Beyond Relief and Church Finance
On 7 & 8 July 2020, Bilangan Research Center (BRC) held an online seminar titled “Beyond Relief and Church Finance”. This seminar was an in-depth case study for the survey result on the topic that was conducted by BRC. The seminar was held for 1.5 hours each day.
“Beyond Relief – Church Outside the Wall” was the first topic discussed with Ps. E. Robby I. Chandra, D.Min. (Founder of Young Life Indonesia, Emeritus Pastor of GKI, College Professor and writer) and Ps. Dr. Jimmy Oentoro (Chairman and Founder of IFGF) as speakers and hosted by Bambang Budijanto, Ph.D (Chairman of BRC). In this session, Ps. Robby discussed how churches are often confined by walls. Walls in this context refer to anything that limits the sovereignty, love, power and justice of God to be felt by everyone. However due to this pandemic, churches are forced to go beyond the walls and to do what followers of Christ are called to do which is evangelism.
Further on, Ps. Jimmy talked about the disruption happening in Indonesian churches due to Covid-19. In the Great Dictionary of Indonesian Language, disruption means being pulled out by the roots. Disruption is changes happening in different sectors due to digitalization and “Internet of Things”. As for churches, sunday services that used to be done in a building are now done in the online world. This has impacted many areas in life and churches need to prepare for the new normal as well. However, it should be noted that even though the world is changing, the message of gospel stays the same. The gospel of Jesus that needs to be shared is discipleship. Churches need to prepare new wineskins during this season. As written in Luke 5:37-28 “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”
Ps. Jimmy also explained the characteristic of church in new normal life era;
- 24/7
- Unrestricted by walls
- Doesn’t depend by 1 person
- Well connected
- Divine openness
- Accountable
- Discipled and be disciple
- Whenever and wherever
- Royal priesthood
- True maturity
- Unrestricted by denomination
- Physically healthy
- Light and salt of the world
In a nutshell, churches in this new normal should be a reset button for believers where being discipled and being a disciple is a lifestyle. A church should be unrestricted by walls or denomination to evangelize because it can do it anywhere and anytime. Believers should be the light and salt of the world through everything that they do including in the marketplace.
The second topic discussed was “Plummeting Offering, Pastor Pay Cut or Efficiency?” with Ps. Dr. Bambang H. Widjaja (Senior Pastor GKPB) and Prof. Roy Sembel, Ph.D (Financial Expert) as speakers and moderated by Drs. Krenayana yahya, M.Sc (Statistics Expert and Business Analyst BRC). Ps. Bambang shared 3 principles for life and Prof. Roy talked about mind shifting. Mind shifting talks about changing our mind from ‘can’t do to can learn’. Furthermore he talked about wisdom:
W : SWOT
Intent : Set your goal
Strategy : Set your strategy
Develop : Learn and build your organisation capacity
Observant : Work smart and hard
Meter / : Note and measure the progress
Monitoring / : Monitor the result
Management : Manage resources (tangible and intangible)
In the end we have to ride with the flow of change and act on it without neglecting the truth we believe in. This is what we should do as Christians, especially if we are a minister.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20)
Next: APPOINTMENT OF NOKY HERENS LEMBONG AS ASSOCIATE PASTOR
