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Tealeaves
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Username: Tealeaves

Post Number: 122
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 12:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi, I just posted this and the Net ate it, so I am going to try again.

I need a little advice, if you will.
God urged my husband and i to help out financially with a local CHristian non-profit agency. The center also wants us to be on the board. But something is bothering me. I have seen them make some financial decisions that seem just a tad questionable. Small things, such as buying hotdogs for a fundraiser instead of using the gift certificates that a local business gave them. (because they liked the brand a different store better.)
And we are helping them pay for the directors to go to a conference. They found airline tickets for $500 for a 9 hour trip, or $670 for a 4 hour tril. (no stopover on the latter.) THey want to take the shorter tickets, which makes sense. The thing that bothers me is that they have enough personal money to be staying a few extra daysafter the trip on their own dime, but they didn't offer to pay the extra $170 for their own comfort. I think good stewardship of finances is so important.
The even bigger concern I have is that the directors seem to be running headlong with their ideas and hoping God will bless them, but don't seem to be asking Him about what they should do in the first place. And several different people have offered counsel etc., but if it didn't directly support the premises and ideas of the directors, the directors simply cut off ties with the people.

So my questions: Should I just trust God to do with the money we have committed what He wills, and stop fussing? (I don't want to be a pain just because things aren't being done "my way.") Am I perhaps oversensitive?
For the future, should I wait it out and join the board, and then see further how things are going before deciding whether or not to cut ties? Or should I express my concerns? And what should we do about the finacial assistance... should we continue to financially support a vneture when we have concerns about their stewardship?
Any words of wisdom, or bibical counsel, would be appreciated! Thanks!
Hrobinsonw
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Username: Hrobinsonw

Post Number: 21
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 12:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tanya,

Trust God with the money already invested. But be weary for the future. My parents went through something kind of similar. God has blessed my parents with money because of faith in him and hard work. The church that we were with at the time was having issues. It ended up splitting and my parents decided to help the Pastor start a new church. My father has been comptroller for a fortune 500 company for 28 years. He now does the same for a state agency. He was asked to set the church up financially with checks, accounts, etc. He became the church accountant. Much of my families own finances poured into this new church. We didn't mind at all because we felt as if it were going for good. Then the pastor started reserving elaborate buildings to rent for church. He began to spend money on unneccesary things like chairs. He'd rather reserve a conference room at a prestigious university without access for the handicap than rent out an elementary school cafeteria which was accessible to the handicap. Nevermind that the university cost far more money. He ordered stain glass window when there weren't even plans for a church to be built.

I said all of that to say this. This pastor and my family have parted ways because he no longer wanted my father disagreeing with his spending of money. But the most important thing that my father said was this. "Ask God what you are to do. He won't allow you to invest what he has given to you wastefully without you feeling the effects of it." Tanya, if you have already prayed about this and your heart is still heavy, that is saying something. God loves you for what you have done so far in his name. But there are many worthy causes out there that need soldiers, enlist.
Hrobinsonw
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Username: Hrobinsonw

Post Number: 22
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 12:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When I said, chairs I meant that the elementary school allowed us to use the resources that they already had for free. And believe me, they had plenty of fold out chairs. So all that we basically had to pay for was the rental which was really cheap. Copying hymns from hymnals so everyone could sing along was more important to my father. The pastor expected everyone to know every song and felt that that money could be budgeted into getting a more elaborate building. Maybe my family was just twisted with the whole ordeal and just wrong about everything. But, to me it made sense. I just chalked it all up to the pastor being like 15 years younger than my father.
Ric_b
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Username: Ric_b

Post Number: 15
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 6:09 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tanya,
Maybe I'm oversensitive as well, but your description sets off alarm bells all over the place. Personally, I would have a hard time giving my financial and personal support to an organization that I thought was squandering resources and ignoring the counsel of others. Perhaps you have an opportunity to bring change to the organization. But I would start that sooner rather than later. If they won't listen to your concerns now, I doubt they would later.
Sabra
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Username: Sabra

Post Number: 160
Registered: 10-2001
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 7:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tanya,

I think just the fact that it is bothering you and you don't have peace about it says it all.

That little voice has spoken.

I can't imagine doing anything elaborate with God's money, it would really bother me. I would definately take the cheap tickets and maybe even drive for one example. Red flags!

I think you already feel this.

Sabra
Tealeaves
Registered user
Username: Tealeaves

Post Number: 123
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 9:26 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I do feel the "red flags", you are right. I wanted to bounce it off someone, though, to make sure I wasn't just being picky.
I just realized something this afternoon: that both of the directors come from the same church, a church I attended once. It is absolutely huge, and has a lot of money. (They even have a huge waterfall, coffeeshop, and bookstore in their church lobby. The lobby itself is bigger than most sanctuaries I have ever been to, and the sanctuary is enormous.)
The pastor wears a headset, and preaches with multi-colored spotlights on him, and his image is up on screens on the walls so that people in the back can see him better. it is a real production. (slightly reminiscent of that Steve Martin movie, Leap of Faith.)
What struck me today was that the directors are probably used to thinking that God's work has to be glitzy. And the idea of good stewardship is probably not something that that particular church is big on teaching.
Perhaps we do have an opportunity to see if we can influence things for the better while the organization is still new. (they have only been running for about 2 months.)
Or maybe God wants to teach us or them, or both, some sort of lesson. They actually started off as a branch of a bigger, already established organization of the same type They were even initially a part of the older centers board of directors. But that board decided to cut them loose pretty quick,because the directors wanted to be headstrong, skip steps, and not be responsible to the board for their financial decisions. (And with the new board formed, the directors will be voting members of the board, unlike the board that rules the bigger center.) Again, I found this out this week, and set off even more alarm bells.
Anyway, I will continue to pray and seek God's wisdom. Thanks for letting me bounce this off of you guys!
And I certainly appreciate any other wisdom you have to offer on the matter.

I have been so frustrated lately that my husband and I have been "floating" without a church home. We just haven't felt that anywhere we have been was the place God wanted us. So I really appreciate the counsel and fellowship on the board. -- You guys lift my spirit! -- It goes to show that God always supplies us with what we need, even if it isn't where you expect it.
-tanya-
Magpie
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Username: Magpie

Post Number: 6
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 5:51 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tealeaves,

The alarm bells have gone off! The still small voice has been heard.

If you still decide to go into this, procede with EXTREME caution!!

Magpie
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 565
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 4:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tanya, I agree with everything said above.

God does, I believe, make us uncomfortable when we are seeking His will and something we are involved with is not in the center of His will. I also hear those alarm bells ringing!

With prayers for you,

Colleen
Flyinglady
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Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 452
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 4:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tanya, I agree with everything said above also.
When God wants me to move on I get very uncomfortable with the situation and when I do not move on the situation gets worse.
You are in my prayers.
Diana
Tealeaves
Registered user
Username: Tealeaves

Post Number: 126
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Monday, August 16, 2004 - 4:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Update: today I took myself off the orientation schedule for the center. I am going to cstep back and do some very serious praying.
One of the reasons that my presence or absence is so highly visibly there is that they want me to partner with another nurse to provide the limited medical services the center is to provide. Also, they are asking my husband and I to help them financially in getting set up to provide those services.
This financial and medical help is right up our alley, if it were something God had in mind for us to help with. That is why I am making absolutely sure we are heeding God in this one. It really felt at first like this was a good fit for our skills. (his degree is in fundraising, mine, and I am a nurse, both things they really need help with.)
That is why i am being so careful in prayer and deeking God's will. I don't want to make a hasty decision, and I don't want to "lead anyone on" if we aren't going to be comfortable helping them out.
Thanks again for the counsel, and for the prayers. I want to do God's Will on this! I am feeling more and more that I need to pull out, but I want to make sure, and I want to be very careful with how I proceed.
Thanks again,
-tanya-
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 580
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - 12:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Keep us posted, Tanya.

With prayers for you and your husband,
Colleen
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 477
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2004 - 4:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Let us know how things go, Tanya. I continue to pray for you and your husband.
Diana

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