By Not Known
We are rightly careful to exercise good stewardship and accountability with the church’s finances. Thus we have prudent policies to handle all monies, submit the books to external audit and publish financial reports for all to see. This is good.
But what of our stewardship and accountability of the gospel of Christ? Christ is our spiritual and eternal treasure (eg Phil 3:8). He is the one best thing that we have to share with one another and with the world around us. The language of ‘stewardship’ is better used of gospel ministry than of managing worldly wealth (eg 1 Cor 4:2; 1 Tim 6:20).
Today’s Annual Ministry Meeting is a step towards good stewardship and accountability with the gospel. Our leaders have developed statements of ministry goals and activities for coming ministry year. Our financial year budget will reflect these plans as we take the financial decisions needed to do gospel ministry.
We ask the congregation to consider these ministry plans carefully. Please ask probing questions, make constructive comments and let’s commit ourselves to involvement in God’s gospel work as we are able and as he moves us. In this sense the ministry plan is a partnership between congregation and leaders.
However, let’s remember where the gospel stewardship and accountability really is. It is to God. It is God’s gospel, not ours (eg Rom 1:1). We are God’s ambassadors and not our own emissaries (2 Cor 5:20). And thus it is from love of Christ that we are compelled to do gospel ministry (2 Cor 5:14).
This has many implications. We cannot change the gospel to suit our times, for it is God’s gospel. We dare not be half-hearted or weak at gospel ministry but must pour ourselves out just as Christ poured out his love for us. We cannot be diverted from the one great task of the gospel for it is our ambassadorial task.
We have a long way to go in our stewardship and accountability with the gospel. But let’s thank God for today’s meeting and make it one good step in a direction that pleases him to whom we are accountable.
David Burke