| This is the first in a series of articles designed to help us all better understand the big picture of finances at Beargrass Christian Church. Our hope is to lift up the generosity of our congregation, while at the same time telling stories of how that generosity makes ministry possible. |
Last year, two significant gifts were made to Beargrass Christian Church. One enabled us to buy a new church van that is fully handicap accessible. The other came as the result of an estate bequest, and the donor simply wanted it to be used for ministry at Beargrass. The gift was sizable enough that Beargrass gift policies directed a large portion to our permanent endowment, where it joined other funds that will support Beargrass ministries into perpetuity.
One gift was spent immediately on a clear and identifiable need. One gift was set aside, a seed planted, with a legacy yet to be known. Each gift, in its own way, helps make possible the Beargrass mission to worship with hope, grow with love, and serve with a passion for justice.
We live in a brutally divided nation – and that division has the capacity to spill over into everything we do, including church.
We live in an uncertain time economically – and that uncertainty has the capacity to affect everything we do, including church.
We live in a time when poverty and homelessness and disease and war and hate are all very real – and these things, too, touch every aspect of our lives, including church.
Now, the truth is that there are no new stories, only new people living them – our country and our communities have known division and a volatile economy and all those other things before, some of them continuously. That we are living them still and again means that it has perhaps never been more important to be people to bear witness to the Gospel – with all its grace, all its mercy and all its unconditional love. And since 1784, the faith community that is now Beargrass Christian Church has done exactly that – borne witness to the Gospel.
I once heard someone refer to managing a church the size of Beargrass as “essentially running a $1.5M business.” Humbly, I could not disagree more. Because when we’re talking about church dollars, we’re talking about the Gospel. And the Gospel is not and never has been a business.
A new church van could be seen by some as a luxury – but what if I reminded you: that van means folks who can no longer drive, or who cannot afford transportation, can now get to church? And what if you saw the way a horde of teenagers stumble off that van after a retreat or a mission trip, content and happy and knowing they are beloved – by Beargrass and by God? It’s more than a van; it’s a symbol of our mission being brought to life outside of our walls.
The same reminders hold for our building, which is, in itself, a tremendous fiscal responsibility. A new HVAC system (an expense Beargrass had to grapple with recently when our original system broken down during the coldest winter months) is a huge financial outlay – but making sure our building is a comfortable place to be means that AA groups feel welcome, children can run and play and sing, and our elderly folks don’t have to worry about being too cold or too hot. A welcoming, safe, and comfortable building means more possibility for ministry, more opportunities to connect and serve – it is our mission and vision brought to life.
We give thanks for the donors who made the new van possible, as we do for the generous estate that will make things yet-hoped-for possible. These gifts are only two of many that have supported the ministry of Beargrass across the years – and we trust that there will be more like them. We also know that every dollar given matters, and how we spend those dollars matters even more.
Let’s practice both gratitude and generosity during these days we are living, Church. In both practices, there is great hope to be found.