"All Churches Ever Do Is Ask For Money"

I am sympathetic to the observation many make about churches sparing most of their urgency to ask for money. The church has a very long history over its problematic relationship to money. For most churches like ours, I also think that we can fail to talk about money in a way that isn't connected to shame.

But the longer I have been a pastor at LUMC the more I have seen just how much fruit the generosity we receive can bear. I've seen how the money that is donated to support this church, its ministry, and its staff, have helped us play a small part in getting people experiencing homelessness housed, getting children in Title I schools fed, connecting people to the earth through our community garden, and enabling us to worship God together as we live out God's dream for us in Lakewood. We use money to make sure our facility is useful to the neighborhood, that our staff receive a just wage, that we engage in ministry that is sustainable and long lasting, that we can engage in worship of God that is memorable and meaningful.

There are two dimensions to giving money to a church. (Not to say that there aren't other things one can share with their church). One is the impact generosity can have on a church and the ministry they do with the neighborhood they are in--and the other is the impact on the giver. Speaking for myself and as a millenial, I give because it is a part of how I belong. Whether its to a cause, or a homeless shelter, or a church, for me giving is a way I express my identity.

I don't give to the Red Cross, or to Save the Children. I give to the new Homeless Navigation non-profit in Lakewood, RecoveryWorks and I give to Lakewood United Methodist Church. I give to these two organizations because I believe in what they are doing, and I want to be aligned with their mission. Who I am is reflected in what I invest in.

I will say this--I think everyone should find something to invest in that is not themselves. I don't think we were made not to share what we have in some way. And that definitely does not apply to only money, you might share your time in being the caregiver of a loved one or a friend. You might give free legal advice to a cause or organization you believe in if you are a lawyer. You might cook meals weekly for someone who needs it, or volunteer your time at a local non-profit who helps people in poverty.

But I hope you, if you don't already, will invest in something that makes the neighborhood, community, or the world a better place.

At Lakewood UMC, we are doing things that are helping our community. There is a long, long list I as pastor could share with you. But suffice it to say that we are a voice of advocacy for people in need, a hub of the arts and the community, and a beacon of hope that this neighborhood isn't done--it isn't throwing in the towel. We are a church that lives into the kind of mission Christ proclaimed in Matthew 25: 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."

We are a church that proclaims a faith that isn't meant just to be embraced for the sake of feeling good about ourselves, or for the sake of feeling righteous--we proclaim a faith that is mean to be lived out. A faith that clings to an eternal hope, an ethic of justice, and a message of peace and justice.

And we believe that if you invest in us, if we are lucky enough to be the recipients of your generosity, then your generosity will be a part of how the kin-dom of God will be built in our little corner of Lakewood, Colorado. With bricks made out of shared meals, hospitality, gestures of kindness, extensions of dignity and humanity, and hope.

So we ask for money. We ask for time and expertise. We ask for whatever abundance you can spare, for we believe we can put all of it to work for the dream God has for our part of the world. But we promise that asking for your money isn't the only thing we do!

If you feel moved to donate to the work we are doing in North Central Lakewood, click here or click the button below.

If you want to learn more about how your generosity is put to work, reach out to me at ben@lumc.net.