November 20, 2009
Push the limits of church funding: Break the Silence
Read this:
"Money has demonically usurped the role in modern society which the Holy Spirit is to have in the Church" - Thomas Merton
Wow! Wonder how that happened?
When the church is silent on the subject of money and funding, the Christian has no alternative lens to compare what others are saying.
(Yes, the church is responsible to talk about money. Period. There is nothing to argue about.)
Start TALKING. Get LOUD.
If we remain silent, the end result is this:
Money God intended to fund the work of the Kingdom...
will find its way to other organizations...doing good things...lead by good people.
BUT it won't go to fund the work of the Church. Don't believe me? Just ask a few people you know if they split their tithe between the church and other organizations.
You'll be surprised at their response. And they see nothing wrong with it.
Why? (Really, why should we be surprised?) Because we've been SILENT.
H-E-L-L-O. Problem. Major Problem.
What will you say...this weekend...at your next gathering...to break the silence about money, stewardship, and generosity?
Posted by bstroup at 8:39 AM | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack ( 0 )
November 19, 2009
Push the limits of church funding: Survival Mode Off
Survival Mode...now that is a great strategy for funding. NOT!
Here is the problem with survival mode. In the NPO world (that includes churches) we place a high degree of value on efficiency which means we do as much as we can on as little as possible.
There is NOTHING inherently wrong with that. It's always important to ensure our expenses are in line with our revenue.
What IS inherently built into that mode is a LACK OF investing. Investing involes risk. Risk sometimes leads to REWARD...
and sometimes it leads to the "F" word...F-A-I-L-U-R-E.
For-profit companies believe in RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT. They know that have to build in a system of failing if they are ever going to SUCCEED.
When churches decide to slip into survival mode...they STOP innovating...being creative...looking for new opportunities...new ventures. And they simply exist.
Wonder why you're having trouble finding leaders who are passionate about what your church is doing? (Are you passionate about what your church is doing?)
Maybe you've flipped the switch (even unintentionally) to survival mode.
Let me give you a hint: TURN IT OFF. Right now...And after you've turned it off...
BREAK IT OFF so you never have that option again.
There is nothing that will kill a church's ability to fund its ministry than operating in survival mode.
Rule #1...(It doesn't really matter what Rule number it is.)...People don't want to fund an organization that is only interested in self-preservation.
Better...people WON'T fund self-preservation.
Posted by bstroup at 8:37 AM | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack ( 0 )
November 18, 2009
Push the limits of church funding: Get beyond small thinking
After spending nearly a MONTH in the field talking to pastors in various part of the country talking about church funding, I'm convinced that FAR TOO MANY are thinking...
small....
instead of T-H-I-N-K-I-N-G B-I-G!
We say we are people of THE WORD. Our Bible is full of the impossible:
Abraham and Sarah are too old to have a son.
David is too small to fight Goliath. (Later, he's too young and ordinary to be King.)
Paul is an unlikely champion of the faith.
(There's more. I promise. Read it for yourself.)
Yet these stories fade when we are asked to believe the impossible. When we are asked to believe that God can fully fund (and over fund) our ministry budgets WITHOUT REGARDS for the American or World economy.
So what do we do? We SEAL OUR FATE by professing a big God and live as if He is small. We...
Worry. Fret. Pace. Sweat. Wonder. (All over the WRONG STUFF!!)
Where will the money come from? And when that happens we take our focus off of vision...direction...purpose...context...(the core necessities of funding)
AND we allow ourselves to be trapped by what we can see. We fight over how we will split the dollar instead of believing that God has intended MORE for us.
We can only DO MORE MINISTRY when we practice our profession in a BIG GOD.
NEWS FLASH...NOT EVERY CHURCH IS STRUGGLING.
Some churches are posting ridiculous gains in overall giving...and investing in more ministry than they ever have. I heard from one pastor recently who is nearly $100k over in receipts to date!
Get beyond small thinking. And you'll find a VERY B-I-G G-O-D who is able to help YOU...
DO MORE MINISTRY!
Posted by bstroup at 8:17 AM | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack ( 0 )
November 17, 2009
Generosity explained by a child
Elijah Offering Video from Elevation Church on Vimeo.
Posted by bstroup at 8:15 AM | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack ( 0 )
November 16, 2009
A big THANK YOU to @jsangl
Just wanted to send a big THANK YOU to Joe Sangl for his recent guest post series "5 Reasons to Start a Debt Ministry." If you missed it:
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - Part ONE
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - Part TWO
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - Part THREE
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - Part FOUR
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - Part FIVE
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - Part BONUS
If you're church is looking for an organization that can help you become strategic in helping your church establish a debt ministry, you need to call Joe...TODAY! You should also consider reading his book I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. and using his small group resource in your church.
Helping the people in your pews (and the people in your community) deal with debt and free them to do as Joe says "more than they ever though possible" opens the door and builds bridges to those looking for answer but would never consider the church as a subject matter expert.
Since the Bible spends so much time talk about money (more than salvation), we ought to talk more about it more than we do in our faith communities. (Some churches are silent on the subject!) Start a debt ministry, and I promise the results will blow your mind. I did it in a small church I pastored part-time recently. It expanded our ministry reach beyond our wildest imaginations, and it provided a place of service for a few people who didn't "fit" in the traditional Sunday School teacher role.
Again, thanks to Joe for helping us lay the groundwork on the Do More Ministry blog!
Posted by bstroup at 8:46 AM | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack ( 0 )
November 13, 2009
Guest Post: 5 Reasons To Start A Debt Ministry - BONUS
Bonus: What does a full-functioning debt ministry look like?
A full-functioning debt ministry should certainly be developed in a way that it is manageable by your team, but it should include each of the following components.
Preach on Sundays
1. According to a LifeWay Research of 3,500 Southern Baptist senior pastors, only "65 percent of pastors had preached on financial stewardship during the previous year." If God's Word speaks about money more than love and prayer combined and we are told that our hearts will follow our money, we MUST be speaking about it.
2. Four Sundays a year is good starting number.
3. Preach about giving, saving, spending, owner vs. manager, heart follow money, and planning.
Teach practical classes
1. Provide a "next step" every single time you preach about money. Many people struggle with taking a spiritual principle and applying it to their life. This next step can help them.
2. A budgeting workshop, estate-planning, a walk-through-the-Bible study on money, or one of the many Sunday School or small group study resources can be very effective.
1-on-1 assistance
1. Many people will still need 1-on-1 help. They are too overwhelmed by their financial situation to face it by themselves. A trained financial counselor who can help individuals through tough situations is essential. It is an outstanding place to provide ministry!
The I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. team is passionate about helping others accomplish far more than they ever thought possible. We provide full personal finance ministry solutions including development of money messages, speaking on Sundays, teaching live personal finance workshops (2-hour Financial Learning Experience; 6-hour Financial Freedom Experience), and training financial counselors on-site (Financial Counseling Experience). We also provide books and group studies, including Joe's book, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. and its related six-week group study. For more information, contact their team HERE.
Learn more about Joe Sangl.
Posted by bstroup at 9:57 AM | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack ( 0 )
