Personally, unless something changes, I think this is the last generation
of this church. We will soon die off and I don’t see the younger generation understanding much about our mission. They would rather be entertained.

There’s more to church then entertainment. That’s the place where we join the team that wants to help change our communities into ideal communities. But the younger generation…no, they want all the latest toys and they don’t care if the church dies. It doesn’t entertain them enough. They’d rather go to a concert…or better yet attend some church that specializes in “entertainment church”.

Unfortunately, they will get their wish if they don’t step up and start paying their way. Yes, the church is about money. Whether you agree with the “mission” of “the church” or not. Local congregations are busy working toward building better communities. That is if the World Church doesn’t sell off our buildings to finance “their” mission.

In my congregation, we never have any problem raising money for a new sound system, new parking lot, new paint – people see these products and want to help. Similarly, World Church initiatives – like the Chattanooga dealy and Tsunami relief – tend to meet even challenging goals, because people like to see what they pay for. Regular payments that go off to who-knows-where to support “mission” are more difficult products for people to understand.

The emphasis the WC has placed on defining what that mission is, articles in the Herald, weekly offering readings, have been good at helping people see this, but the Church needs to do more. The same people who can’t find $10 a month for tithing, easily pay for HBO, cell phones, i-tunes, etc. The problem is not a lack of money. I also don’t think it’s a lack of calling. Its the inability of the church to show them that what they give is getting them a product they want.

So he was a wonderful role model. Sadly, I haven’t done nearly as well at instilling these values in my own children.

This is a thought provoking post and I am no where near done thinking about it. So, I expect that I will have more to say. I thought I would start by sharing a few pieces of thinking that were prompted by what you said.
First, we can’t confine spirituality or religion to the soul and forget about the material aspects of life as you point out in your post. Our church comes from a heritage that upholds all things as spiritual. Most people would agree that those who are starving need something to eat before they can concentrate on the insight of a sermon, for example. Money does matter and it is foolish to think that it doesn’t. Cal French, a former church appointee and pastor of the Washington DC congregation for a long time, said from time to time that a rich church member was more useful than a poor church member. I know that he did not mean this in terms of the worth of the person, but rather as an admission that doing good often takes money, and so the richer person (provided that he or she was willing to share that wealth with the church) brought more leverage to the church.
But here is where things get ambivalent for me. I am with you when you state that community is vital, and that for the community to achieve its potential it must be generous both within its borders and across its borders. What trips me up is the notion that the church is synonymous with Christ’s community.
I am involved in community–in fact it’s inescapable–whether or not I participate in church community. Through my family, friends, my work, professional associations, neighborhood, and all the other groups that involve me. These are all part of Christ’s community, as I see it. So, I think it is an over simplification to look at things as yes we are part of a community or no we are not part of a community. Instead, we need to view the modern man/woman/child as part of multiple communities. With the goal of each community to help the person maximize his or her own gifts/talents/ministry/response to the Spirit, and the purpose of each person to develop his or her potential and share it generously, according to the direction of the Spirit through his or her current or through new communities. I’m just speaking my opinion here, but that is what makes sense to me.
What bothers me about church is that I often feel like it pulls me away from community…or rather pulls me (my resources) to a specific community from another specific community. There has to be a reason for giving resources to a particular community as opposed to another community. In that comes a difficult balance, and one that I think depends on the individual and how he or she is called by God. For example, I can’t invest the same amount of time in all the communities and still do what I need to do effectively. At the same time, there are some communities that offer something to me, or that I can offer something through more effectively than other communities. So, I have to take this into account as I make decisions.

Anyway, I will leave it at that for the moment and look forward to more discussion.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=faf0159744aecaf5c732

I often struggle in the past with feeling like I have to say “No” to God, either I have to work, or it will cost money. I can’t tell you how much relief it gives me to feel the presence of the Spirit as He teaches me to give in ways that He has gifted. I still struggle with wanting to do more, often times receiving the Holy answer of “wait”. But, I am still able to have a sense of success in giving more than monetary guilt. I, too, have been growing in an understanding of fiscal responsibility. I don’t need things, I need God. That dress in the window would look good on me, but I think I wear Jesus much better…