Maybe I AM Rude

Anymore and for awhile, when we go to church, I feel this huge financial burden and moral slap from our minister. I have posted how I felt folks were being treated, when they didn't up their tithe. Not that anyONE was signaled out by name or looks, but there was a brow beating at one point. Or at least that was my preception.

Our Parish has so many things going on right now and all of them require money.

• Our church is over 150 years old and is cold in the winter and hot in the summer - we do need a new building, but I don't believe we can afford it.
• The DSP is due and payable now, with is an account that is held at the diocese and is determined by our weight on the diocese. We are required, our parish community, to fund the DSP just over $20k. Not much over last years amount.
• Regular weekly offering must remain stable in order to pay the bills.
• The occasional request for extra dollars to other local charities - food pantry, older adults services, handicap services etc.

Well, the drain on the parishioners has been apparent this year. I have never seen anything like it. I do believe our economy is also putting the squeeze hold on folk and taking away their available dollars after housing. Just look at any gas station or grocery store and you can tell where folks are paying the cash too. This is way before you consider debt service. Which we all know is huge in this world we live in.

So, after seeing the numbers in the weekly bulletin, I thought it was apparent. People just are unable to meet all the requests that are being put on their shoulders. Not that they don't want to, because I know they do, but because they are not getting raises, they are spending more than ever - because they have to and there is nothing left. Although, they could manage one of the needs for money, all are just too much and like a person headed to bankruptcy folks shut down and give less.

My thoughts and opinions, which at times may be a bit much, prompted me to send an email to my Minister. This email basically touched on how I feel the folks in my area are hurting financially and that the demands of the church are not helping with their emotional burden. We all know our money strikes the emotional cord. I then linked the Dave Ramsey FPU site with the hopes that we could throw together a class here in our town to help everyone struggling. Suggesting that we contact all the local churches of ever denomination and post in the local paper, giving everyone a chance to participate. My hope is to enable and teach the masses to help reverse the current cycle in my area.

I also pointed out the many pages in our tiny little local paper of foreclosure notices. I have never seen this before here. If we had 1 or 2, it was huge. I used to read them both each week and see if it was anyone I could help. Now there are just too many - I don't even look.

Hoping I reached a point, that our church needs to help these folks and in return help our community and our church.

Although, today, I have no idea if I got my point through. I have not heard back from anyone and believe my thoughts were pushed aside. Maybe I said, what they didn't want to hear. Maybe my perception of our current situation is not as I see it. And maybe they look at me as being rude and mis-informed. All I can say is, I'm glad I spoke my peace. I just wish it had helped someone.