Stewardship with Rev. Susan Ranous
August 15, 2023
STEWARDSHIP AND DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER
FINANCIAL HEALTH
Over the last couple of weeks, we focused on customizing the approach to discipleship[1] based on life stages and spiritual maturity. This week we’ll talk about customizing our approach to financial health.
The article from Christian Stewardship Network lays out four levels of financial health:
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Struggle
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Stable
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Solid
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Surplus
Their definitions identify struggling as those in the midst of financial crisis and in need of financial health; stable are those living from paycheck to paycheck; solid are those who have learned the basics of budgeting and are now debt free with margin.; and surplus are those with more resources than needed to basic needs and wants.
Most likely, you have people in all four of these stages of financial health, just as you have people in all stages of life and all stages of spiritual maturity. People in every stage looks at stewardship; at discipleship, and at life differently. We, therefore, need to approach this differently as well.
One thing I have learned is not to assume someone is struggling and not ask them to commit, or vice versa. But if you are aware someone is struggling and in the midst of crisis, then we have a responsibility to help them through that. To move from struggling or stable to solid may require teaching and training. A financial program, or how to budget program, or how to get out of debt program would be of great help to many. Anyone can and should budget, not just people with money.
It is hard to focus on making a financial commitment when someone may be worried about even putting enough food on the table, or to pay their rent. Helping someone out of that stressful situation will go a long way toward helping them care for themselves and to commit to a generosity program. Also, people who are focused too much on money may have great difficulty in even focusing on anything else, even discipleship or worship or prayer.
Like last week, let’s start with ourselves. Where do you fall in each of these areas? How do you know? What are the things that you can work on for each item. I attended a workshop that included completing a money autobiography that helped me understand why I believe what I do about money, why I spend money or save money. Start with that for yourself. If you’d like a pdf to a money autobiography to start your own work, please let me know. It will help you face your own financial health, but also to help others. A wonderful small group study could start with money autobiographies.
When we’ve helped our folks care for themselves financially, other steps will fall into place.
If you wish more information on this or would like to discuss stewardship and its relationship with discipleship, please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or sranousacctg@twcny.rr.com. I’d be happy to help.
[1] Stewardship Education that Builds Disciples, Furlong, Jessica and Dick, Don (Christian Stewardship Network), https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com.
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