Shlog Section-f

I have a dilemma.  I’m in the high school youth group at my church, and hope to go on a mission trip this summer. Every so often my youth group is having fundraisers at my church to provide for the trip.  I’m the girl who likes to sit at the table, greet people and accept donations.  I’m just curious:  If Jesus came in His physical form, would He flip the table?  What if the fundraiser was for something else, like a Christian camp or a fun retreat?  I’m not stealing the money, but I still wonder if Christ would think of me as a second Judas Iscariot.
Thoughts?

My son is also going on a mission trip this summer (to Trinidad) and our youth group is doing fundraisers as well.  I don’t see anything wrong with it at all!  There’s nothing wrong with asking for financial support for a mission trip, a camp or even a fun trip.  Fellowship is an important part of Christian growth; for all ages.  Mission trips are just one way the gospel is spread.  SHOWING Jesus to others by working in orphanages, building churches, playing with kids, etc.  Jesus will be going with you; not tipping your table.

Beth

  Thanks!  One trip we’re doing is to the Bahamas, and the other one, the one I’m going on, is to Suriname, South America.  I guess I was kinda alright with doing the table for the mission trips; it was the other events I was worried about.  But thank you for clearing that up for me.  I had forgotten that those trips were important for fellowship and stuff.  I had also forgotten that I was saved at a Christian camp! haha!

wow sounds like you have some great trips planned!  What sort of activities will you be doing on those trips?

At this point I’m not exactly sure what we’re doing specifically.  I just know we’re going there to share the Good News with the people there. 

Okay, back to this again…

I won’t be able to go on the mission trip this summer, but I’m still trying to help my friends raise enough money for the trip.  Recently we had another fundraiser that ended up being really successful.  The Sunday before, me and a friend sat at a table selling tickets to people to get their cars washed for really cheap on Saturday.  The person who got the idea and had it set up had said jokingly “the plan is to sell lots of tickets and then hope nobody comes!” It was just a joke, and at the time I thought nothing of it.  But later when only, like, one person who had bought a ticket showed up at the car wash, I felt bad for the other people who had forgotten.  Even though most of the people who bought tickets were just donating, some seemed like they really were interested in getting their car washed.
I don’t think we ought to do such a fundraiser anymore.  I think we should stick with plain old-fashioned fundraisers that don’t rely on schemes and “hopes.” But I’m afraid to talk to the leaders who plan the fundraisers about it.  Should I or shouldn’t I, and how should I tell them?

Biblefanmaryann - 28 April 2007 01:19 PM

I don’t think we ought to do such a fundraiser anymore.  I think we should stick with plain old-fashioned fundraisers that don’t rely on schemes and “hopes.” But I’m afraid to talk to the leaders who plan the fundraisers about it.  Should I or shouldn’t I, and how should I tell them?

The church is a community, unless there are special circumstances, I think you should tell them.

Why are you afraid? What beliefs in your heart are producing this fear?

Jesus flipped the tables in the temple because the merchants were selling access to God.  Animals were necessary for sacrifices which God required.  My understanding is that the merchants confronted by Jesus were selling these animals to worshippers who traveled long distances to worship - too long to keep an animal alive on the trip.

Make sense?

Anybody else got a different take on why Jesus flipped the tables?

That makes sense.  Maybe I just need to read the places in the Bible where that story is more closely, and pray for understanding.

I’m afraid to tell my leaders how I feel about it, I guess cuz I don’t know if they’ll agree or if it’ll become a big deal or what.  It’s already been a few weeks since that fundraiser, and they don’t seem to be planning any more like that one.  Should I talk to them soon, or should I just wait and see if they decide to do another one like it, and only bring it up then?

(Sorry for laying out on the thread for so long...)

Biblefanmaryann - 11 May 2007 07:57 PM

I’m afraid to tell my leaders how I feel about it, I guess cuz I don’t know if they’ll agree or if it’ll become a big deal or what. 

And what do you believe would happen if they didn’t agree and/or it became a big deal?

I dunno...I guess I would just be embarrassed.   

I’d recommend you keep digging on this. I’ve found with myself if I keep asking myself the ‘why’ question, I can sometimes get to something substantial about what I believe about a situation. For example, maybe for me the line of questioning might continue like so (and honestly, this is just speaking for me, not trying to assume anything about you):

- I guess I’d be embarrassed.

what would happen then?

- well, they might think I’m a dork for nitpicking

why?

- well, I sorta am

then why mess with it at all? Are you really nitpicking?

- well, no. It did feel weird doing a fund raiser for an event that didn’t really happen.

so it _is_ important to you, then?

- yeah, but it may not be important to them

so it’s only okay to bring up things that you know are important to them?

- well, it’d avoid an awkward conversation

how do you know what’s important to them without talking to them?

- umm ...

why is it important to avoid an awkward conversation?

- umm ... cuz it stinks. I _hate_ awkward conversation. I stink at it, and if I ever get into one I end up saying really stupid things sometimes trying to get out of it - usually seems it would have been better to just not bring it up in the first place.

so ... if you stink at these sorts of conversations, seems your choices are do something about getting better at them, or continue to avoid them.

- ummm, can we talk about something else?

Like I said, I just took this down a path I’m familiar with myself - your own reasons may be very different. But what may be a small conflict here for you, could give you some interesting insight into things you can work on in your relationships with other people.

Hope some of this rambling is helpful.