Money, church and our hearts
Jesus didn’t pull punches in his parable of the rich fool, condemning the man who built larger barns to store his ever-increasing wealth (Luke 12:13–21). If this is such a big issue, how ought church leaders to think about money in the bank? What’s the minimum a church should hold in reserve? When is a church flirting with the rich fool’s barns? Such questions might make you uncomfortable. Christians sometimes talk about church finances as if they’re awkward cousins of real gospel ministry: “It’s a shame, but you’ve got to think about the church like it’s a business.” We assume preaching, evangelism, and discipleship are truly spiritual activities while finances are an unfortunate necessity—if not an outright distraction. We assume preaching, evangelism, and discipleship are truly spiritual activities while finances are an unfortunate necessity. The implication is that financial questions belong in the domain of the businessman, not the pastor. The Bible, by contrast, calls money a