If you’ve ever wondered what happens to the money after you swipe your card on the iPad on Sunday morning, or after you dropped your tithe or offering into a donation box on Sunday, I thought it would be useful to write about.   Maybe you’ve wondered why actionchurch doesn’t do more “special offerings”, or “mission offerings” or pass an offering plate (or supply those cute little golf pencils at every seat) :-)

First of all, from time to time, as a church we will put special emphasis on giving to a specific cause or organization.   When 500 coats are needed for York Public elementary schools…we asked folks to bring coats.  When the York Rescue Mission needs food for their thanksgiving dinner…we ask folks to bring money.   When kids in Africa need to be sponsored…we ask folks to support Hungerstrike.org. and our friends from WILLET.  When a homeless mother needs furniture and furnishings for her newly aquired apartment…we ask folks to fill a moving truck-and they DID!

Everything else is Mission Giving.

Yep.  Mission Giving.

Now you might be thinking, wow Don, I’m pretty sure the theater isn’t free every week.   I’m pretty sure sound systems, signage, projectors and bounce houses aren’t free.  I’m betting even the “free Maple donuts” each week aren’t really FREE.  How can all money that comes in on Sunday morning be “mission giving”?  How do you pay the bills?

Here’s the thing.   actionchurch is on a mission.  It’s not a secret.  We print it on everything we own.  Our mission is to Love God, Love people, and take action.  We won’t be finished until everyone in the world has experienced that Love.  Even though we are completely staffed at this point by volunteers, most of our mission costs money.

Renting Frank Theaters each week so a growing number of folks can hear about Jesus is a mission expense.

Renting out even more theaters so even more kidz can hear about Jesus-mission expense.

Providing breakfast for everyone at Relay for Life  (June 17-18) -mission expense.

Providing coffee for adult walkers and bounce houses for kids at Relay- mission expense.

Tools for our great volunteers…from microphones to walkie-talkies- mission expense.

Handing someone who isn’t sure how they will make it through the week a gas card and hope-mission expense.

I won’t take up your morning with listing every item in the actionchurch budget…but I hope you catch the pattern…it’s ALL about mission.  If it’s not…we simply DO NOT spend it.  And please, don’t think our budget is what it is because we are a scrappy new church  (I said Scrappy-not crappy :-)  )  with no paid staff and no permanent facility.  Even when it becomes necessary to hire for positions that cannot be covered by volunteers… Even if we are someday blessed enough to own a facility…every item will remain “on mission” if we ONLY spend money to take action BECAUSE we love God, and Love People.

Nothing else will do.  Nothing else is “Mission Giving”

I hope you’ll join us on our mission.  Together we can change York county…and the world.