Page 5 - YTBF
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Do you realise that:
• 1 in 6 Church families have problematic debt?
• The top stress factor amongst Britons is the amount of money they have to live on?
• Research suggests that more than a third of us are anxious about how to pay the bills?
Money, like food is one of those things that we all think about every day – and often the thoughts cause anxiety resulting in stress. The most heard of questions are ‘do I have enough?’, ‘How much is enough?’, ‘Will I ever have enough?’, and ‘how can I get out of debt?’ Anxiety and uncertainty can lead to absence in church, lack of energy to get involved with church affairs and decreased giving.
An adverse financial condition impacts health and spiritual vitality.
THE TABOO
There is a strong reluctance to talk about money. It seems to be a very private matter and therefore not a topic to be discussed, especially not in church.
Yet the Bible gives very clear warnings about what could happen when the topic of managing money is not addressed from a biblical perspective.
Very few Bible schools and theology courses devote any time to teaching about the handling
of money and possessions. That results in church leaders rarely having an intentional and structured understanding or approach to the handling of finances other than teaching on giving. People surely need a biblical framework and criteria for making financial decisions?
Teaching our people to handle money and possessions God’s way is essential in the journey of discipleship. Failure by the church to address such a key life issue is surely nothing less than failing to teach what Jesus focused on in His three years of ministry.
There are even stronger spiritual reasons than practical reasons for the church to address the issue. Let’s look at six strong reasons why church leaders
WHY TEACH BIBLICAL FINANCE IN CHURCH?
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