Faith Works 6-2-07
Jeff Gill

Sunscreen, check; tickets, check . . . what else?

You may have plans for a great summer vacation, whether to Trinidad & Tobago, or just down to Toboso.

You pack all the kids’ swimwear, sunscreen rated 78 or so, a good book (a portable copy of The Good Book?), and remember the tickets.

Have you remembered your church?

No, not to put in your luggage, but your regular support of the ministry there.

If you have a church home, of whatever faith or denomination, I don’t have to tell you that there’s been a financial campaign, commitment cards or pledges, budgets made and bills due. Even if you work off of a purely faith/tithe basis as a church, let alone individual believer, there’s still that offering plate or Joash box or however you gather up the first fruits.

But the importance of that regular support often slips off the mental radar screen when vacation time drapes over the congregation. It may be that you say, at some point, when you realize you’ll miss five Sundays this summer, “I’ll make it up at the end of August.”
You’ve made a plan for giving, worked out the amount or (better yet) figured out what percentage giving of your income that’s going to support your fiath community, and you really are faithful.

What is surprising to people when they realize it about themselves, but is old, old news to church treasurers and financial secretaries, is that the human (sinful) tendency is too slip behind and not catch up. Out of sight, out of mind, and not out of pocket.

Plus you spend a wee bit more than you meant to on vacation, where you really ought to have a plan and a budget, too, and the next thing you know is that you’re rationalizing just picking up after Labor Day.

Clergy of all faiths know that summer is a season when you hope to go into June with a solid cushion, because so very many churches have major shortfalls of giving versus expenses during July and August, and you spend fall not focused on evangelism and outreach the way you hoped, but on picking up the pieces fiscally and supercharging the November giving campaign.

Repeat cycle more years than not, and you can see why clergy don’t love the summer.
Pretty much the same bills come in the summer as any other month of the year, more or less, but not the same giving.

If you have envelopes, think about using them as summer benchmarks, whether weekly or monthly. You could send your offering back home if you’re gone a long stretch, or even give ahead for the summer (trust me, the treasurer will looooove you for it), which helps you remember not to spend all that money on a four foot tall brass parrot for the porch that your wife will never let you put up anyhow.

There’s a protocol thing that folks sometimes ask me about: if we visit a church on vacation, should we give at the offering? First, kudos for going to worship on vacation. You’re teaching your kids and reminding yourself of the importance and place of worship in your lives. It isn’t just a community obligation, but a positive value of prayer and praise that happens wherever you go. Second, you get a chance to do something many worshipers don’t get, which is to feel your way through what it’s like to be a visitor, and how that affects your experience of a worship space and service. Make sure, the very next time you’re back home, to think through that experience as you park, enter the building, and find your way into the worship space. How can we be more and more effectively welcoming to folks who feel like I did last Sunday in a strange place?.

You can see where I’m going with this: thirdly, most churches worth their name are absolutely fine about folks who just pass the plate along, or hold up a low-slung hand when the basket swings their way. You’re a guest, and guests aren’t paying the bills here. Please feel welcome.

But I can’t imagine, for myself, not putting at least a five or a ten in the offering as a thank you to God for a chance to worship far from home, to learn new lessons, and get re-energized from a whole new angle in a different service while on vacation.

And it reminds me that I should keep up my real offering back home!

Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and supply preacher around central Ohio; he’s been a church treasurer and a parish pastor, and doesn’t like looking at August budget reports any more than the next fellow. Share your stewardship tips at knapsack77@gmail.com.