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Mar. 17th, 2002 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sesanaThe only reason I still go to the church I was raised in is because my mother makes me. It's not my church anymore. I've become far too liberal to fit in there. I just don't belong. If I had my way, I'd be trying to find a church where I do belong. Or maybe just sleeping in on Sunday mornings.
At any rate, we were all treated to a tacky guilt trip before service this morning. Apparently, the giving has only been half of what the budget was made to accomodate. So we were basically told we all had to give more if the church was to stay afloat.
Besides the basic rudeness of telling a congretation just before the service itself, as we're sitting in our pews waiting to begin, that we have to give more, part of the problem is how they count members. It's a Lutheran church, so we go through catechism in order to take communion. At this point, you are a communicant member of the church. At eighteen, you become a voting member. All members are given their own set of donation envelopes. Most children are confirmed at fourteen. So one family, like mine, could have three sets of envelopes. What is the point in giving envelopes to what is essentially a child?
We were told that, of the 50 sets of envelopes given out, 17 hadn't returned any money. How many of those 17 are children under the age of 18? How many are, like me, over 18, but in college or otherwise living at home. It's ludicrous to say that you expect children to give $20 a week. My entire family can't afford $20 a week.
Besides, we wouldn't be having this problem if they hadn't driven away some of out highest giving members.
At any rate, we were all treated to a tacky guilt trip before service this morning. Apparently, the giving has only been half of what the budget was made to accomodate. So we were basically told we all had to give more if the church was to stay afloat.
Besides the basic rudeness of telling a congretation just before the service itself, as we're sitting in our pews waiting to begin, that we have to give more, part of the problem is how they count members. It's a Lutheran church, so we go through catechism in order to take communion. At this point, you are a communicant member of the church. At eighteen, you become a voting member. All members are given their own set of donation envelopes. Most children are confirmed at fourteen. So one family, like mine, could have three sets of envelopes. What is the point in giving envelopes to what is essentially a child?
We were told that, of the 50 sets of envelopes given out, 17 hadn't returned any money. How many of those 17 are children under the age of 18? How many are, like me, over 18, but in college or otherwise living at home. It's ludicrous to say that you expect children to give $20 a week. My entire family can't afford $20 a week.
Besides, we wouldn't be having this problem if they hadn't driven away some of out highest giving members.
