A Fully-Resourced Unida Church:
The Future of our Financial Destiny

"Wealth is not what we have, but what we are."
~ Unknown

I've been member of our church (Unida) for almost half of my life now and I have yet to see our financial potential realized. Our resources seem to be almost and if not, always below the lid of our member's giving capacity. The glass ceiling effect appears to hinder the growth of our finances wherefore further impairing the ministries of our church. And all my life, I wonder, would this
seemingly impregnable barrier be one day fall just like the walls of Jericho?

Remembering Roger Bannister, a fleet foot physician who has broken the four minute mile barrier at the British Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, I realized that what seemed to be impossible today would one day be possible in the future. But Bannister had not done it without criticism. People had tried to achieve it for centuries but it has become a basic belief that it was physiologically impossible. Some say, the feat was so strenuous that our lung power was simply
not adequate. So what has changed? Did man improved physiologically in training? No! The difference was in attitude. Now everyone knew it was possible and it empowered three hundred additional runners, a year after that, to break the same four minute mile barrier.

During a typical group discussion in church, I've asked the members the reasons why they think Unida, as whole, has been lagging growth compared to other successful churches like JIL, CCF, Victory or Word of the World. One of them answered that it is because, unlike them, we lack the financial resources. It seems to be well perceived by most of the people on our church that our finances are to blame for the current dilemma that we are facing. Most think that the sudden
increase of resources would definitely solve our every ministry problem. Definitely not! Finance is not just about accumulation but proper distribution of it. And, I believe we have more than we think we have.

Wealth is not what we have, but what we are. And these are the ministries of our church that fuel the giving of the members and not the other way around. To motivate the members in giving because of the lack of resources in ministry weaken the giving even further. To lose focus on the ministry would result to poor giving. However, the involvement of everyone in the ministry would definitely guarantee the financial resources to support it. Therefore, to strengthen the ministry would make the Unida one step closer to what Act 2 described the Church of Christ should be.

Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread. (Psalms 37:25) Is the Lord of Unida church a weak god that he would not honor his promises? Are we children of a lesser god, so to speak? Our Lord has been faithfully providing but are we faithfully equipping. The financial destiny our church's future generation
lies in the giving of our present members but are we, as leaders, equipping them financially?

Hundreds, if not thousands, of fund raising programs had been tried in the past. Some were deemed successful yet many have been left wanting. The "giving-begets-ministry paradigm" has worked for a while but has been poorly sustained. Faith Partner's for example, founded for the sole purpose of generating income that would provide for the needs of our workers and pastors, has been faithfully serving this duty for years but it has appeared to have reached a glass ceiling already. The needs have outgrown the resources. Therefore, something has to change.

The purpose of every ministry is to fuel the giving and not the other way around. The "ministry-begets-giving paradigm" shifts our focus on the importance of the ministry in supporting its finances. Rather than motivating the members to give in order to sustain the ministry of our pastors and workers, the leaders of the church should be equipping the members, through a ministry, to become financially mature and giving Christians. Instead of focusing on the need, whether in teaching or preaching, the members should be encouraged to get involved in a ministry that would not only enhance their spiritual lives but also improve their financial security.

I've encountered one ministry like this in one of our local churches in Unida and it is named "M310". It is a membership club that not only ensures the financial liquidity of their local church or facilitates the tithe giving of the members but also educates the members on money matters and financial security. And, it was all done through teaching biblically sound principles! Now, all it needs is to multiply itself in order to influence every church Unida-wide.

Eleven years in the Unida faith and in spite of its shortcomings, my love for His church has not grown weary. I firmly believe that God's agenda will be revealed and the destiny of His people in Unida will soon be realized. The ever expanding borders of God's Kingdom have been unfolding the midst of our church. So get involved! Be blessed and be united with us in deeds and in prayer! Amen!