REFLECTING ON THE JUDICATORY BUDGET

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and the judicatory budget

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and have copies of the proposed judicatory budget available. Divide the proposed budget into seven basic divisions with category names. 

1. Before looking at actual figures have people place these seven categories in the order that they think use the most money from the judicatory budget. (Your budget might have different category names.

—-Support of local church

—-Involvement in regional social ministries

—-Support of national denominational work

—-Administration/governing Body

—-Ecumenical councils and ministry

—-Educational ministries Cluster

—-New church development

2. Make a guess at how equivalent categories would be ranked if you were discussing a local church budget.

3. Using the biblical image of the church being like a human body, try to place each of the categories on the image of the body. (What division of ministry would be the legs of the judicatory, etc?) Now have them add the actual figures from the proposed budget to the body diagram.

It would add to the fun if you provided a stick figure body that people could use to assign the budget parts to the diagram of the body.

4.Using the picture you have formed, discuss among yourselves how you would interpret that part of the passage that says, “On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.”

5. This scripture also suggests that God gives each part of the body unique gifts that are used to build up the whole.

Consider the makeup of your judicatory in terms of small, medium, and large churches.

What are the special gifts that each contributes to the building up of the whole body?

How does the judicatory give an expression of respect and honor to the various parts of the church body?

6 If God has arranged the parts of the Body so that there may be no dissension within the Body, what does each church in your judicatory need to do to realize God’s vision for God’s church?

7. What is the implication for your church as you reflect on this budget and the part of the passage that says: “Can one part say to another, ‘I have no need of you?’”

Christ is the head

8. How do you feel about the budget being presented to the judicatory?