Benevolence Process
Commission Church also has a benevolence request process for those who regularly attend and consider it their church home. This process is designed to help the church uphold biblical principles and faithfully respond to financial and resource needs within the church community.
Biblical Ideals and Concerns:
It is our conviction that God desires the church to be a resource to those (specifically within the church family) who have a legitimate financial or physical resource need.
"Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." Acts 2:45
“Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:13
Partnered with this is the desire to make resources available that will teach the financial principles found in God's Word.
"Whosoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldy wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" Luke 16:10-12
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6
God's Word also makes it very clear that the business of the Church is to take care of those who are helpless and needy.
This applies especially to widows, the fatherless and even the stranger or foreigner. Repeatedly, God's blessings are directly tied to our ability to take up this responsibility. He makes it clear that our prayers go unanswered when we fail in this area. To oppress one of these (with neglect being a form of oppression) brings God's wrath and anger.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27
In all the ideals and concerns listed above, our motive is to reflect the love and compassion of Jesus. We are not seeking to be blessed, nor are we trying to simply avoid God's anger. Instead, we truly want to see the will of the Father established as we act upon His Kingdom principles.
Guidelines
Applicants for benevolence must be a Commission Church Family Member, or have been attending regularly for a period of 12 months and:
- Have shown that they know what God's Word says in regards to tithes and offerings and have been financially partnering with Commission Church during their time here.
- Have involvement with Commission Church beyond Sunday attendance (eg. involvement in a life Group, volunteering on a ministry team).
- Be truly in need, not simply looking for an easy way out of a self-inflicted financial jam.
- Be willing to humbly provide a reciprocal service to a ministry within the church. This may not be requested, but there should be a willingness to do so.
