For many people an apprenticeship, or further theological training, is a necessary and appropriate next step. They have completed the first and crucial task of talking with their church leaders and are seeking to go forward with their full support. They now want to be equipped in order to do this more effectively. However such ambitions frequently come up against the barrier of finances. As they pour out their dreams and plans to others, the cold question is asked ‘How are you planning to pay for all this’? It is easy to dismiss this request as unspiritual, or to wave it aside with the superficially pious comment ‘Oh the Lord will provide for his servant. He has in the past and he will again’. This is of course true, but it does exclude the need for some hard thinking and planning, both on the part of the individual and the churches involved. On the other hand, as Brits, we find talking about money a bit difficult, yet the Bible does not have that problem. Paul wrote about it frequently in his letters (e.g. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9; Romans 15), but this is only a small part of a subject dealt with throughout Scripture. We should be less hesitant as well.
Financial concerns are often the main reason why some do not enter into paid gospel work. Many students leave university with large debts hanging around their necks and the need to pay back loans influences their initial career choices. Even if there is no paying back to be done, many are starting from scratch with no capital behind them. For those who are older, with a few years of employment on their CV, financial choices are still difficult. Accepting an apprenticeship or training position will mean stepping out of the salary structure, especially one which may have been lucrative and steadily increasing. Such a decision can have big implications for planning a family or moving house and, if the experience of an apprenticeship suggests that paid gospel ministry is not for them, the break from the workplace could make finding employment more difficult.
However none of these problems is insurmountable, no matter how daunting they may seem. God is sovereign and gospel work is his work. Believers are called to submit every area of their lives to the lordship of Christ and this includes the realm of finances and career choices. It is easy to underestimate the power of prayer and potential trainees should be demonstrating their dependence on God by crying out to him for the meeting of their needs.
Need, not luxuries, is what God promises to supply. Christians are called to be good stewards of the resources they are given and this will involve careful budgeting and even accountability to others. It is amazing how much money can be saved by sacrificial living and cutting down on takeaway coffees! But in addition to these fundamental lifestyle choices, other avenues can be traveled. Often training can be staggered over a number of years with someone working for a while and then using their savings to pay for training or working part-time and completing an apprenticeship the rest of the time. Flexibility is the key.
It is also vital to remember that all Christians are part of a wider church family, not lone rangers heading off into the ministerial wilderness to capture pagans for the kingdom. Churches, who encourage people to consider paid gospel work, may consider matching this with some appropriate level of financial support and the church, which is to be served by an apprentice, will want to discuss their financial needs and make suitable arrangements with them. Yet individuals should not be sitting back and expecting everything to be handed to them. Raising support among friends, family and trusts is hard work, but it can be eye opening and faith strengthening to see God loosening the purse strings of even the most tight fisted granny.
Financing the next step is one of a number of issues that potential apprentices and lay assistants have to think through, but with some careful planning, consultation and God’s help there is every likelihood that working for a church will become a reality, and not a bank breaking one at that.
Taking it further…
For a comprehensive look at the Bible’s teaching on money, read Neither Poverty nor Riches by Craig Bloomberg (IVP, 1999)
For information on trusts, consult Directory of Grant Making Trusts 2003-2004, CAF, 2003