PLAYING SANTA CAUSE

OK, I'll tell you up front that I googled santa cause and found that some agencies actually use the name. I thought I had made it up. You see, I am playing Santa Cause this month. No, I'm not wearing a red costume with a white beard, and I am not in a nearby shopping mall. But, in a roundabout way, I am playing Santa Cause, or Santa Clause this month. Let me explain what I mean...

I go back a long way of in ministry. I pioneered the church I presently pastor, and have been here a long time. New Harvest is a great church with great people. We are located in a rural area. North Carolina's unemployment rate is the highest it has been in 25 years, and Rutherford County ranks among the highest. The difficult economic situation this year has made it even more difficult for the church.

Typically this year we see a decrease in giving. We have people who tithe on a regular basis, and some who give occasionally. Some are regular givers, except for this time of year. What people fail to understand is that the church budget and pastor's wages do not end in November and pick back up in February. So each year at this time I play Santa Cause. Giving decreases as our members take their tithes and offerings and spend them on Santa.

I have friends in ministry who know of no such problem. They have never had a budget deficit. I have not had such luxury. So, in what has already been a difficult year financially, becomes more so. When the funds are not there, they are not there. As a result our ability to continue to shine the light to the community, region, nation, and world becomes affected. I am amazed at how many people want to send money to Africa or some TV preacher, but don't want to support the local church. The only way the local church in your community can be there and be relevant is by the support of its people.

I apologize if this seems like a gripe at my people. It is really a concern that I have for the churches across our nation. Our nation is suffering great difficulty in this financial crisis, and the ability of the ministry is being affected. I realize there are those who are not within the local community of Forest City, that are being affected by the same concerns. If I can help one person to give a special offering this year to their house of worship, my Santa Cause blog has been worth the effort it took to write it.

Oh well, I've got a few more weeks to play Santa Cause :)

Having said all of the above, I love my church, love my people, and love the Lord.

Y'all be blessed, and have a Merry Christmas!