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November 23, 2009
Pushing the limits of church funding: Check your numbers
We measure everything. EVERYTHING.
Personally...we have bank statements...investment returns...utility bills based on cost per use...etc.
Corporately...we have P&Ls...D&Bs...trends...etc.
Why do we STOP MEASURING when we come to church. I'm not talking about "pastoral" perception that begins with..."we think" or "it seemed."
We should expect more from ourselves. We should demand MORE accountability.
The pastor is in a unique spot. He is trained to parse the Hebrew and Green language of Scripture and to preach. BUT (and this is a big one) he is held accountable for...
dollars in the plate...
and people in the pew.
Don't believe me. Does the finance committee get blamed when giving is down? Does the assimilation commitee get blamed when the attrition rate exceeds the rate of acquisition?
NO. T-H-E-Y don't. The pastor DOES.
If you're held accountable, then you are responsible. Thus, this "numbers stuff" is not SOMEONE ELSE'S problem...it's yours! (And if you don't take ownership, it will own you!)
When was the last time you reviewed the giving habits of your membership? (Not to see if there is enough money to pay the bills and last until next Sunday. BETTER! Am I (as pastor...spiritual leader...the primary one responsible to facilitate spiritual formation in the lives of my congregants) ensuring I'm cultivating a generous people - in time, talent, and treasure.
That's measurable. And...news flash...generosity is a matter of the heart, not the pocketbook. BUT the pocketbook is the best tool we have to measure the behavior of the people who profess "saved by grace."
Maybe...just maybe...if you're people aren't generous...or aren't becoming generous...you should revisit the whole "salvation as free gift from God" conversation and use that as an introduction to generosity.
C-H-E-C-K Y-O-U-R N-U-M-B-E-R-S. NOW.
It will tell you more than you ever imagined. Even about stuff that is...well...hard to measure.
This is KINGDOM business.
Posted by bstroup at November 23, 2009 8:40 AM
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