A colleague once told how "a certain woman phoned her personal banker to arrange for the disposal of a $1,000 bond. The voice on the phone asked for clarification, Is the bond for conversion or redemption?'' The confused woman paused and then inquired, Am I talking to the bank or the church?''" (1)

Today, I come speaking on behalf of the church of Jesus Christ. This is my training. A six-year-old boy, home from his first day at church, was asked what he thought of the service. "It was OK," he replied, "but I think it was unfair that the preacher up front did all the work, and then a bunch of other people came around and took away all the money." Amen to that small lad's insight.

I know that church budgets are not an easy thing to talk about, so let me tell the following story. Once a nor…