When the Rev. Reginald Bachus brings up the topic of money in a sermon – and the important role it plays in sustaining a community of faith – you can hear a pin drop.

“There’s a lot of response to the messages (from the pulpit) and the songs. But this is one of the quietest times in our service,” said Bachus, pastor of First Regular Missionary Baptist Church, 1646 Vt.

The lukewarm reaction he sometimes receives doesn’t keep him from trying to make his point, though.

“I feel obligated to teach the message of giving, tithing and sharing,” he said.

Bachus isn’t the only spiritual leader in Lawrence who faces a hushed – and possibly uneasy – flock when the issue of what it takes to finance a house of God is raised from the pulpit.

Conversations about money, and the need to have plenty of it to support a congregation’s favorite programs, just seem to set members of the clergy and worshippers alike on edge.

The Rev. Peter Luckey has experienced this reluctance before.

“There’s a tremendous sense, on the part of the pastor, that we know how gun shy people in our congregations are to hear messages about money, and especially gun shy that they feel the pastor is going to make them feel guilty that they don’t give enough,” said Luckey, senior pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt.

“So many of our feelings about money and how we handle it are tied up in a sense of guilt about what we have or haven’t done. There’s just a tremendous defensiveness, on the part of all of us, that somebody’s going to tell us we need to be more generous than we are.”

Obedient to God’s word

So the relationship between money and ministry is a complicated one.

But, like it or not, congregations need cash and have to be in the business of constantly raising it – whether by tithes, membership dues, annual campaign pledges or the passing of collection plates.

Faith communities in Lawrence use a variety of approaches to sustain themselves, and their good works, financially.

At First R.M. Baptist Church, Bachus preaches a message of the need for members to equitably share the expenses of faith so that the congregation can flourish.

Tithing – giving 10 percent of one’s income to the church – is the standard here.

“We stick to the biblical principle of tithes and offerings, right out of the Bible. I like it because it’s fair. If a man makes $1,000 a month, his requirement is $100. If he makes $10,000 a month, then it’s $1,000,” Bachus said.

“I teach that if we want to be obedient to God’s word and take advantage of his blessings, then we should do it the way he told us to.”

Funds are raised much the same way at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1234 Ky., where the concept of tithing 10 percent of one’s income is used as a guideline.

“What we have always talked about in this parish is giving away 5 percent to the church, and then 5 percent to another charity. The real thrust of it is that you make this commitment to give away a portion of your resources, and you have faith that God will take care of your needs,” said Susan Campbell, the church administrator.

St. John also replenishes its coffers with money that’s placed in the collection plate on Sundays, as well as major fund-raisers such as Oktoberfest and Fiesta.

‘Running on faith’

Luckey’s church is trying something new, an unusual approach to raising the funds that support programs and ministries.

The theme of this year’s annual appeal campaign is “Running on Faith.”

The pledge cards of the congregation’s members have been returned to the church, as usual. But instead of being opened and read by a financial officer – who would normally use that information to help outline the upcoming budget – they have remained sealed.

“We will never open those. We know who has pledged, but not how much they’ve pledged. We put all the pledge envelopes into a big bowl, and Peter offered a blessing of them (during worship services) Nov. 24,” said Judy Bauer, who, along with her husband, Gene, is in charge of the campaign for pledging this year.

“We’ll save those pledges until about June, then we’ll mail them back to the individuals who sent them, and they can see how they’re coming along (in their giving).”

The only way the church will know how its budget is going to work out will be based upon the actual contributions that come in each month.

“We did this because we feel we have been given so many blessings that we have the confidence in our congregation that they will give back generously,” Bauer said.

“This is really based on their own personal commitment and a decision they make between themselves and God. We don’t want them to feel like it’s another bill from the church. It’s all related to the spiritual side of each person.”