Comments on: The Money Quote: What To Expect From The Cooperative Program http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/ Southern Baptist News & Opinion Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:56:36 +0000 hourly 1 By: Dr. James Willingham http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-1104 Dr. James Willingham Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:11:11 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-1104 Sirs: The situation will grow much worse and soon. The reason? There are no jobs. In 1990-91 I was an Industry Education Coordinator and Counselor in a Senior High School (bi-vocational pastor), when the Voctional Director of the County School System gave me some material from a conference she had attended and asked that I write an evaluation and response to it. Basically, I concluded from the materials that there were no jobs for our students in the future. The reason? Automation, computerization, and robotics. Examples: A fast food operation (please remember fast food places are one of the biggest employers in the nation or have been, ranking right up there with the government), A Burger King, a 24-7 business with 400 employees, automated. They hired a German technician at $90/hr to operate the laser cooker, and an assistant from Japan at $60/hr. The rest of the crew, 18, were cleanup workers (you can guess they were probably at minimum wage or a little above (after all it was NY)). That's quite a savings to the business. But 380 people were out of work. Other cases could be mentioned, but the point is clear, especially when you add the fact that they started shipping all of the jobs our Southern Baptist laypeople were doing overseas, leaving hardly anything for employment. Even counties here in North Carolina exported some county work jobs to India to save money. Yup, it put people out of work. Now if all this continues, and it did and does, we come to the crunch. This is crunch time and it is going to hurt like the dickens, if people don't wake up. As one who joined the ranks of the umemployed and found nothing except temporary work since, I have some personal insight from experience into how the average John Doe feels. There is a great big empty, aching void in front of us, and the results might be terrible to behold. I pray for a great awakening. The Information Age could be by God's grace made into something unimaginably great or a horror to behold...after all, I have read H.G. Wells; Open Conspiracy and what the plan is for "useless eaters." Mr. Lewis (C.S.) in his That Hideous Strength said of the successful conspiracy, "They pull down deep Heaven upon their heads." And that was the solution to the problem as he foresaw it. And apparently God might well grant such thing. As Mr. Spurgeon, a believer in particular redemption, prayed for the conversion of the whole world, so must we. See his Evening Devotions for August 6 and December 24., and, for every one's sake including your own, start praying while you look for work. Sirs: The situation will grow much worse and soon. The reason? There are no jobs. In 1990-91 I was an Industry Education Coordinator and Counselor in a Senior High School (bi-vocational pastor), when the Voctional Director of the County School System gave me some material from a conference she had attended and asked that I write an evaluation and response to it. Basically, I concluded from the materials that there were no jobs for our students in the future. The reason? Automation, computerization, and robotics. Examples: A fast food operation (please remember fast food places are one of the biggest employers in the nation or have been, ranking right up there with the government), A Burger King, a 24-7 business with 400 employees, automated. They hired a German technician at $90/hr to operate the laser cooker, and an assistant from Japan at $60/hr. The rest of the crew, 18, were cleanup workers (you can guess they were probably at minimum wage or a little above (after all it was NY)). That’s quite a savings to the business. But 380 people were out of work. Other cases could be mentioned, but the point is clear, especially when you add the fact that they started shipping all of the jobs our Southern Baptist laypeople were doing overseas, leaving hardly anything for employment. Even counties here in North Carolina exported some county work jobs to India to save money. Yup, it put people out of work. Now if all this continues, and it did and does, we come to the crunch. This is crunch time and it is going to hurt like the dickens, if people don’t wake up. As one who joined the ranks of the umemployed and found nothing except temporary work since, I have some personal insight from experience into how the average John Doe feels. There is a great big empty, aching void in front of us, and the results might be terrible to behold. I pray for a great awakening. The Information Age could be by God’s grace made into something unimaginably great or a horror to behold…after all, I have read H.G. Wells; Open Conspiracy and what the plan is for “useless eaters.” Mr. Lewis (C.S.) in his That Hideous Strength said of the successful conspiracy, “They pull down deep Heaven upon their heads.” And that was the solution to the problem as he foresaw it. And apparently God might well grant such thing. As Mr. Spurgeon, a believer in particular redemption, prayed for the conversion of the whole world, so must we. See his Evening Devotions for August 6 and December 24., and, for every one’s sake including your own, start praying while you look for work.

]]> By: CP At 91.88% Of Budget After 3 Months | Southern Baptist Blogs - SBC Voices http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-1093 CP At 91.88% Of Budget After 3 Months | Southern Baptist Blogs - SBC Voices Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:20:09 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-1093 [...] Press issued some figures about the pace of Cooperative Program giving over the last few months. We have seen hints that it was coming and today we get confirmation. The news wasn’t good and we’re 5% [...] [...] Press issued some figures about the pace of Cooperative Program giving over the last few months. We have seen hints that it was coming and today we get confirmation. The news wasn’t good and we’re 5% [...]

]]> By: Andrew http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-872 Andrew Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:50:49 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-872 There was a $20 rate hike for Guidestone insurance for 2009 (on the most basic seminarian plan which I use). <abbr><em><abbr><em>Andrews last blog post..<a href="http://adubhigg.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/on-death-and-life/" rel="nofollow">On death and life…</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> There was a $20 rate hike for Guidestone insurance for 2009 (on the most basic seminarian plan which I use).

Andrews last blog post..On death and life…

]]> By: Tony Kummer http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-870 Tony Kummer Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:10:40 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-870 @Les Puryear: Thanks for sharing your church's strategy. We have a similar size budget, but when our church moved to a more conservative budget for 2008 (down 9%) we did not adjust CP. So, it was a net reduction of giving from our congregation. We still give 8.5% via CP, 2.5% via the association and another 2.0% to individual missionaries and projects. Our congregation's response is probably more typical. @Les Puryear: Thanks for sharing your church’s strategy. We have a similar size budget, but when our church moved to a more conservative budget for 2008 (down 9%) we did not adjust CP. So, it was a net reduction of giving from our congregation.

We still give 8.5% via CP, 2.5% via the association and another 2.0% to individual missionaries and projects. Our congregation’s response is probably more typical.

]]> By: Les Puryear http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-869 Les Puryear Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:49:12 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-869 Tony, As for my church, our 2009 budget is about $10K less than our 2008 budget. Our budget is over $300K so that's about a 3% reduction overall. However, we have increased our CP percentage from 6% to 8%, thus our CP giving in total dollars is about the same. It is my hope that other churches can increase their CP percentage even in the midst of reducing their overall budget. Les <abbr><em><abbr><em>Les Puryears last blog post..<a href="http://lesliepuryear.blogspot.com/2008/12/dark-side-of-church.html" rel="nofollow">The Dark Side of the Church</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> Tony,

As for my church, our 2009 budget is about $10K less than our 2008 budget. Our budget is over $300K so that’s about a 3% reduction overall. However, we have increased our CP percentage from 6% to 8%, thus our CP giving in total dollars is about the same.

It is my hope that other churches can increase their CP percentage even in the midst of reducing their overall budget.

Les

Les Puryears last blog post..The Dark Side of the Church

]]> By: Greg Alford http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-868 Greg Alford Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:02:06 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-868 It is refreshing to see the transparency of Dr. Mohler in dealing with this issue. I would like to see much more of this “trust building honesty” throughout the convention. I have come to appreciate the fact that Southern Baptists can be trusted with the truth; good or bad. In these economic hard times that we are facing; <b>“Tell the truth and trust the people”</b> is still the proper way to go. Grace Always, <abbr><em><abbr><em>Greg Alfords last blog post..<a href="http://gritsgrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/pelagian-beliefs-in-sbc.html" rel="nofollow">Pelagian Beliefs in the SBC</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> It is refreshing to see the transparency of Dr. Mohler in dealing with this issue. I would like to see much more of this “trust building honesty” throughout the convention. I have come to appreciate the fact that Southern Baptists can be trusted with the truth; good or bad.

In these economic hard times that we are facing; “Tell the truth and trust the people” is still the proper way to go.

Grace Always,

Greg Alfords last blog post..Pelagian Beliefs in the SBC

]]> By: Jerad File http://sbcvoices.com/the-money-quote/#comment-867 Jerad File Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:24:47 +0000 http://sbcvoices.com/?p=538#comment-867 Other seminaries are having to face the same kind of decisions. SWBTS announced last Friday to the parents of their child care center that they would be suspending operations of the center as of December 31. Other seminaries are having to face the same kind of decisions. SWBTS announced last Friday to the parents of their child care center that they would be suspending operations of the center as of December 31.

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