Guest column from Rev. Michael Brooks of Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster AL
Jim came to see me with a message from the finance committee he chaired. The group met when I was with another group, so I missed their meeting. I’d begun to use cards for Sunday guests that were actually envelopes. The simple message on the envelopes was “Please use my gift as an expression of my love for Christ.”
My predecessor schooled the church on a doctrine of the “contemporary” church; namely, no visitors should be asked for money. The argument is that many people thought the church was after their money anyway, so we should disclaim this from the start. The pastor would say something like, “Our members support the work of this church, and we don’t want any guests to think they have to give.”…