Fall 1988

ARTICLE TOOLS

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by Donald L. Bubna

In my previous pastorate, Bill, a young believer who recently had joined the finance committee, made an appointment with me.

"Pastor," he said, "I'm concerned about our church finances. If all our people were on welfare, yet tithed, we would have more than sufficient income to do all we need to do at the church. But here we are, a middle-class church with a modest budget, and we're behind. There's something wrong with the spiritual vitality of our people."

Then he proposed an idea similar to one he'd learned in the insurance industry: "The reason my insurance business is doing three times the new business of the average agency is that every six months I do an insurance inventory with every client. We meet so we can be sure their coverage is up to date and I can tell them about some new forms of protection in the industry. I come prepared, knowing where their insurance has been, and I'm ready to help them.

"It seems to me," he continued, "it would help to take regularly a spiritual inventory of our members. It will help them go on to maturity, and if they're growing in faith and obedience, they'll be generous with their tithes and offerings."

The idea of a spiritual inventory clicked with me. For years I have been committed to accountability, and here was a tool to help me accomplish that-by lovingly and firmly helping people grow in Christ. So, with others on the staff, I developed what we called a "spiritual inventory call." We all found it beneficial in monitoring the spiritual growth of the people in our areas of responsibility.

The spiritual inventory call differs from a hospital call or friendship visit. It has a clear objective. The goal of such a discussion is to find ...

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