We are called to be good stewards with what God has entrusted to us. We may be pouring God's precious money down the drain by spending it when it is not necessary. If we have the ability to minimize our expenses, and don't do it, we are wasting God's money.

Like everyone else, we are concerned about the rising cost of living.  Around our house, we look for ways to lower utility bills and other common daily expenses. We recently purchased some "compact fluorescent" (CFL) lights.  These little gizmos put out the same amount of light (lumens) as an incandescent bulb, but use a fraction of the energy. For example, one CFL gives off the same light as a 75 watt bulb, yet uses only 20 watts of electricity.

If the light is on 12 hours per day, we will have saved $14 per year, per bulb.  Not bad for a $5 investment!  The amount of time you leave your lights on may vary, but you get the idea.  Like you, we have a lot of lights in our home.  We can realize significant savings by replacing incandescent bulbs with the new CFL lights.  The CFL lights cost more up front, but last 5 years.  Not only do we save energy costs, but we also save money replacing light bulbs.  This is just one cost-saving method we can employ in becoming better stewards.

How does this small savings effect the overall cost of running a church?

Managing a church is like managing a business.  A church, like a business needs heat, electricity, water, and so on.  A church has to pay its bills like everyone else.  If we squander the money that comes in through the offerings, we have less to use for evangelism, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.  Pastors, church board members, and members of the congregation are called to more than just spreading God's word.

Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, GA is earning annual savings of $32,000 by saving electricity (450,000 kWh annually), which in turn prevents one million pounds of CO2 emissions, the major cause of global warming.  U.S. Energy Capital financed nearly 1,000 new high efficiency lamps, for which the monthly loan payment was about $1,300.  However, the utility savings were over $2,700 per month!  That's $1,400 a month savings directly to Hebron Baptist for the life of the new equipment.  Old inefficient lights were replaced by new T8 fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts, reflectors were installed to improve light output, and 300 exit signs were converted to efficient light emitting diode (LED) lamps.  In addition to the dollar savings and pollution prevention, the overall quality of lighting was improved, with no out of pocket expenses.
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Church website

Georgetown Gospel Chapel is a 20,000 Sq. ft. property in South Seattle, WA, whose efficiency upgrade is saving $5,000 each year, by cutting energy use 50,000 kWh, which prevents about 60,000 pounds of pollution yearly.  Improved insulation, combined with energy efficient windows, keep the cold Seattle weather out and the money savings in the church and parsonage.  "We completely eliminated one gas furnace due to our conservation and efficiency practices and greatly reduced electrical heating in the parsonage" says Reverend Leroy Hedman.  Lighting was improved and more money saved with efficient lighting.  Water and money are also being saved with new efficient showerheads, water piping, baths, sprinklers, and low-gallon-per-flush toilets. The chapel also plans to install solar water heating.
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Your church's hot water heater may stay heated all week long, with no one using it.  You are unnecessarily heating 40-50 gallons of water or more. Replacing it with a demand or tankless unit can save hundreds of dollars in utility bills.  Households can spend 20% or more of their utility dollars on hot water! If your refrigerator is over 10 years old, you can save $$$ by replacing it with a new Energy Star® unit. A new refrigerator can save you $35-70 a year compared to a 1986 model, which adds up to $525 to $1,050 over the average 15-year life. In short, the new appliance will pay for itself in energy savings. You benefit every month when you see lower energy bills.

No matter how large or small your church or home is, you can save God's money by reassessing your needs and applying your resources wisely. Involve your family or congregation in plans to eliminate waste. People usually pitch in to help when they understand the end result.

Are you putting your light under a bushel or is it efficiently lit, allowing more to see?  Is your church using God's money wisely?

Pass this message along to every Christian you know.  Let us know if this information sparks a change in your household or church.

For more information how your church can become better stewards with God's money:
http://www.epa.gov/smallbiz/congregations.html

Seven Steps to Power Savings  (Christianity Today)
http://www.christianitytoday.com/yc/2001/001/2.18.html

 

- Rod

• Topic: Good Steward

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