Just as those long-promised tax rebate checks from the federal government are standing to land in people's mailboxes and bank accounts, voices are being raised in a number of area churches that maybe spending it on consumer goods is not the best way to help our society.

The rebate -- billed as an economic stimulus effort -- was adopted by Congress and signed by President Bush to try to get some extra money flowing in a slowing economy. Stores are ramping up all sorts of promotional efforts to get a share of the rebate dollars.

But this Sunday at First Baptist Church on Madison's west side, some members of the congregation will be putting part or all of their checks into the offering plates. The money will be allocated to some clearly defined programs like helping former prisoners successfully re-enter society to supporting housing initiatives to helping rebuild the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

At First United Methodist Church in downtown Madison, members of a group called Theology for the 21st Century have agreed to donate part of their rebates to a special church fund administered by their outreach ministries, which does all sorts of amazing work with people living on the edge in Madison.

At Lake Edge United Church of Christ on the far east side, members are being invited to bring their rebate checks to a potluck dinner on June 8 and the money will be dispersed to community needs by their outreach board, which has put a particular focus on food and housing issues.

These congregations are hardly alone. A number of faith communities and individuals are looking at ways to turn this bit of a tax windfall into an act of charity or into a way to support organizations seeking a more just society. As Patrick K. McDonald of Janesville wrote in the current issue of the Catholic Herald-Citizen, which goes to all Catholic households in the Diocese of Madison, "Because this is not money any of us had taken into account when planning our budgets for this year, this is a prime opportunity for each of us to use this money to help those in our society who are most in need."

Of course, for some people, this rebate is anything but a luxury. With job losses, foreclosures, rising gas prices, just getting by is a daily struggle. As Robert Sharpe, a fundraising consultant, told the New York Times recently, "The key for charities is to recognize that while 95 percent of the people who are getting these rebates need to use them to pay for their own gas and groceries, 5 percent can afford to give them away, and that's a lot."

Leah Lonsbury of First Baptist made the case for doing this in language echoed by many other area religious voices. "Your Board of Christian Outreach proposes that we take the modest step of relinquishing our rebate checks in part or whole to agencies or funds working to foster economic justice and more abundant life for all God's children," she wrote in a letter to the congregation. "This is a small step towards closing the dangerous gap that threatens the whole of our community in Madison, our nation and our international family, but it is one we can take together."

So what are you thinking of doing with your rebate check? What ideas might you offer as Madison-area residents begin making their decisions on how to spend this money? Add your voice to the discussion below.