6. The Importance of the Stewardship and Finance Committee CHAPTER 5: NEED CHAPTER 6: IMPORTANCE The same two reasons that make the Stewardship and Finance Committee necessary, are the same two reasons that establish its importance.

To highlight the importance of a committee that attends to that which relates to “God’s money”, let us consider that the world church understands that the financial aspect is so important for God’s work, that in the Church Manual, a complete chapter titled ‘Finances’ was voted. There, this delicate and at times misunderstood is extensively addressed. The first paragraph of this chapter says: “The biblical plan for the support of the work of God is by the tithes and offerings of His people. The Lord says: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house’ (Malachi3:10). The Church has followed this plan from its earliest days.” (Church Manual, page 137) Finances

From those first days, the tithe has been the financial basis “for the support of the work of God“. So that we can have an idea of the size of this work today, let us consider the following data: The church membership is already a little more than 17 million members, scattered in some 209 countries, which requires a constant coming and going of its more than 17 million pastors, who attend to more than 130 thousand congregations. God’s work also implies more than 7,800 educational institutions, between universities, secondary schools, and primary schools; some 63 publishing houses, more than 400 health institutions, and a little over 200 thousand employees worldwide.

The financial basis for the support of a work so great has been and is the tithe Ellen G. White wrote the following in regards to God’s plan to finance the mission of the church: “He has given His people a plan for raising sums sufficient to make the enterprise self-sustaining.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 388). This makes the Stewardship and Finance Committee in the local church all the more important. “God has given special direction as to the use of the tithe. He does not design that His work shall be crippled for want of means." (Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 247).

2. Stewardship Finances and stewardship are not the same thing. Finances are a part of stewardship however, stewardship contains opportunities for growth that go beyond what is purely financial. Recognizing this difference between finances and stewardship, we read the following in the Church Manual on page 126: “Though the question of stewardship covers many aspects of Christian life and experience, without doubt the stewardship of our means is vitally important" The Finance and Stewardshp Committee is in charge of the opportunities for growth of the church member in these “many aspects of Christin life and experience” that go beyond the financial.

HOW? This reason is better understood by pointing out some of the areas of stewardship in which the church must try to seek the growth of its members. In first place and above all, in the successful administration of their spiritual life. To achieve this purpose, in due time various seminars from the Comprehensive Growth Plan (CGP) will be available to the local church. These seminars will come out in the form of courses that each member will study for a period of nine consecutive months..

The different CGP courses are part of a series called, “Habits Forged in Fire”. Eight courses will be published in this series that will aim to consolidate or form 8 powerful habits in the Christian’s character that will make him live a victorious life in Christ. For example, the first course of the series titles, “The Power of Habit”. Which is available to the local church so that by using the principles presented there, each member can know how to form personal devotional habits and how to get rid of those unwanted habits.

The second and third courses are dedicated to the formation of the habit of praying and studying the Bible as a basis for Christian growth. With the rest of the courses the formation of 8 powerful habits that we already pointed out will be completed. The Stewardship and Finance Committee, at par with the church board, will have the responsibility to launch, coordinate and direct this process of continuous study and growth of our brethren. The two reasons that establish the importance of the Finance and Stewardship Committee in each local church are hereby laid out.