How Can the Church Help Financially?

Greetings and welcome to Church Talk. Today, Pastor Sijo and Apostle Priji discuss on the order in which the church can be a financial help! Tune in to understand how we can aim to be like the 1st century church.

Transcript:

Pastor Sijo: Greetings in Jesus name! I believe you are growing this season. This is the best platform where you can learn. We welcome Apostle Priji Varghese.

Apostle Priji: We have guest joining us every alternate episode who are bringing different perspective. It’s not about teaching people how to do church but this is a conversation on what we face and how we overcame certain challenges, what did Jesus do about it. We have to make sure that our present church represent the 1st century church.

Pastor Sijo: We have many people who come to church. How do we address people who come to church with specific needs?

Apostle Priji: We need to understand that we will have people who come to church because they have needs like financial emotional. The church is not just an answer to spiritual need,it is also an answer to physical needs. Jesus is the answer.The church is the solution. The primary help that we can give is to teach. When we only meet the physical need without teach them, then we create a wrong culture.

Pastor Sijo: How do we understand the right time to help peoples physical needs?

Apostle Priji: There is nothing wrong in helping peoples physical needs. In the 1st century church, it was brothers who made sure they bring there resources to the feet of Apostles to make sure that no ones need is unmet. The real question is how do we do it orderly.

Pastor Sijo: How can we set a healthy boundary in terms of helping financially?

Apostle Priji: If we want to help someone in the church then we can bring to the church leaders and convey that we would like to help a certain person or a family in the church financially, but they don’t have to know who they are. It will be done through the church. The dependency is not on the person who is giving the money. There will always be a loophole who will always want to take advantage. We cannot stop helping people because we have had a Judas in the past. We have to learn to help with wisdom. Not always will everybody’s need be met. Every church should aim to be like the first century church.

Pastor Sijo: How do we address situations to the church wherein a member of the church might be in need and requires help?

Apostle Priji: As much as possible, we should try helping people person to person rather than involving church finances. If there is anyone in the church who has a need, then we can try talking to some other person who can meet their need. Sometimes there might be a need where the entire church might have to rally into; at the same time we have to think that the thing that we are raising money for, does it fit into the vision of the church? When it comes to person to person, it is about his/her heart and his/her desires. But when you rally the entire church into raising money for the education of children then we need to ask, is this the church’s’ vision?
Never be ashamed to raise funds. The Apostles were never ashamed to raise funds; God in the Old testament asked to bring money, He was so explicit in raising funds in church then why should we be ashamed!

Pastor Sijo: How do we create a culture where we just don’t know about the spiritual aspect of people but also what are the things going in their life?

Apostle Priji: We don’t have to overdo the physical needs and at the same time we have to create a culture where physical needs are being met. The true need is the dependence on God; for them to see God as Jehovah Jireh.

Pastor Sijo: Thank you so much Apostle. I truly believe that every podcast that will come ahead will reveal deep secrets.

Apostle Priji: One of the things that God is doing in these last days is that He is building His church, and as co-workers with Christ that are building this church along with Him, we need to be wise builders. We build not on hay, grass, wood but on unperishable materials like gold and silver and metals that cannot fade away. I really hope that these conversations will help you think better and pray better and get better clarity on these issues.

Pastor Sijo: You can reach out to us on [email protected]. Thank you Apostle and everyone who is listening to us. May God bless you. Until next time, stay blessed.