I attend a relatively small church. We used to be a lot bigger, and have a campus, budget, and infrastructure to match. We have a decent amount of tithing with most regular attending families participating, but generally operate at a deficit. Part of our budget is our "fellowship fund", which is used to help members who have family financial issues. A few years ago, one of our member families fell on hard times, and our board voted to allocate part of our budget to help support this family on a monthly basis. Now it's been a few years, and this budget allocation has become less appreciated and more expected. Recently, some of the church leadership has changed, and now there's discussion as to how obligated the church is to continue supporting this family. On one side of the coin is the idea that this family has really come to depend on this subsidy, and removing it could have a dire impact on them. On the other side is the idea that they have had enough time to come by their own means of self-support, and that it's not really incumbent upon the other members of the church to support this family, especially when the church doesn't have enough income to pay all its other bills as is. Based on the above, how do you think the church should handle this dilemma?
I see three obvious solutions: 1) Continue the subsidy 2) Stop the subsidy 3) Stop the subsidy after a few months #3 allows them to find a way to make a living without the church money and isn't an all at once kind of shock. Whether you should continue paying is a matter of doing what you think is right.
My parents have a similar family their church helps, the wife does all of the landscape maintenance, mowing, weeding, trash pick of the church grounds (the husband works) and the husband sets up and takes down all the chairs and tables for church functions on the weekends. I would talk to the family and see if they can do something similar. If they can do something that would help reduce chruch expenses that helps the church pass the savings on to them as financial support.
Good thought, but unfortunately, all that stuff is already done by volunteers. Our church's bills are essentially limited to employee salaries, missionary support, utilities, supplies, and activities directly related to ministries. Having operated at a deficit for so long, pretty much all of the "fat" has already been trimmed from the budget.
Well this family can't really expect that this will continue in perpetuity. Are the hard times medically based or a layoff type situation? Is there any reason that they can't get themselves back on their feet again? Would some counseling with the family help? Seems like a tough situation. However, I would think that there might be other services available to help to offset the burden on the church. No real advice here. Sorry.
I'm somewhat in this camp, but I know there are other ways to look at this. In theory, #3 should probably have been the plan from the beginning. Part of the concern now is the potential perception that the church is "taking away" money from this family, and how does that reflect on the church as a whole.
Not religious, but I understand that if there's one thing the New Testament has advice about, it's how we should act towards the poor.
I have never heard of a church helping one family financially for such an extended time, with a regular subsidy. It seems like they were given ample time to get back on their feet, and to provide for themselves. That said I do not know their situation. So, if the church was going to end the subsidy to this family, even have given them several years of help, since it might affect them in such dire way, maybe it is time for the church to give them a time limit. The church could offer the subsidy for a few more months, with the family knowing that it is going to end, so that they can have time to get work or find alternative financial assistance. Again, I don't know this families circumstances. Seems like the church should have set perimeters when they started the subsidy if it did not want to find itself in this situation.
Argh... Was is ever their money to begin with? Obvious answer. I feel that if they are expecting a hand out now and not understanding that its a true gift from the congregation nor willing to accept that it was a finite term then they are being unreasonable. People need hand ups, not hand outs. But if given a hand out, then I believe it should have been determined before hand a term length. Obviously I am more rigid when it comes to this type of behavior. So you probably shouldn't listen to me, LOL.
Hard to tell without more information. Is there a reason the temp has become long term? Are there issues with, say, a serious illness or disability that keeps someone from working or racks up enormous medical bills? I would say, find out what the issue is, use funds to help resolve the problem.
True, but those teachings are more geared toward the individual than the collective. Also, is there a line? Is the church obligated to "help the poor" to the point of ceasing to exist?
Have you had discussions with the family about this, is there a possibility the help could be reduced if they accessed other social services? We do the same at my church with a man who isn't able to work (he does do a lot of work around the church) and, for a long time, people were even letting him live with them. Eventually, through a lot of help from people in the church with paperwork, etc. for assistance with housing, we got him into his own little apartment.
Jesus was pretty clear about this, if that is something that matters to your church. Give to all who ask. And yes, every last cent. And yes, especially if you dont expect them to repay you.
If you've been supporting them for a few years I'd say you have some responsibility to wean them off the subsidy slowly. They may be angry with you at first and look at you like you're taking "their" money, but it's also possible that they knew it wouldn't last forever and have already brainstormed how to get by without the subsidy. Good luck.
I would talk to them and tell them about the churches financial situation. Tell them you will continue to pay them the same amount for 3 months. After 3 months it is cut in half and you will continue to give them the cut in half amount for 3 months. After the 6 months you will no longer be able to provide them with money.
