| Discussion Room Thread |
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 Financial Transparency |
| By id2p - 04 Jan 08 |
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 26 Replie(s)
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id2p |
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Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:45 am |
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from relationaltithe.net
I have thought that before their can be congregational/corporate transparency (although there is financial transparency for publicly traded corporations), we first need to demonstrate transparency on a personal level within our spheres of influence. This can be both personal and also within businesses we may operate. I wonder how many of us do some act of financial transparency with others and how you go about doing that. I know that for many this does not happen. If you find that you are one of those people, why do you think this is? What would it take for it to become a reality? In my own experience, financial transparency typically happens too late -- when someone gets into financial problems. I am curious what it would look like if a community of people would commit to becoming transparent before it was too late, and what the benefits would be.
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dendy |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 1:16 pm |
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I'm not sure if I'm responding properly but there's a guy at my work that's in some real financial stress right now and I've been real open and honest with him about his spending as far as defining "real needs and wants." He's torn between his wife staying home with the kids and not working, getting rid of the new Corvette and getting rid of her new car. I think this issue of finances seems to me to be a huge issue among Christians and the ways we spend the gifts God has given us to meet the needs of others. I'm haunted by that verse in Acts that Shane quotes, and there was no needy persons among them and the other 2,000 Scriptures on justice.
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:16 pm |
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The next several posts will be a carry over from the "dot net" forum. I will post another little reply to alert all that the copy over is finished.
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:16 pm |
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I, at present, do not practice any financial transparency, but I do see the benefit especially in small group settings and intentional communities. However, I think we're often slow to do so because we have been raised on an individual mindset where my money is my money and no one should tell me how to spend it.
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:17 pm |
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I really have been wrestling with this topic. A friend and I have really been discussing the possibility of "church planting," but not in the typical way one would think. Rather, we really are wrestling with the idea of economic redistribution, intentional communities, and house churches. One of the things I've really thought would be important is that financial accountability and transparency.
What I'm wondering is if there is anyone who has done this within a small group or intentional community?
In many ways, I think much of our spiritual practices, disciplines and such were meant to be done in community. I very much believe confession is a community action taken together with one another. I think we've lost that community element in Christianity.
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:17 pm |
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Darin wrote (@ dot net forum):
"I really have been wrestling with this topic. A friend and I have really been discussing the possibility of "church planting," but not in the typical way one would think. Rather, we really are wrestling with the idea of economic redistribution, intentional communities, and house churches. One of the things I've really thought would be important is that financial accountability and transparency.
What I'm wondering is if there is anyone who has done this within a small group or intentional community?
In many ways, I think much of our spiritual practices, disciplines and such were meant to be done in community. I very much believe confession is a community action taken together with one another. I think we've lost that community element in Christianity."
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:18 pm |
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ragamuffin wrote (@ dot net forum):
"I agree. One of the best "services" i've been to in the last few years was on a day when the Pastor spoke about confessing your sins and being transparent with each other. Then he confessed his sins to the church and opened the mic to anyone to come and confess and be healed. The service went on for 3 hours of people confessing sins and praying for forgiveness and healing. It was beautiful."
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:18 pm |
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See, and that's what I'm talking about here. I honestly believe that we've turned confession, and many other things (including financial transparency), into a "personal" matter between the individual and God. Frankly, I believe this to be because we don't really want to be held accountable. It's much easier to "confess" to God our sins, and then go about our lives as if nothing is different. Then, we wonder why we continually fall into those sins repeatedly. Confession, in many ways, is communal in nature, and should be done as such. Tangible forgiveness, in my estimation, can be offered through the community itself.
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:20 pm |
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Alexa wrote (@ dot net forum):
"i agree "we have lost the community element of Christianity." and i think people do not do things like be financially transparent or confess sins in public because they do not feel they can trust their church. the current tradition of church in the west is not a community, not a group of friends and people you love and trust. who wants to confess their sin to a group of acquaintances who will surely jump at the chance to throw judgement?"
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Dustin |
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Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:20 pm |
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I certainly agree. Thus, the discussion of such matters as this must begin at an ecclesiastical level as well--what is church? can it really be functional, as it should be, with 500, 1000, 4000 people?
These are all questions which result from discussing what it truly means to "be the Church."
For me personally, this is one reason I have really be wrestling with the idea of house church. While I do believe their can be just as much judgment and condemnation in a small group, I think it is more conducive to what the Church should be than an institutional, static, government-recognized organization.
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