A Random Rumination

The other day, we took the girls out to a couple of stops on the Three Rivers color tour. Towards the end of the day, we ended up on a hayride (which was a wagon with old BUS seats anchored to it <--best idea EVER) with a gal who is an acquaintaince of ours that we had not seen in a long time. Over the course of our catching up, she began talking about her 12 kids (yep- TWELVE) and how the oldest one is getting close to adulthood/marriage/moving into their own place. She told me that she and her husband had started to brainstorm a plan where they (the parents) would help the first child and their spouse with living expenses and paying down a mortgage. And then, when the next one was ready, the parents AND the oldest child's family would help the second one with their mortgage and so on and so on. Kind of a family snowball, so that everyone is helping their family member obtain a house with the mortgage paid off. If you don't help pay off a house, you don't get help paying off that house. Of course, I don't have all the logistics of this idea to relay, but you get the idea. Then she said:

"Wouldn't it be great if a church did something like that with it's people? Think about how much impact a church who was THAT committed to getting their people out of debt, could have on their community!"

And so I've been thinking about this. A lot, actually. Would that be a good idea? Could a church ever get to the point where it's members were so non-judgemental and unprideful (is that a word?) as to share with it's family members exactly how much money was needed to pay down a family's debt or mortgage and then to just start hammering out at the debt family by family?

So, for example: A church commits to giving it's tithes, gifts and offerings (yes, I have to say it like that...hee) back to it's people, for 3 years. Start with one family, give everything (other than operating expenses) to that family. And to have each family take a turn at being the receiving end of those gifts, specifically for the purpose of becoming debt/mortgage free. Then after that family is all set, the TG&I's and that family's normal monthly mortgage payment goes to the next family. Until they are all paid off. And then they join in with the ranks of those debt free people who are paying down the others. And it snowballs from there.

I really have no idea how much our church "takes in" with TG&I's, what the average household mortgage/debt is in our church family is or even if this would work, but it certainly is interesting to think about!

What could a committed church do after becoming debt free?? Take the TG&I's and that money typically set out for monthly payments and do ministry with it? Do activities, GIVE MORE. GET MORE INVOLVED in the world around them? Wow. A stress free church family with money to make things happen. Interesting.

I realize the logistics behind this plan are CRAZY. And it would be a hard sell to get people out of debt and then to continue living within their means in the same manner (i.e. NOT increasing their lifestyle). And yes, Satan would probably run haywire trying to foil the plan and plot people against each other. But what if it could work? Successfully.

It certainly seems to me that in these days of recession and extreme unemployment, this should be something we at least tip on anyway. I'm not begrudging anyone their salary to do as they please with, but wow - if you see someone struggling to hold on to their house, do we just say,

"Not my business!" because money is a touchy subject?

Those who are struggling say, "I don't want anyone to know we need money!"

Is this the way it should be? Especially for brothers and sisters in Christ? Aren't we all in this thing together? Holding out for another time, another place where money will have nothing to do with anything?

Just some things I've been thinking about lately.

What do you think? Anybody?