#36 - To Be Good Steward

Newly finished church building with about
300-350 worshipper each Sunday. 
(3 hours drive from Phnom Penh)

THANK YOU for everyone’s prayers!  

Church Accounting Training

Thomas travelled safely to the province (200km) from Phnom Penh on Saturday two weeks ago for a church accounting training. There were about 30 attendees including some local pastors, church leaders, and treasurers and a few youth (fellowship leaders) attended the class. Pastor Keo (pastor from the main church which organized the training) told Thomas that the pastors and church leaders are from 9 different churches around the area.  Some of them needed to travel 25 km from their home church.  

 

The main goal for this training is to stress God's command for us to be good steward and teach them to keep one another accountable in relation to church finances.  The actual hands-on training is very basic:  how to count and record offerings and followed by how to categorize and record expenses using some pre-designed forms; and how to keep traceable and reliable records.   They were separated into 9 groups and have several mock exercises in each step to practice. 

Some attendees were confused at first, but all of them successfully recorded the “income” and “expense” at the end of the session.   The experience reminded me of my "money smart" after-school program when I was working with the youth in Pui Tak Center, a Christian community center in Chinatown Chicago.

During the Q&A time, one older gentleman asked me how to fill in the "beginning balance" on the form if he wants to start using the form now.  I obviously forgot to teach this important part of the form but I was delighted to know that he is eager to start using the form and had paid full attention throughout the 3 hour class.  Later talking to this brother, I found out he used to work in the 'Pagoda' (Buddhist temple) as their money-keeper for many years until he became a Christian 4/5 years ago thru Pastor Keo's church and now he is a bookkeeper for one of the churches.  Pastor Keo has already invited me back for a second training in August, which allows a month and a half for these churches to practice using the new forms. 

The class seems very simple, but God uses our experience to help local churches in Cambodia.  When we go to work every day, we often neglect God’s plan. God puts us in different positions for His reason - to build God’s kingdom on earth.  Please don’t give up if you feel “boring” and “tedious” at your workplace, God has a plan for you to use your skills in the future (no one would know when), but be patient and be at a look-out!

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace” 1 Peter 4:10

We pray that each one of us become a good steward of God’s money and also for our talents, and time.  Because every thing we do daily has one purpose -- to please Him.

 

Fake money in envelops, offering counting sheets, pre-written receipts, and monthly journal entries sheets, 

Pastors, church leaders, and treasurers from 9 different local churches in the province

Everyone is working hard recording the offering

Recording expenses from receipts

Although they are young, they are very happy to be trained to keep better church accounting record

Trying to understand the recording process

Counting offering and love gifts

Pastor Keo is speaking to the local pastors, church leaders, and treasurers



Group photo after the training

Sad story

Within days in the week before the training, our young dormitory leader, Abednego, had to experience 2 sudden deaths in his community --- one of his cousin and Pastor Keo’s sister (he treated her like an auntie).  

Abednego's cousin, only 18 years old, who were involved in a motorcycle-car accident within a few hundred meter of his while he was driving his motorcycle.  He just brought Abednego's mom a watermelon in the province and drove away with his motorcycle.  Within a few minutes, people started gathering down the road and told Abednego's mom that the boy was killed on the scene of the car accident.

Pastor Keo’s sister was about 40 years of age, who had only one 18 year-old daughter, fainted and never woke up.  They took her to the hospitals in the Province and then they need to bring her to hospital in Phnom Penh in a “van” (3 hours ride).  Abednego went to the hospital and stayed with them until around midnight, the doctor told them there is nothing he can do and asked them to go back to the province.  The daughter along with 2 other relatives brought her mum home in the province and died around 5am.  The lady was a widow and she and her daughter came to Christ only 2-3 years ago.

 

Please pray for each of their families and the young dormitory leader’s heart to understand God’s plan.  May we all pray for each other to best use of our time on this earth for God’s kingdom and His glory!

*** Our prayer request ***

We are finalizing the plan and working on the fund raising materials for the dormitory discipleship ministry.  Please PRAY with us for God's leadership in this work and allow the holy spirit to touch your heart and guide you in this ministry.  Please let us know if you are interested to get involved.  

Please PRAY for guidance and open doors for the stewardship and accounting training. As we mentioned in previous blog, financial fraud is very common among churches and NGO in Cambodia; and we hope we can bring more awareness to the needs of better financial accountability and fraud prevention to Christian ministries in Cambodia.