Our Money Story

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Written by Jen Evans Jen Evans

Our lives tell stories about who we are, our history, and priorities.  Our stories are deep, varied, and holy.  I recently got lost in the stories of the history of this congregation as I flipped through photo books from the 70s, visitor logs from the 60s, church communications from the 50s, and finance statements from the 40s.  As Madeline (interim office admin) and I browsed the artifacts, we saw current and extended family of members attending today, a faithful congregation, and a missional church.  I read the wisdom from previous leaders and can understand how this congregation has survived and remained faithful over the years.  The collection of stories of this congregation and community is bound together expressing deep rooted faith, vision for the future, outwardly focused ministry, and trust.

Our individual stories are still being woven into a larger narrative for our congregation, one that includes the strong foundation formed through challenging times and the shared triumphs.  We grow by articulating and learning from our stories.  What stories does your life tell?

For example, let’s think about a kind of story that we’d rather not discuss - our money story.  I can feel the tension of you reading this as I’m still writing it!  We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not.  Perhaps we are living from a story of fear or shame.  Or a story that the church prioritizes differently.  Or a story that our actions won’t have an impact.  Or a story that we don’t have enough.  We so quickly want to avoid the whole conversation.  But it’s time we reframe this.

Read more: Our Money Story