This article from the diocesan stewardship team looks at some practical ways to think about money in our churches during Lent.
In his 2017 Lent book, Dethroning Mammon, Justin Welby encourages the reader to explore their relationship with money during the season of Lent. His premise is that money often takes the place of God in our lives, so rather than being something which is used as a tool for God’s Kingdom, it becomes something that takes priority over God. Re-focusing our financial behaviour to focus on God is a great Lenten discipline for us as individuals, but we must also model it as churches, so here are a few practical ways that we can think about money in our churches during Lent to refocus on God and his Kingdom.
What are we storing up?
All PCCs are required to have a reserves policy, saying how much they intend to keep aside in case things go wrong. However, most policies only specify a minimum amount (typically three months’ unrestricted expenditure), and without a maximum, churches can keep storing up more money in case something goes wrong until they have excessive reserves. Lent is a great time to consider your reserves and challenge that upper limit, with any additional money being used to help you grow as Kingdom People.
Remember to let people know how they can give
In our Diocese, twice as many people sign up to the Parish Giving Scheme during March and April compared to any other month. Part of the reason for this may be people re-evaluating their giving during Lent, so make you set out how they can give simply and clearly. Robyn Rooney has created some new leaflets to promote PGS in your church and wider parish that can be customised with your information and photos, with designs for Lent and Easter.
What we give we gain!
Justin Welby’s penultimate chapter is called What we give we gain and focuses on the story of the death and resurrection of Christ. For Lent, many individuals give something up and may put aside the money to give to a charity at Easter. Similarly, the church can do likewise and save up some money in Lent to give away, possibly to the Bishop’s Lent Appeal or to local charities nominated by the congregation.
Where are our weaknesses?
Lent is a time of personal reflection, being honest about our weaknesses and where we have gone wrong. We can do this with our church’s finances, reflecting on their weaknesses – is our income unstable, do we have big bills coming, is taking responsibility for our finances all being put on one person? By being honest, we can consider the problems and seek help to resolve them, from the wider congregation, the parish and the team at the diocesan office.
Tell the Good News
As we approach Easter, we travel through the dark time of Lent towards the light. Once you have draft accounts, including the trustees’ report, the PCC can begin to focus on what are the key messages of Good News they want to share with the congregation. While the detail needs to wait until the financial statements have been examined, you can begin telling the Good News stories of what has happened over the past year and thanking people for their support.
