Our churches are the body of Christ, communities of faith, gathered believers who minister in our Lord s name. But they are also human institutions and require money, time, and energy to remain healthy. If the roof leaks, it has to be repaired or even replaced. The electricity bill must be paid. These institutional needs, of course, are important to the church s overall mission.
Few churches can function without a treasurer to pay the bills.
And Sunday school teachers and musicians play vital roles in the life of the church. Some congregations find, however, that the needs of the church as an institution begin to make it difficult for the church to be fully centered on God s mission. One congregation, for example, wanted to sponsor a refugee family but found it impossible to find enough volunteers because almost all the active members already felt overloaded with responsibilities. There are two primary reasons for that trend. First, the cost of health insurance and other benefits has increased significantly in recent years.