The Challenge of the Church

by Jim Sheppard

In essence, the last 50 years in the United States has produced an unprecedented outbreak of affluence. In the face of this condition, Americans - especially Christian Americans - have struggled to understand how to manage financial resources in a way that is consistent with their faith. Without clear teaching and instruction, church members have absorbed more of what the world says than what the Bible says about money and possessions. Christians have brought this thinking back into the void that existed in their local congregations, creating a damaging impact on the Biblical understanding of money and possessions.

One of the results of this trend is that members are acting and thinking more like consumers (eager spenders) than stewards (faithful managers). According to Claude Rosenberg, in his book Wealthy And Wise, Americans could collectively give away $100 billion per year without feeling a pinch. But statistics show we are getting stingier than ever. From 1968 to 1994, discretionary income increased by 54% after taxes and inflation were factored out. During that same period, charitable giving as a percentage of income declined 21% (from 2.5% to about 2%).

How can the church respond? While I do not pretend to have all of the answers, I do have some suggestions. In our last newsletter, we talked about changing the focus of the annual campaign. That article was more about the mechanics of the annual stewardship campaign. The purpose of this article is to change the year-round climate addressing money and possessions in the local church. One thing is certain: it's time for the church to begin addressing this opportunity rather than rationalizing against the risk of alienating members by addressing God's view of money and possessions head-on.

Many churches fail to understand that the current year's campaign is actually the result of the cultivating done by the church over the previous 12 months. Instead, churches often try to ratchet up the level of stewardship one time a year and hope that members will respond.

It is important that the church do at least two things throughout the year to cultivate a stewardship culture:

• Teach about the Biblical patterns of generosity. Many Christians do not give because of spiritual problems, or a lack of awareness of the Biblical patterns of generosity. Ironically, sermons on stewardship can sometimes be much more fruitful at non-campaign times of the year because members have time to reflect, pray and grow in their faith without having to also consider what they might write on a commitment card. This timing prevents what I call "overload."
• Present a vision of ministry for the church. Many members do not give because they lack a clear vision of what their local church is called to do in God's name. They will even rationalize their own non-participation by saying "the church seems to have enough money to get done what needs to be done." They do not understand how much more could be accomplished if they were to participate. These members are not looking for the busywork of the church - they are looking for the impact of the church. James C. Collins, in his book Built To Last, talks about the hallmarks of great organizations. One of those marks is what he calls "big hairy audacious goals," or BHAG for short. Collins says, "A BHAG engages people - it reaches out and grabs them in the gut. It is tangible, energizing, highly focused. People get it right away; it takes little or no explanation." Churches should develop and clearly communicate a BHAG as part of their overall vision of ministry.

The church of today faces a serious challenge - the challenge to fund its ministries in the face of increasingly competing distractions from the world and from popular culture. It will take bold, courageous leadership to confront the status quo and overcome these challenges for the good of the Kingdom