church pays families' bills

[terter]

TV program that showed a church that takes up a "special" offering to pay off a family's debts. Everyone that wants to be considered puts their name "in the hat." The pastor believes that the church should "owe no man." He doesn't put his name in the hat though. The money is paid to the creditors by the church so the money isn't given to the family. The families agree to financial counseling and submit credit reports every few months to assure that they are not going back into debt. The congregational members stay about the same.

Your thoughts?

[Benobi1]

i think this is cool..... we as a family should stand together and help each other, the good thing is that they don't just give the money for help they try and teach them to work with money.... with the counsiling....

[Guest lnj]

TV program that showed a church that takes up a "special" offering to pay off a family's debts. Everyone that wants to be considered puts their name "in the hat." The pastor believes that the church should "owe no man." He doesn't put his name in the hat though. The money is paid to the creditors by the church so the money isn't given to the family. The families agree to financial counseling and submit credit reports every few months to assure that they are not going back into debt. The congregational members stay about the same.

Your thoughts?

Sounds good...

What happens when the same old people seem to be footing the bill?

I wonder if graciousness would give way to annoyance and would it put pressure on the Church to "give" to "save face", so to speak?....

Added these ideas because it's a fact in todays Church.

God LOVES a Cheerful Giver...(cheerful from the Heart.)

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

This is a good idea as long as the families dont neglect their resposibilities or become lazy.

[irishcowboy]

the church is going to have to get back to helping its own.....

SRS/welfare should not even exists......

one man i know, had some major repairs that needed to be done to his house.... there was some done by volunteer work, but the repairs were above what could be done by the volunteers, electrical, plumbing, roofing, sheetrock work and some flooring...... when his church body was aproached (not by the man, but by the volunteers) they were told that SRS would have to be contacted first to see what they would do... then the church would see what they could do about finding some one else...

needless to say, that the church fellowship he belonged to and fellowshiped with no longer has him as one of their members, and his house is still in bad shape, he is dry and warm, but still, that is not the point...... this man has served his country, and is not able to even drive anymore and walks where ever he goes....

we are suppose to take care of our own...... and that is one of the reasons behind the TITHE....

if every one that is a paperwork member would tithe, there would not be any need for a "special" offering to help some one out...... i know of a few fellowships that have a hard time paying their own bills, and they have plenty of members..... the annual budget of one fellowship (all bills and maintenance)

comes to less then 12 dollars a week from all the oficial members that attend regular (once a month or more) this does not include those that attend every week and are not members or the members that only attend a couple times a year...... and this fellowship is having problems making ends meet.... something wrong with this sort of picture, when the budget is not even a tithe of the tithe of what the Tithe should be....

this past month, i was sitting in a situation where i did not know if the electric and gas bill would be paid, i was un able to do any work.... the only assistance we were offered was that we could go and get a bag of groceries.... this we do not need, we have 3 - 4 months food on hand at any given time and some times even more..... I was looking into things, but as it is, God has been gracious enough to allow me to work enough to earn enough to pay the bills..... no extra.... tithes and bills.....

In the book of Genesis, Cain said this about Abel, his brother, to our God: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

I say, No, i am not my brothers keeper, I AM MY BROTHERS BROTHER.....

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

What this church fellowship has done is only the begining.... what is all this money good for if not to help a brother or sister in need..... Bravo Zulu

why is America falling apart? look around... we say it is of no concern of mine.... and now it has become our concern.... and there is no one else to help or no one else that knows how to help....

mike

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

This is a good idea as long as the families dont neglect their resposibilities or become lazy.

If the world (Extreme Makeover Home Edition) can do it, why can't the church?

[Marnie]

Our church does this for members of the congregation who are in need. We don't do it for anybody who calls the church, which I gather happens all the time.

[apothanein kerdos]

It's a good concept - so long as all families willing to get help actually get that help.

[Guest Biblicist]

Our church does this, as did other churches I have been a member of.

It doesn't help you, though, if you suffer in silence and never ask.

Is it wrong to ask?

When do you finally break down and say, "help"?

When do you know it's selfish to ask, and prideful not to ask for help?