In the third bonus episode of Season 13, Simon and Bex talk faith and finance with Dave McCarthy, Lead Pastor of Westhill Community Church in Aberdeenshire.
Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:
- Dave’ introduces himself [01:26] and describes how he became an unexpected convert to Christianity. [02:22]
- Dave’s journey into church leadership also had some surprising elements, including dropping out of university but then being accepted for ordination in a remarkably brief time frame. [05:11]
- Church leadership training at that time did not include financial understanding and management; instead, the relevant skills and knowledge had to be picked up on the job, once appointed to a position of responsibility within a church. [08:01]
- A couple of Bible verses that have been particularly significant for Dave have been Matthew 6.21 (‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’) and Psalm 50.10 (‘For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.). Dave describes the latter as ‘a really powerful verse’ and one that ‘I always have… in my head’ when ‘we’ve got to find resources from somewhere’. [09:02]
- For Dave, the best way of communicating godly truths about financial matters is to draw attention to examples of God’s provision within the local church. In one example, faith and encouragement were stimulated by a generous donation that enabled a building project to go ahead. [11:05] In another instance, a fundraising target prompted by the lack of a church toilet ended up being the means through which a congregation grew in belief and generosity after uniting in prayer and a willingness to give in response to that need. [12:34]
- Dave benefited from being in supportive churches with a long history of being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit but he acknowledges that the financial ups and downs of church leadership can take their toll on individuals and wonders whether other leadership models need to be considered for the future. [14:51]
- In response to a question from Simon asking him what he would say to a congregation if he were to be given free rein [16:41], Dave said that he would highlight the following points: generosity begets generosity, and God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9.6-7) [17:59]; everything that a church is able to do is funded by its congregation [18:30]; giving should not become a legalistic duty but should always come from the heart. [19:15]
- When it comes to practical tips, Dave notes the importance of budgeting [20:52], of making our giving a primary consideration [21:07] and ensuring that we review our giving regularly. [21:15] There is also an onus on the church to provide appropriate information, teaching and encouragement for new Christians and church members regarding financial matters. [21:54]
- Dave’s final tip, inspired by Proverbs 16.9 (‘A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.’), is to ensure that we take time to plan for the long term, especially as far as our retirement aspirations are concerned. [23:50]
- Your bonus for reading these show notes is that you get to find out that the next season of the podcast, coming after our summer break, will be all about ‘Financial Crises’! [25:58]
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