I have a nagging thought that I have an ongoing mind-wrestle with – one I think every church should answer. If through some innovation the church could find ways to impact more people and we could do it with less infrastructure (buildings, staff, programs)- would we do it?
Are we married to the form- Sunday service with as many people as possible coming or are we open to true innovation that addresses people where they are in the way that is most effective to conversion and growth?
Have we made Sunday church attendance a “sacred cow” or are we truly open to radical innovation to fulfill the great commission?
One practical point to contemplate: there are approximately 300,000 churches in America and the average annual church budget is $100,000. That’s $30 billion dollars a year. Every year. That’s more than the GDP of half the world’s countries. Could you imagine what “the church” could do with $30 billion a year to impact life transformation if strategically invested?
Instead of redundant infrastructures and ineffective weekend gatherings, imagine Christians trained and equipped to unleash $30 billion a year on the world to showcase love of God and love of people. Now that’s game-changing innovation.
It quickly moves the conversation from “is the church relevant” to “wow, the church is the hope of the world”. I know it’s contrarian enough to get a lot of stones thrown, but for those bold enough to engage the thought, I would love to hear some dialogue about what this could look like.
By: Mike
Mike Gogis is CFO at the WCA, an elder a Park Community Church, and a partner in The Aitreni Group, a social entrepreneurial venture focused on catalyzing the creation of social good in a variety of sectors by joining movements of influence with movements of justice.
What a stimulating post!
ReplyDeleteWe're a church with an average budget, and things continue to get tighter and tighter financially. We had to ask ourselves, "How much money does it take to love God and love people?". The answer? $0. But, if we're going to use money in our works of love, how do we best use it so that it doesn't hinder or subvert the ministry.
$30 billion? Multiply that by love and, whew!!!!
Maybe it is time we come out from behind our rigid walls to become relevant in our society again.
ReplyDeleteMy church uses the majority of the facility less than 3% of the time. Spending half the budget on the building causes you to wonder if this is to best way to use our resources.
Dare I say tear down the walls and open them up to the community.
Instead of edifice building, we can partner with the community. A building could be used as a school or business during the day, business or meeting place in the evening and worship/meetings/service on the weekends.
"...imagine Christians trained and equipped to unleash $30 billion a year on the world to showcase love of God and love of people' by helping students with their homework, feeding the hungry, offering a medical assistance to those in need, helping the jobless create a resume, working with those struggling to pay down debt, or leading a Bible study on God's grace.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThis is a radical proposal for established churches. Even progressive churches would struggle with the shift.
You are proposing a Christian paradigm shift that Dave Gibbons has been living out at New Song Church; leaving the building behind and reaching out to showcase God's love and people's love for one another...carrying out Jesus' commandment to love God & love our neighbor.
It would mean changing the rules and shifting our comfort zone. It would mean reaching out and connecting face to face to those different from us. It would mean shining God's love in dark uncomfortable places.
Instead of sending money for a cause or flying a dozen people on a mission trip in the Caribbean, the new church would send all members to share God's love with our neighbors across the street, across country or around the world.
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." —Helen Keller
Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI've wondered this for many years now and thought what plagues "The Church" today. A common theme that arises is the loss of community. Even-though we know "The Church" is not just a building, but we make it that for some reason. Without the injection of Christ into the Homes of our community that 45 minutes of fame on Sunday is the only chance for Worship and Growth.
Were in a Catch-22 here.
Maybe if we could move the infrastructure to a digital medium with less overhead cost but still maintain the worship of giving this would release more "Budget" for "Works".
Thanks,
Scott G