Responding To The Financial Crisis
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September 30, 2008 Over the last few days, several people have emailed me and asked about my thought on the financial crisis facing our country. So, I decided to blog about it and see what your thoughts might be. As the crisis continues to be prolonged, there is no doubt the effects will be felt in the local church. So, how is the church supposed to respond to this crisis? How can the local church continue to do ministry with ever-tightening budgets? 1. Don't panic! God is ultimately in control of this world. If he so chooses, He can do more with one word, in a single moment of time, than every politician or financial expert on Capital Hill could do in a lifetime. 2. Don't ignore the problem! One of the worst things any church can do is to continue to do "business as usual." We have a voice and we should express our outrage, but we should also plan for the future. This problem will affect the bottom line of most church budgets so plan ahead. Sit down and rewrite your end of the year plans and next year's budget. Understand that your people are struggling as well. 3. Recast the vision. Why does your church exist? What is your purpose? Too many of today's churches still function on "expected loyalty." Gone is the day when people give to the church just because it is a church. People want to give to a great cause, not a building or program. You have to justify what you do and why. Spend time reminding the people why you exist. Remind everyone that people still need to hear the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. They’re giving to reach people, not to build a facility or pay the light bill. Ultimately everything they give is used in some small way to share the truth of God. 4. Explain how you spend church money. Anger and suspicion is at an all-time high, and rightly so! Politicians and Wall Street fat cats have acted criminally and mismanaged the taxpayer’s hard earned money. Don’t think for a moment that the church gets a “pass” from this suspicion. Take a few minutes on a Sunday morning to explain how the church spends its money and makes financial decisions. Do everything you can to set attendees minds at ease. Show them how you use their generous, hard-earned contributions. 5. Adopt an “Open Book” policy. This is another way to cut down suspicion. Let everyone who attends your church know that you are hiding nothing and what to be held accountable. So, you have decided to adopt a policy that opens the books for anyone who wants to see the detail. Don’t just lay a printout sheet of your financial records in the lobby, but do make them available to anyone who asks. 6. Start a financial training class. The church is great at asking for money, but poor when it come to helping members understand how to handle the rest of their money. Start a Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey) or the like to help church members cope with the financial crunch they are feeling. 7. Engender hope. This is not our final home. Paul reminds us, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18) This difficult time is only a temporary time of trouble for us. This world and all its trappings will soon fade away. I’ve read the end of the Bible and it tells me that in the end, “We Win!” So, help you people not to get too disillusioned with these current problems. Well, those are my thought. What do you have to add?
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Posted 9/30/2008 in Stephen Gray |
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