Before I tell you why I think Commitment Sunday is biblical, and good, and good for you - let me give you some facts about the financial process surrounding the event.
- We no longer use Commitment Sunday to set our budget. In the early days, we would gather financial commitments, treat them like pledges, and then design our budget around the incoming dollar amounts. In the initial days of church planting, this made the most fiscal sense for a variety of reasons. But in recent years, the gap between what was committed and what was actually given has created unnecessary stress around the budgeting process.
- Because we don't use commitments to set a budget you can be assured of at least one thing: The staff have nothing to gain or lose in the process. When commitment totals were used to craft a budget, it was tempting to campaign for weeks on end. After all, salaries and ministry spending depended on those totals! Now, we create a budget based on current giving levels combined with what we call a "by faith growth estimate." This growth estimate is our way of applying Hebrews 11:6 ("without faith it is impossible to please God") to the financial arena.
- Planned future giving (or promissory giving), by faith and not by sight, is an essential form of biblical stewardship. I have often heard that promissory giving has no biblical precedent. This is most often coupled with the notion that planned giving hinders the Spirit's spontaneous work. But which shows more faith, waiting until you know what you have and giving a numerical percentage, or planning to give out of what is unknown? I would argue that, with Hebrews 11:6 in mind, giving by faith and not by sight implies planned, promissory giving. Doesn't Paul's advice to the Corinthian church sound like planned, promissory giving? He writes, "arrange in advance for the gift you have promised," (2 Corinthians 9:5). Later in the same passage Paul writes, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart," (2 Corinthians 9:7). Paul is advancing an essential stewardship principle: planned giving, by faith. Sadly, and to the shame of many, we plan our own spending budgets but when it comes to Godly charity, we leave it up to spontaneity. This often leads to God getting the leftovers, after we've spent the majority on ourselves. If God leads you to give spontaneously, please be faithful. But also be faithful to give by faithful planning. Commitment Sunday is an opportunity to do just that.
- Commitment is a necessary part of discipleship. Nobody wants to commit anymore. Recent U.S. Census data shows a dramatic increase in unmarried couple households. People want the benefits of marriage, without the commitment. Even the dating scene has changed. "Hooking up" has replaced official dating. Ambiguity and flakiness has replaced commitment and dependability, in all things except cell phone and satellite TV contracts! Commitment, however, is an essential attribute of the disciple. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me," (Luke 9:23). Following Jesus requires (yes, requires!) a radically committed cross-bearing lifestyle. Financial commitments are not the only way we do this, but they are also not the only exception. Look at Commitment Sunday as an opportunity, between you and God, to walk by faith financially next year. Look at it as a way to develop the characteristic of commitment, a diminishing value in our culture but one necessary for Christian discipleship. This is why Commitment Sunday is good and also good for you. If you let God, He might just use this yearly event to shape your character. He gets the glory, but you get something good in return.
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