I have to agree with Chris on this.  Not only do we waste money on facilities (btw thanks Greg for the stats, what an eye opener) but we waste money on "ministers".  I think that the double honor idea seems more to be along the lines of they are worthy of respect.  Not so much worthy of money.  In addition how many pastors take this too far.  How many of us know pastors who own some really nice cars and houses.  Why doe s a pastor need to have really nice stuff?  Some say well God just blessed them, but that sounds like a cover for maitaining one's materialism.  Now I am by now means perfect in this myself.  I am only now beginning to move to simplicity in my life and I tell you it is a hard move.  But seriously why do so many men feel that the church owes them something for the work of the gospel.  I think that if people want to give you money, all the more power to them.  But I just don't see a pastor supported in scripture.  Which is my struggle with being at Redeemer at this moment.  Seriously who can't do what I am doing?  With a little training anyone can be a pastor.  Sure it is tough, but I agree that it would not be as tough if the church began to act like the church.

Anyways the point of this topic was basically to get people to think about what we could do with that money.  At Redeemer we just did the 30 hour famine and raised $2000.  What if we did that every month?  Would people complain?  What if we asked out churches to give to the poor equal to your tithe?  How long would they make it?  When the complaining began that they couldn't do both, which would be better to support, feed the poor or maintaining the building and ministries?  To me it seems that the poor are in more need of our money than our buildings.  Just a thought.