A Gentle Rebuke

This Sunday is Harvest Sunday and as of right now, we have 42k on the debt. What does it mean if the debt is gone after this Sunday? It means we’ll spend 78,000 more dollars on ministry next year than we did this year without increasing our budget. Part of that will be for a full-time student pastor. The other part we want to spend on children.

What happens if we don’t meet the goal?

I was sitting in our Church Council meeting last night and this question was asked. I hedged. I blinked. I hesitated. I was about to give the good, spiritual, encouraging answer but it was painfully obvious I didn’t really feel that way. The leaders around me patiently waited. “So…Grant…what happens if we don’t meet the goal?”

I was honest with them — “I’ll be disappointed. I AM disappointed.”

A hush filled the room. It was the quiet before the rebuke. If the question was a test, I pretty much failed it. I knew it the minute the words left my mouth. I didn’t answer the question. I told them how I felt but how I felt wasn’t the question and how I felt (as often times feelings are) was out of sync with reality.

An older, wiser, deeper leader spoke first…gently but firmly. “You know, Grant…the worst thing that happens is we are now on pace to get out of debt in March of 2010. And we’ve done that in the worst economy in decades. And we’ve done it while only being 4% behind budget. And we have a vision for what God is calling us to do in 2010.”

I looked up. There wasn’t a frown in the room. They were smiling. And I got a much needed dose of encouragement and huge reminder why God calls us to lead in community.

This Sunday will be awesome…no matter what it.