It's evidently true, no good deed goes unpunished...sigh!

[Tarheel Baptist]

A man who attends our Celebrate Recovery Program on Monday nights works some around the church plant. He mows, paints etc...we try to help him help himself. Over the weekend, we had some equipment go missing....long story short...he stole and pawned the equipment.
We were going to call the police and turn him in, our security cameras caught him in action. Just met with him and we're going to redeem the stuff and let him work off his debt.
Some thought we should have allowed the system to kick in and punish him...what does the wisdom of the FFF think?

 

[Castor Muscular]

I say we stomp him!  Then we tattoo him! Then we hang him...!  And then we kill him!

Pee-wee's Big Adventure - I say we kill him!

 

[graceandtruth]

A man who attends our Celebrate Recovery Program on Monday nights works some around the church plant. He mows, paints etc...we try to help him help himself. Over the weekend, we had some equipment go missing....long story short...he stole and pawned the equipment.
We were going to call the police and turn him in, our security cameras caught him in action. Just met with him and we're going to redeem the stuff and let him work off his debt.
Some thought we should have allowed the system to kick in and punish him...what does the wisdom of the FFF think?

You guys did the right thing Tarheel. 

 

[Izdaari]

A man who attends our Celebrate Recovery Program on Monday nights works some around the church plant. He mows, paints etc...we try to help him help himself. Over the weekend, we had some equipment go missing....long story short...he stole and pawned the equipment.
We were going to call the police and turn him in, our security cameras caught him in action. Just met with him and we're going to redeem the stuff and let him work off his debt.
Some thought we should have allowed the system to kick in and punish him...what does the wisdom of the FFF think?

You guys did the right thing Tarheel.

Yeah, I think so too. But all us kibitzers could be wrong. You know the guy and we don't.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

I say we stomp him!  Then we tattoo him! Then we hang him...!  And then we kill him!

Pee-wee's Big Adventure - I say we kill him!

Only if he's convicted of a sex offense and forced to register....
<sarcasm alert>
  ;D

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

One of our men, who leads Celebrate Recovery, is with him now redeeming our stuff at the pawn shop. I feel anger, betrayal and sympathy at the same time!
We're praying that The Lord uses this for good...as I'm sure He will!

 

[Castor Muscular]

You're all a bunch of weenies.  Can you at least tattoo him?

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

You're all a bunch of weenies.  Can you at least tattoo him?

 

[kaba]

A man who attends our Celebrate Recovery Program on Monday nights works some around the church plant. He mows, paints etc...we try to help him help himself. Over the weekend, we had some equipment go missing....long story short...he stole and pawned the equipment.
We were going to call the police and turn him in, our security cameras caught him in action. Just met with him and we're going to redeem the stuff and let him work off his debt.
Some thought we should have allowed the system to kick in and punish him...what does the wisdom of the FFF think?

according to the logic of some on the fff....  you should give him the rest of the equipment... ..  maybe even drive him to the pawn shop so he can hock that for cash too.... make him his own set of keys to every door in the church.. ... then provide him a special seat, each sunday, right next to the offering plate.. . in fact, just put him in charge of the church finances.. . .... it will be his job to count the offering and deposit it in the churches bank account on monday morning.... .

according to some your act of grace, forgiveness.. and extended trust ... . will overwhelm this individual with shame.. humility.. and remorse for what he has done.... . it will automatically make him want to become a better man who works for his keep.. accepts only what he has earned..  and despises the idea of theft.....  they assure you he will never steal from you again......      and besides... you have security cameras.. right?....  so nothing to worry about.. . he will be fully monitored all the time.... .. . 

of course if you refuse to extend such trust and generosity to this man they will accuse you of being a pharisee... of having no grace in your heart... not understanding the gospel.. . not believing in the power of God to convert wolves into sheep.. . etc etc etc.... . ....

so just give him a chance....  he deserves it... ..what have you got to lose?.....  ;D

Well said!

 

[patriotic]

One of our men, who leads Celebrate Recovery, is with him now redeeming our stuff at the pawn shop. I feel anger, betrayal and sympathy at the same time!
We're praying that The Lord uses this for good...as I'm sure He will!

Similar things often happen to our church.  We have multi-cultural, multi-"caste" (for lack of better word...my brain hurts today), multi-everything at our church.  People with misdemeanors who have community service to pay/work, etc. 

We keep things locked up, but locks only serve to keep honest people honest, so we keep trying to help them.  They either accept help and keep working to straighten out....or they eventually "hang themselves" so to speak. 

Give the man another chance. 

 

[Castor Muscular]

A man who attends our Celebrate Recovery Program on Monday nights works some around the church plant. He mows, paints etc...we try to help him help himself. Over the weekend, we had some equipment go missing....long story short...he stole and pawned the equipment.
We were going to call the police and turn him in, our security cameras caught him in action. Just met with him and we're going to redeem the stuff and let him work off his debt.
Some thought we should have allowed the system to kick in and punish him...what does the wisdom of the FFF think?

according to the logic of some on the fff....  you should give him the rest of the equipment... ..  maybe even drive him to the pawn shop so he can hock that for cash too.... make him his own set of keys to every door in the church.. ... then provide him a special seat, each sunday, right next to the offering plate.. . in fact, just put him in charge of the church finances.. . .... it will be his job to count the offering and deposit it in the churches bank account on monday morning.... .

according to some your act of grace, forgiveness.. and extended trust ... . will overwhelm this individual with shame.. humility.. and remorse for what he has done.... . it will automatically make him want to become a better man who works for his keep.. accepts only what he has earned..  and despises the idea of theft.....  they assure you he will never steal from you again......      and besides... you have security cameras.. right?....  so nothing to worry about.. . he will be fully monitored all the time.... .. . 

of course if you refuse to extend such trust and generosity to this man they will accuse you of being a pharisee... of having no grace in your heart... not understanding the gospel.. . not believing in the power of God to convert wolves into sheep.. . etc etc etc.... . ....

so just give him a chance....  he deserves it... ..what have you got to lose?.....  ;D

Good point.  So tattoo him with "Pedophile Sex Offender" and some church will give him babysitting duties.  He'll be stuck changing diapers without getting any perverted pleasure from it since he's just a thief. 

 

[graceandtruth]

Tarheel they are absolutely correct when they say he may steal from you again.  I missed the indication in your post that he was a believer.  I would consider what price you are willing to pay in order to demonstrate God's love and grace to others.  Perhaps that is why Jesus did not bother to gather possessions when He lived among us.  He did not want keeping them to get in the way of Him seeking and saving those who were lost.

They are just things and he is a person that Jesus died for.  If Jesus was willing to give His life I think a little equipment should not be too much to ask of us.

I understand your feelings as well.  It is natural to be hurt when someone betrays your trust but it is supernatural to forgive them and trust them again. 

 

[Ransom]

Tarheel said:

Only if he's convicted of a sex offense and forced to register....
<sarcasm alert>

Well, if anyone's actually going to compare petty embezzlement with child molestation . . . I wouldn't put a thief in charge of any money.

I think you did the right thing. Restoration and restitution is the best solution, and if it doesn't have to get the law involved (one way in which theft DOES differ dramatically from sexual assault), then so much the better.

 

[BALAAM]

Tough Situation.  Many years ago in a church we were in I had one of the Christian schoolteachers ask if he could borrow my lawnmower. I didn't want to but his grass was higher than a giraffe and I thought of the passage in the NT that says to give to him that asks of thee and don't even look for repayment. Well, guess what? He didn't return my mower. I went by to get it and he had borrowed it to someone else! When I went to the second party it turns out that one of them broke it. I can't afford to take the Bible that literally. (not to mention that my wife was furious!)

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

An update:

Received a call Tuesday, I'm out of town this week, and the gentleman stole the SAME equipment (we were letting him work off his debt) on Saturday and pawned it yet again. The Staff decided to turn him in to the Police.

He's in jail now. We are working with the DA, who attends our church, to let him go to ELim Home, a Christian re-hab facility as a part of his plea agreement.

 

[ALAYMAN]

An update:

Received a call Tuesday, I'm out of town this week, and the gentleman stole the SAME equipment (we were letting him work off his debt) on Saturday and pawned it yet again. The Staff decided to turn him in to the Police.

He's in jail now. We are working with the DA, who attends our church, to let him go to ELim Home, a Christian re-hab facility as a part of his plea agreement.

Did y'all give him access to the equipment again, or did he just seize the opportunity by breaking and entering?

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

An update:

Received a call Tuesday, I'm out of town this week, and the gentleman stole the SAME equipment (we were letting him work off his debt) on Saturday and pawned it yet again. The Staff decided to turn him in to the Police.

He's in jail now. We are working with the DA, who attends our church, to let him go to ELim Home, a Christian re-hab facility as a part of his plea agreement.

Did y'all give him access to the equipment again, or did he just seize the opportunity by breaking and entering?

He was working on the property, under supervision....but broke into the storage area to get the equipment sometime Friday night, they believe.

 

[ALAYMAN]

He was working on the property, under supervision....but broke into the storage area to get the equipment sometime Friday night, they believe.

Sorry to hear that bro.

Just remember, if he mutters the words "I'm sorry" then you must forgive him 488 more times.

 

[JustABigKid]

An update:

Received a call Tuesday, I'm out of town this week, and the gentleman stole the SAME equipment (we were letting him work off his debt) on Saturday and pawned it yet again. The Staff decided to turn him in to the Police.

He's in jail now. We are working with the DA, who attends our church, to let him go to ELim Home, a Christian re-hab facility as a part of his plea agreement.

Did y'all give him access to the equipment again, or did he just seize the opportunity by breaking and entering?

He was working on the property, under supervision....but broke into the storage area to get the equipment sometime Friday night, they believe.

Well at least you all can honestly say you tried to help and you tried to be Christlike towards him.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

An update:

Received a call Tuesday, I'm out of town this week, and the gentleman stole the SAME equipment (we were letting him work off his debt) on Saturday and pawned it yet again. The Staff decided to turn him in to the Police.

He's in jail now. We are working with the DA, who attends our church, to let him go to ELim Home, a Christian re-hab facility as a part of his plea agreement.

Did y'all give him access to the equipment again, or did he just seize the opportunity by breaking and entering?

He was working on the property, under supervision....but broke into the storage area to get the equipment sometime Friday night, they believe.

Well at least you all can honestly say you tried to help and you tried to be Christlike towards him.

Thanks. And I really do love he guy. He's been a part of our Celebrate Recovery for awhile. He's had his ups and downs, but never stolen from us before.

We're still trying to get him into Elim Home, which could be the best thing to happen to him. Praying that comes to pass....