10 Budgeting Tips

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10 Budgeting Tips...
We are in full blown budget mode at Calvary Fellowship. I've seen more calculators in the last week than I have in the last 2 months around the office :)

Here's a few thoughts I'd share to church leaders about budgeting for 2008:

1. Remember that God's vision is bigger than yours (Eph. 3:20)

2. Remember the widow's mite (Mark 12)

3. Money spend on evangelism is not an expense, it's an investment (Matt. 28:19-20)

4. Ask, "Is this a want or a need?" (Phil. 4:19)

5. Am I being generous to missionaries and other organizations doing important kingdom work? (2 Cor. 8:7)

6. Is the staff being compensated fairly? (1 Tim. 5:18-19)

7. Am I maxing myself out in my new budget and limiting what God can do through me? (Prov. 24:3-4)

8. Is our vision seen in what we are investing in? (Hab. 2:2)

9. Are the poor factored into the budget? (Lev. 25:35)

10. A budget is only a plan and God can change that any time He wants (Prov. 19:21)

BEST POLITICAL COMMERCIAL EVER!

Angel's Touch

Angels Touch

Although I cannot see you,
I feel your presence here
The comforting feeling that surrounds me,
assures me you are near

You’ve come to take my hand,
and release me from this pain
My body is giving up,
no longer able to take the strain
For years I fought with dignity,
I swore I’d prove them wrong
It was only your love and strength,
which kept me going strong
Your no longer by my side,
it was me, who begged you not to stay
I knew you could not handle this,
this day when I went away

I’ll take with me the memories,
and the love that we two shared
I’ll forever remember you smiling face,
and your blue eyes which showed you cared
I’ll remember your ever gentle touch,
and the sweet smell of your perfume
I’ll take every memory made with you,
as I leave this earthbound tomb

I’ll take my place among the stars,
and join the countless others
Those of us who are looking down,
watching over our sisters and brothers
So please don’t shed a tear,
when you find out that I’ve passed
I’m just another angel, in the army that Gods amassed

I know you want to be here,
standing right by my side
But I don’t want your last memories of me,
to be of the day I died
Don’t you worry baby, thru your memories,
I’ll forever roam
For God has sent and Angel, to bring another warrior home

Written by Jan Bagwell
More poems can be seen at www.janbagwell.blogspot.com

The Promised Land: Giving Campaign

November 17.2007
Bethel Church

Introduction

God has blessed us with a great opportunity to not be land locked any longer. Can you imagine what God can do with 33 acres? We are the threshold of the Promised Land, how will respond? Will we rise to the occasion and be a part of the miracle that God is doing in this place? How will we respond?

Our situation reminds me of another group of believers where land became available.

You see the Hebrews had been wandering in the wilderness for many years and they came to the threshold of the Promised Land, the land that God has promised them. How did they respond? Did they rise to the occasion and become a part of the miracle that God was doing in their midst?

Lesson: Open your Bible to Numbers 13:1-3, 17-20, 25-32

God many years ago had promised the land to the Hebrews, it was there’s for the taking. So as they arrive at the threshold of the Promised Land, God tells Moses to send out 12 spies, one spy for each tribe of Israel to spy over the Promised Land.

There were 12 spies sent into the promised land and it was there job to check out the cities, towns, and the villages in the promised land. When they returned, 10 of the spies responded by saying

We cant go there!
We cant do it!
Its not possible!
There’s Giants in the land!

Lets talk for a moment that the majority of the spies came back with a negative attitude. Instead of a positive attitude, they looked at the situation and said we cant do it! We cant go! My friends what they didn’t recognized is that years ago that God had already given them the land, he already gave it to them, it wasn’t can they do it…it was already theirs! And yes were their people in the land yes…but listen if God says you are to possess it, that you will have it, than my friends we are not to doubt it, we are not to shrug off and say I don’t know if we can do it! That is not the attitude we are to have! I believe the Hebrews needed to be proactive like the other two spies, and say you know what God calls us and say they we are to take the land, than we will take the land. And because we serve living God, the Holy God we take the land.

The eight spies also said there were giants in the land. They were talking about the different tribes that were already in the land. Yes, there were giants in the land.

But I want you to know years later a young little boy who had to face one of those giants, and that giant was goliath and do you know what David said as the rest of the Israelite soldiers quaked in their shoes because they were afraid…he said how dare that giant…how dare that man defy the living God…Ill go up, Ill stand up, Ill rise to the occasion, and do this because when God is for us who can be against us. And David went up and defeated that giant!

The 10 spies said that there were giants in the land, and they were afraid! They knew if they tried to posses the land that they might die, that there would be sacrifices to be made!

We are about to claim the promised land, by want you to know for us to possess the promised land we have to make sacrifices. The Israelites when they finally go to go in and claim the Promised Land, they had to made sacrifices. Some lost their lives, some lost their children, and some lost all that they had in taking the promised land. They had to sacrifice. When you sacrifice you have to sweat for it, you have to bleed for it, you have to work for it. If it is easy, it is not a sacrifice.

To Claim the Promise Land will be hard work!

It is going to be hard work to claim the promised land, this land that God has made available to us here at Bethel. As we try to claim this land, as we go through this giving campaign, we are going to face giants.

Theres going to be people who say we cant do it.
We cant raise enough money!
Oh were a small church. We cant do it.

Two types of people: Vision Stealers and the Vision Believers

You see there are two types of people. There are the vision stealers and there are the vision believers. You see the 10 spies who said we cant do it, its not possible. They were the vision stealers. Why? Because God had already given them the land, but they didn’t want to do anything on their part. Just because God gave them the land does not mean that they wont have to work for it. They didn’t want to have to work to get the land. They didn’t want to make sacrifices. The vision came from God but the 10 spies stole the vision and said its not possible.

You see there are two types of people. There is the vision stealers and there are the vision believers. The vision believers were the two spies who said lets go…lets do it. Lets the claim the vision that God has given us. The believed that if God called them to claim the land than God will provide.

What about me? What am I? Am I going to be a Vision Stealer or Vision Believer?

I believe with all of my heart that God opened this door for this land. It is a one time opportunity. I cant even begin to fathom the impact on how God is going to use the land. I am vision believer and so when December 23rd arrives and it is the day that we give our one time cash gift and pledge…I am ready to give. I am ready to be a part of the miracle that God is doing here at Bethel.

What about you? Are you a Vision Stealer or Vision Believer. Are you going to be like the 10 spies and say we cant do this, were a small church…or are you going to be say hey I want to be a part of the miracle that God is doing here at Bethel.

I am not going to beg you for money and no one else either. This is a giving campaign not a fundraiser. This is about giving from your heart and giving for the future of the church.

Some of you are going to give no matter what and it is because you spiritually mature and believe in the church. Some people are not going to give and don’t plan on giving and they will complain. We are doing this campaign for either of those people. There are those that will give when they catch the vision. This campaign is for them.

The Bible says that where there is no vision the people perish. Bethel has a vision! We are reaching out to the lost in our community, discipling them, and sending them back out as missionaries in to this community and into this world.

We WILL Reach Our Goal!

I believe we can raise the rest of the money that we need. I believe this church can and will rise to the occasion. I believe that not only are we going raise enough money but we are going to raise more than we need. Our one time cash goal is going to be $30,000 and our pledges goal is going to be $100,000. We can do this. If we all equally sacrifice, not equally give than we can easily reach our goal.

We are all at different incomes and what one person can give is different than someone else. It is not about equally giving, it is about equal sacrifice. When you give something it should be a sacrifice and a sacrifice should hurt, if it doesn’t hurt its not a sacrifice. For some of you it may be $20 one time gift and $100 pledge over 12 months…and that’s a real sacrifice! Others of you can give thousands of dollars one time gift and thousands of dollars for 12 month pledge…and to you that will be a real sacrifice.

Everyone in here can make a sacrifice. Remember the widow and the widow’s mite. It wasn’t much but it was all she had…she made a sacrifice. It is not about how much you give, but whether it is true sacrifice or not. Many of the kids and youth in here can give a $1 for one time cash gift and $12 over 12 month. This campaign will involve the smallest child to the oldest adult. Rise to the occasion and be a part of the miracle that God is doing in this place.

God has blessed us with a great opportunity to not be land locked any longer. Can you imagine what God can do with 33 acres? We are on the threshold of the Promised Land, how will we respond? Will we rise to the occasion and be a part of the miracle that God is doing in this place? How will we respond?

I believe our first response should be prayer.

Invitation

Let us pray…with Holy Spirit moving. God you have brought this far and I know that you have great plans for us…and now it is our time to respond.

If you are in this place and say Pastor David I want to be praying with you that this giving campaign will be successful and that this will help our church become a better and stronger church because of this purchase. With no one looking…will you lift your hands up…saying David I join you in prayer!

God you see the hands and the hearts in this place…I pray that God that you will begin with me and that I will do exactly what you want my family to do in terms giving to the future of this church. I pray that God that you will begin to work in the families and individuals of this church and that they begin to pray about what they should give for the future of this church. In your name I pray. Amen.