1.6%

Over the weekend, I looked at the church's 2006 budget plan that we formulated a year ago. Of the total dollars budgeted, 1.6% of that directly benefited the poor.

One-point-six. We can do better. We must.

Additionally, over 90% went to programs, services, staff, administration, etc. that benefits members alone. If 90% of our offering is coming back to benefit us, are we really giving something away? Is it really a sacrifice? Something to think about.

Many among us own homes, vehicles, fashionable clothes, have no trouble eating at restaurants, and enjoy many other luxuries that we tend to think we need. And it seems that even when we give at church, in many ways it comes right back to us.

The church in the first century couldn't have buildings. They rarely, it seems, had paid staff. Things are drastically different in our time. I'm not suggesting we throw out the baby with the bathwater, but I would advocate an incremental shift over time that shifts more of our resources out of our hands and into the hands of those with real need.

We can certainly do better than one-point-six.