I’m a “matter of fact” kind of guy expecting everything to be in black or white! It’s hard for me to operate in the grey area of life! I deal with numbers, deadlines, and decision making all day every day! I don’t have to use discernment very often in administration except maybe in handling personnel issues. That’s about the only time I do use discernment. The rest is deadlines and operations and putting out fires!
In my first church as the Business Manager I was also given the task of handling all benevolence cases. I was brand new on staff and in the ministry so I had very little experience in this area. I got ripped off and scammed right and left. I thought I had compassion and was helping people but little did I know I was just being used. I heard every story you could imagine of why they needed the money.
My second church on staff I was the the new guy and had to work Fridays while the other ministers where off. We were located right off a major freeway in Fort Worth, Texas. It was always on a Friday when people came to the church looking for help. A place to stay for the weekend, food, money, you name it they came by the church looking for it. I heard more elaborate stories about their situation. I soon began to use more discretion before I gave out help. I tried to qualify the need to make sure it was real. That was very hard to do!
I got scammed more but at the same time I finally began to see some real needs being met. They were far and few between but they were there alright. I did finally figure out though that I had little compassion due to being scammed so much. I began to think there were no real needs out there, or at least not coming my way. The Friday thing became a hassle for me and I grew tired of them coming in late on a Friday afternoon when most my resources were not even available anyway.
My third church I am not really the person in charge of benevolence. I get my share since as an administrator I roam around everywhere making sure things re running smoothly and end up getting caught by church members with people needed help. Here it is always for money, the very thing I hate giving out since that need is abused so often.
However, the difference here is many of the needs end up being real here in Waco. We are a downtown church with lots of homeless in the area, halfway houses, Salvation Army centers and the like. We get people almost every week looking to us for help. My compassion is very low from my past experiences. I think God is changing me here by showing me I have to show more compassion and begin trusting Him to show me who needs help and how. Just this past Sunday I turned down a man looking for gas money to go to Houston. A very common need that and this one came with his son had been killed in a car wreck over the weekend. He found his way to the pastor after church and shared with him the need. Turns our our pastor had baptized him a few months ago and was familiar with him. Once he shared about his sons death the man cried in the arms of our pastor just needing someone to listen and help. The mans need was met!
My point: even as Business Managers and Administrators who are typically ” matter of fact” people, we have to be compassionate in all we do. We have to stop long enough to listen and discern and trust that God will lead us in helping others!
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