Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

72 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

6. A group of persons appointed for that responsibility should make decisions concerning the allocation of funds. 7. Designated offerings should include prayer for the ministries for which the offering will be shared. 8. One should be cautious about borrowing funds for facility development or purchase. 9. The congregational leaders need to encourage the teaching of Christian stewardship. 10. It is important that the new congregation begin to experience the vision of giving right from the beginning. 11. Often new congregations designate the offering from its first public Sunday morning worship service explicitly for the purpose of sharing the gospel with people who have not yet heard of our Lord Jesus Christ. 12. Never develop a long-term dependency situation.

Following these principles will insure firm financial footing for the new church.

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140 Shenk and Stutzman, pp. 203-205