezzlement: The Corporate Sin of Christianity? Available at http://www.relationaltithe.com/EmbezzlementPaper.PDF?PHPSESSID=10bc7876a7733d3f36d6f51e9df44dbe

Article 2: "The Details"