Dear friends in Christ,
I’m writing this week’s email from Camp Allen, the camp & conference center of the Diocese of Texas. This week I’m attending a gathering of church leaders from all over, focused how we can share resources as a church so that we can carry out God’s mission.
It’s tempting to view resources of all kinds as limited assets to be protected and even hoarded. We might even find ourselves thinking that “we” need to keep things so that “they” don’t have them. But this isn’t the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God’s creation is an economy of grace. Everything we have – money, buildings, land, skills, passions, knowledge, and all else—comes to us as pure grace. These things are not ours, but God’s gifts to us. If we can see this truth, we might be able to hold things more lightly; we might readily share resources with others.
Parts of our church are blessed with abundance. Other parts lack critical resources to do the work God has given us to do. What if we were more quick to share?
Think about your church. What resources do you have? People? Money? Buildings? Social connections? Skills? How could you offer what you have for the good of the world and for the good of the whole church?
This is what I’ll be pondering as I head home tomorrow. Pray for our church, that we might see ourselves as grace-filled people eager to share grace with a world in need.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Gunn
Executive Director
More from our ministry:
A fresh take on sharing wealth: The Unjust Steward
Empower all members to share God’s word: Invite Welcome Connect
From RenewalWorks: Laity as spiritual leaders
Order today for Advent: A Light Upon My Path