can I interject something here?
This is only going to be a LITTLE off topic. As someone who is "in the business" I have noticed that it is easy to complain that "the church just wants my money" The reality is that we live in a world where money is essential to getting things done. If a church has an aggressive, outward focused, intensive mission to accomplish (as Cathedral of Hope clearly does!) then it needs to have an aggressive, outward focused, and intensive stewardship focus and it needs to challenge its members and participants to INVEST in that mission and ministry -- with their time, their talents, and their resources. That is the ONLY WAY THAT IMPORTANT MINISTRY GETS DONE!! Salaries need to get paid, light bills need to be paid, parking lots need to be paved, roofs need to be replaced. If the church has a ministry to feed the hungry... food needs to be aquired. If the church has an advocacy ministry then billboards, newspaper ads, websites, book publishing, public meetings, demonstrations, sit-ins, ALL HAVE TO BE PAID FOR! God IS good all the time but as a rule he doesn't rain pennies from heaven to pay for ministry ... marshalling the resources is OUR JOB.
I am not criticizing or judging you Chad because ... I don't know you, but in my experience there is a point in a persons relationship to a church where they have not yet decided to commit and invest in the ministry of the church but the call to invest is beginning to register as a "tug" on them personally. This has a way of increasing the persons anxiety and reducing their level of comfort. The natural human response to rising anxiety is resentment against the force that is causing the tension and anxiety to increase.
May I suggest that as an alternative to blaming the church for "being only interested in my money" you might explore your own heart as to why the challenge to invest is causing you anxiety? It could be any of a number of things.
1. maybe you don't really share or believe in the mission of the organization
2. maybe you don't trust the organizations leadership
3. maybe you are afraid of losing something important if you invest in this ministry
4. maybe you are not ready to give up the things that your donations could buy if you spent the money on yourself instead?
5. maybe you are afraid of the spiritual change or investment that might follow once you make the financial investment.
6. maybe the challenge to "do more" for the church triggers an old "tape" from your childhood and you experience as "guilt" what is in fact just a challenge. I know that I always react with annoyance when I think someone is guilting me into something -- even if they really arent.
My point is that the feeling of annoyance and resentment is a signal that SOMETHING important is going on INSIDE of you. An important step in your spiritual development and maturity will be to figure out what the something is.
Dave
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