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The handling of money is a creative act

Allen Thiessen

A Christian View of Money: Celebrating God’s Generosity
Mark Vincent. Waterloo, Ont. and Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1999. 136 pp. $13.49.

This book is part of a series from “The Giving Project” whose motto is “Growing faithful stewards in the church”. The project’s purpose is to discern a set of Christian beliefs and practices in regard to money, and then develop methods to teach these disciplines in the church. This book states that the working out of this motto calls Christians of the believers church to faithful stewardship in the following ways: A call to receive gratefully; a call to manage faithfully; and a call to share generously.

Vincent articulates seven beliefs that arise from this call. The development of each of these beliefs, from a biblical perspective, form the main body of the book. He acknowledges that becoming and being faithful stewards is a messy business. Because he states God’s teaching in realistic and understandable terms, the tension faced by faithful stewards living in our world becomes painfully obvious. There is no accommodation of cultural values of greed or accumulation. This is serious material intended to challenge us and bring changes in our lives of stewardship.

As faithful stewards, the handling of money is a creative act, a work of art. Our creativity to live generous lives is limited by our worry about money and possessions. The inclusion of many true stories gives personal insight into the issues that arise when following the call to faithful living. These stories and case studies also allow ample opportunity for personal reflection.

Chapter nine outlines seven initiatives for congregations who desire to walk and grow in their lives of stewardship. There is a companion teaching manual that is available for groups and congregations. Also, appendix one gives some helpful ideas on how to lead groups through this book.

The biblical teaching that “money has a god-like power, and our earning and use of money communicate our values” certainly makes the issue of faithful stewardship a foundational part of our Christian lives. This book raises the issues and provides direction for a Christian view of money. I appreciated the truth throughout the book of celebrating God’s generosity as a basis for our view of money and possessions.

Allen Thiessen is the Canadian MB Conference Stewardship Ministries representative in southern B.C.

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Last modified May 4, 2000.

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