1. As soon as we receive the Sunday offering and deposit it into the bank, it gets split between 3 different accounts: General, RDF (Savings) (10-12%), and Local Missions (10-15%).
2. The RDF, or Rainy Day Fund, account is an interest earning account used for large purchases within the church (new sound equipment, signage overhaul, major events, etc.).
3. The General account is used to pay our recurring bills and is for the day-to-day financing of the church (electricity for the office, printing costs, minor sound purchases, etc.).
4. The Local Missions account is a savings account (that accrues interest) that we do not touch. In fact, we won’t touch the account until we raise up a church planter with a heart for the Greenville area. That money will be there, and hopefully will have a substantial amount in it, when he sets out to plant another church in the area.
5. Out of the General fund, we regularly fund micro-loans around the world as our International Missions effort. We mainly focus on the country of Nigeria, for reasons I may go into in a later post (it’s all about influence). Currently, we use Kiva to do this, but are thinking about working with other organizations as well (Hope International, etc.). This may not seem like missions to you, but if the mission of God is reconcile all areas of life to Himself, then this includes the small businesses of third-world countries as well. I’m sure that they notice that they are being partially funded by a church. Churches don’t regularly micro-finance, much less through a ‘secular’ site like Kiva.
6. Final breakdown of your $1.00 that comes into the church: 10-15% goes to Local Missions (Greenville church planting), 10%-12% goes to Savings, 5-10% goes overseas, and the rest helps us pay bills.

That’s pretty much it. If you have any other questions, email info@harmonydc.com.

1. The atonement provides a Savior that isn’t you. Stop trying to save yourself from God by your religious acts and outward piety. It doesn’t accomplish anything but add to your guilt when you stumble and your pride when you succeed! Rest in the finished work of Christ, not the ongoing weariness-bringing work of your own feeble efforts.
2. It releases us of guilt. God has been done because of what Jesus has done. Like I said before, we don’t have to feel guilty when we falter (whether in rebellion or in religion), because the saving work of Christ on the Cross has freed us: not our rebellion or religion.
3. Because God has been propitiated (satisfied), we now live for Him out of delight, not duty. Our lives and gifts and abilities and resources are poured out before God not as an offering of duty to appease Him, but out of delight in what He’s done already through the atoning work of Jesus. This is wildly freeing and provides us with radical independence from religious duty, and allows us to rest in joy of the Cross.
4. We no longer live in fear of God’s wrath, but in faith of God’s faithfulness.  When we fall short of the glory of God and sin, we do not have to worry about His reaction, but rather place our trust in the fact that what He has begun in us through the propitiation, He will bring to completion through sanctification! We have been saved at the Cross, we are being saved by the Spirit’s work in us, and we will be saved by the glorification of our bodies when Christ returns.
5. Because we are not alone in being redeemed, we can gather with others to enjoy our state before God. Sunday morning church gatherings are not our duty before God, but our privilege before Him: it is our time to publicly celebrate the finished work of Christ!
6. We now long for others to place faith in the same reality, so we live on mission and preach the Gospel with our mouths and deeds. This is evangelism as a lifestyle: it is us, out of desiring for others to see Christ for who He is and what He’s done, living our lives with intentionality and purpose: to make Christ known.

And although moving to Tipsy is an amazing prospect, it sadly means that we have to leave Unk’s, our beloved home for over a year now. And we have an awesome situation at Unk’s: we meet there for free, use their equipment, enjoy the staff, and it’s central to the campus neighborhood. So why are we moving? Here are some reasons:

• Removing a Stumbling Block: Even though we are not concerned with the ‘bar-taurant’ atmosphere of Unk’s, some people are. Some people looking for Jesus are. And that’s an issue. We want to remove any obstacles that could be hindering religious people, families, underage searchers, and anyone else from hearing the Gospel about Jesus. Sadly, this means leaving Unk’s for a more ‘general’ and politically correct meeting place (though Tipsy serves alcoholic beverages as well, the atmosphere is not bar-ish).

• More Space: On one hand, we in essence have more space. We will eventually be using one half of Tipsy (it’s divided by double doors) for our gathering, and the other half for children’s ministry. We’re not sure of the details yet, but we do know that the children will spend a large portion of time with the adults in gathering. The space that Tipsy provides will be beneficial in teaching kids the Gospel on a level that they can understand, in the midst of a community that they both love and are loved by.This is vitally important to the inter-generational vision of Harmony.

• Less Space: The seating capacity for Unk’s is one of the largest for a restaurant in the city (295). On Sunday mornings, one can feel really distant from others, simply because of the cavernous open room of Unk’s. Tipsy is setup narrow and long (think storefront) instead of Unk’s wide and shallow (think full music venue).  This does two things: it draws the church closer together at least physically, and fills the room with more energy, which will hopefully bring a constant energetic ‘vibe’ at Harmony.

• Location, Location, Location: Tipsy, as I said earlier, is grand central for Uptown culture. There is no other music venue like it. All the others are bars that happen to host bands. The creatives of Greenville gather regularly at Tipsy. They work there. There are people from different backgrounds/religions/lifestyle calling Tipsy their ‘third place’. So we’re going to incarnate there and hopefully tell them the Gospel. It is the “Union Station” for Uptown Greenville. And we’re calling it home base for the missio dei.

• We Have to Grow Up a Bit: The thing about meeting somewhere for free is this: you can get spoiled very quickly. It’s like living with your parents for the first 17 years of your life. It’s time for Harmony to get an apartment. We’re not buying a house. Or moving to a loft in Manhattan. We’re just getting to know what the real world is like, so to speak. We’re becoming a responsible church. Which is healthy, and will bring us together as a community, with one mission and one focus: using our resources in order to further the Gospel.

These are just a few of the very, very many reasons that we’re moving. Would you commit to pray with us about this endeavor? I’ve challenged the church that whenever the Spirit leads you to pray more, to in that instant pray for the move to Tipsy. Would you do the same? Also, do you want to give your time/resources to the move and ‘relaunch’ of Harmony? E-mail me at derek-at-harmonydc.com or give online at HarmonyGreenville.com