Why and Why Now?

Congregations are all unique because they are made up of unique individuals and circumstances. The geographical ministry setting and historical context shape the way a church thinks about itself and its community. Leadership styles impact the way strategic plans are implemented. Cultural and educational surroundings influence communication methods. Add to this list vast differences in population base, theological understandings, and innumerable personal preferences. We're a complex ensemble. No wonder we come in so many shapes and sizes! While none of the stories that follow are exactly the story of your church, I hope you will begin to think about yours so that you will identify what it is that your church uniquely contributes to the kingdom of God. My pastor constantly reminds us, as he prays for a different church in our community every Sunday morning, that if we are going to have the impact on our community that we want to have, it's going to take all of us. And we need all of us to have maximum impact. I've heard it called our redemptive potential.

First Church is 150 years old. Their history is rich with generations of families who have worshipped there; however, fewer and fewer of the younger families are continuing to be active. Those who have stayed are struggling to know if they want to continue attending a church that is still using flannelgraphs and overhead projectors. In their tech-filled lives, some of the older methods of worship, teaching, and reaching people aren't appealing. They love their families, respect their leaders, and have great memories tied to First Church. However, their children keep asking to go to the church across town with the soccer fields and the new playground. They see advertisements for VBS that look high-tech and pony rides on parents' night. The families know these things aren't what make a great church, but they know that some of their friends who they've invited to come to First Church are now active members at the other church. The First Church leaders are open to trying some new things, but their budget is very tight, as their older members have fixed incomes and their younger families don't seem to support the church financially. How are they going to update some of their programs and facilities?

Outreach Church has been focused on introducing families to the gospel and preparing them to work on the mission field for fifteen years. The nursery is continuously full, the children's ministry is serving hundreds of kids through summer programs, and the youth are taking sixty people to summer camp. A substantial majority of their active adults are involved in local missions efforts, and they have fourteen missionaries serving outside the United States. This year, two families from their membership have decided to go to Honduras to help run an orphanage. They have raised their own funds to travel, but as they plan to take their families to a remote village for a brave two-year commitment, they are giving up their homes and their income. Outreach Church wants to support these families and the orphanage. However, their missions budget is committed, and there are no extra funds that can go toward the orphanage. It's a project that has touched their hearts and aligns with their mission and vision, but they don't know how to put funds behind it.

Neighborhood Church was planted fifty years ago in a growing suburb of the Big City. Big City has continued to grow, and suburban life keeps pushing farther and farther from downtown. The neighborhood has much greater diversity than it did a few decades ago, and Neighborhood Church has a new vision for ministry and an incredible kingdom opportunity. The presence of young Hispanic families in the area has prompted several leaders to be interested in teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) classes and offering other services to the newest community members. If they could offer a Spanish-speaking service, they could fill an enormous need in their community. The administrative council agrees the timing is right for this transition. However, it would require additional resources for hiring a pastor for this segment of the congregation, development of new programs, and purchasing materials for outreach and discipleship. The field, or the neighborhood, is ready for harvest, but they don't know how to resource this great new opportunity.

Churches are facing scenarios like these all around the country. Churches of various size, age, demographics, denomination, and vision. What they have in common is their desire to "go and make disciples" (Matt 28:19). They have the right mission! The other common thread is a lack of resources to fully pursue the vision they have for accomplishing that mission. Congregations are struggling to meet budgets and secure designated funds for ministry and mission. Over and over again I hear church leaders concerned about the economy and claiming that younger members don't give to the church anymore, but it's reported that 67 percent of all households give to charity and 98.4 percent of high–net worth households give to charity. The complaint about young families not giving isn't factual. However, it may be factual that they aren't giving to your church. We need to examine why. First let's take a look at the facts about the economy as it relates to generosity in America.

This is not a recent discovery. In 2008, J. Clif Christopher, in his book Not Your Parents' Offering Plate, told us that the landscape for philanthropic giving, and particularly stewardship in the American church, had changed:

The church used to be the predominant charity in most communities. In many, it was the only place to make a contribution of any kind. The appeal was simply, "You should give." For too many churches the appeal is still "you should give." And people respond by giving, just not to the church. They are hearing the preacher say that Jesus wants them to give, and they are choosing the youth center or the college or the hospital. Yet, our appeal is still the same.

Think back to how money was collected by your church just twenty to twenty-five years ago. At the appropriate time during the worship service the ushers were asked to come forward. They stood at the front of each aisle during the prayer and then passed the offering plates up and down each row during the offertory hymn. By the end of the song the ushers had disappeared and you moved on to the next item in the bulletin. I remember wondering as a child growing up in church in the 1970s what they did with all that money piled in the offering plates. Twenty-five years later there really wasn't even enough cash in the plate to pique a child's curiosity. Checks were the currency of the day, and many churches began using envelopes to help with the counting procedures and systems of checks and balances.

Between the years 2000 and 2004 there was a handful of...