Mike Buwalda, CSA Stewardship Connections Editor
Did you ever wonder how successful other Christian organizations are in raising financial support from churches?
Below is a compilation of responses from a recent survey of numerous ministries and Christian schools of every shape and size. Responders shared their joys and frustrations with building support relationships with churches.
Although six out of 10 ministries expressed frustration in this area, 43% said they were happy with their support from churches. Six major themes emerged among the responses:
Visibility. Establish multiple contacts with current and future supporting churches (e.g., traveling music teams, preaching, Sunday School classes, attending mission conferences).
Pastor contact. Have regular, face-to-face meetings with pastors (not support staff) from supporting churches.
Persistence. Hang in there. It's hard work getting on a church's list, but once you're on the list, churches tend to keep you on.
Denomination. A number of organizations that are happy with their church support share a denomination and have some level of loyalty with an established network of churches.
Individuals. There is a growing trend among churches to support individuals rather than organizations. Consider how a person from your organization can develop a one-to-one relationship with supporting churches.
Partnerships. Approach churches and let them know that you want to serve their need and become an integral part of their ministry, beyond the dollars. Involve individuals from churches in your ministry.
I trust you’ll be blessed, encouraged, and affirmed as you read the comments below from your friends in ministry!
We have over 800 churches on our mailing list and about 100 who support us regularly or through a special offering/missions budget, etc. Some give monthly—about 25 or 30 of them—and that is always appreciated! What did it take for PRC to get to that level of strong support from churches? Prayer. Lots of prayer. Also, shoe leather. Lots of shoe leather…getting out there and meeting with the pastor (not the assistant pastor or the missions committee or Sunday school class). We also present the ministry often on Sunday mornings, sometimes preaching the sermon, but more often doing a 5-7 commercial that touches hearts. But, you have to get to the pastor. I met yesterday with a man my assistant was trying to get a meeting with for over 6 months. You have to be persistent (he even mentioned it— how persistent my assistant was with him—at the close of my time with him). One other thing, promise to take just 30 minutes (settle for 15 if that’s all they’ll give) and then keep your promise.
Jim Sprague, Executive Director
Pregnancy Resource Center
We get tremendous support from churches! We have three singing groups that are in churches 50 weekends a year. Our vocal groups promote our projects and the churches get behind us and support them. We are blessed!
Jane McHaney, Donor Relations
World Help
Yes, we are happy but not without adding that it’s hard work getting the churches started, but once we are on their list, we stay on it for a long time. Continuing communication with the pastor helps; our staff visits the church services and introduces themselves after the service–putting a face to a name. A formal request to appear before the Missions Committee usually gets their attention even if it’s not granted. Persistence–if you are not successful, even after a couple of years, keep trying. Ask the Board to get you into their churches. Ask the staff to get you into their churches. Go to their missions conferences. In short, it’s a multiple of contacts in different ways.
Tad Mahan
Urban Family Council
Bethel has been very pleased with the support it has received over the years from supportive churches. Most of this support continues to come from churches of the founding denomination. Churches outside the supporting denomination rarely give general financial support but often give direct support to a student attending Bethel. In a post denominational age, when our student body is composed of churches across the denominational spectrum, we have been unable to get churches of other denominations to support our mission financially. While our support from churches remains high compared to most colleges, it has been in decline for several decades. About a quarter of our supporting denominational churches sent regular support. Some churches are sending all their gifts to individuals and do not support institutions. Other churches only support missions in which their church members are directly involved. Other churches have told us that they will not give to general support of the institution but would be open to joining us in specific projects. It is a challenging new age.
Bobbie Ericson, Manager of the Bethel Fund
Bethel University
We have been happy with our support level from churches. We have found that when they are approached about a ministry partnership, true partnership not just money, that they are open and receptive. Our average chaplain is supported financially by a couple dozen churches and has volunteers from even more.
Scott Lee, Ministry Development Field Officer
Good News Jail & Prison Ministry
With a few notable exceptions I am disappointed with local church giving to outside-of-itself ministry efforts (especially mine). My disappointment is not so much with the amount as much as the values behind the giving. My conclusions are based on thorough studies made over two decades. I am speaking about churches whose members give to missions at a higher rate than the average Evangelical church. The amount of money from churches increases each year but the percentage of total church income to missions is decreasing. Also, the increase does not keep up with the increase in expense. My take on this trend reflects 1) a loss of passion for advancing the Kingdom into areas of great spiritual darkness, 2) succumbing to our cultural values of 'me first.' Instead of looking to the 'regions beyond,' local churches are increasingly focused on their own needs—physical plant, providing programs and personnel that meet the social needs of congregants, etc. These things are of course not unworthy but the trend is to increase giving for self-serving ministries at the expense of advancing the Kingdom enterprises. Additionally, individuals in our churches have increased their outside-the-church giving but again to ministries that actually minister to themselves—Christian schools, Christian radio, and ministries that support their family, etc. These are very worthwhile ministries that should be supported but not at the expense of sharing the gospel to those who have never heard.
Anonymous by Request
We fan the flame in churches. They understand the difference between giving out of obligation from what you have and giving in Faith because it isn't ours to keep. I've taken a dozen pastors overseas this year. We have over 80 churches that have helped with rescue or care for orphans this year. I could not be happier. I will say that it took almost 2 years of talking to church after church to get the first church on board and another year to get the referral network primed, but now we have thousands of kids under care because families in churches saw the value of faith based giving on a long term basis.
Foundations and high capacity givers sometimes consider themselves 'faith based' because they go to church, believe in God, read the bible and are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. They are right, but most of them don't act like it. The problem is that that mentality comes from the political concept that people who worship something are 'faith based'. Biblically, faith based givers are those who believe in faith that God is in charge and that He alone will provide. Churches know this and are much more apt to pledge for years out because they know that their power to give is not determined by what they have in the bank today. They are giving what they don't already have. Most foundations are giving from their wealth and not from their poverty, so to speak. We need foundations and high capacity donors to help us with the rescue operations because they are so unpredictable, but churches will sustain the childhood of the orphans we serve. That is discipleship at its best.
We are committed to raising disciples not just housing orphans. That takes years. In our world today, only God knows what will happen years from now. It takes FAITH to say you are going to fund an orphan home. There are dozens of families from churches that are building legacies through the Church Homes they support. Their children will be telling their children's children about the kids they brought up in the homes they support. It doesn't get much better than that. It's a real win-win situation for all of them.
Craig Muller
Warm Blankets Orphan Care International
As I work with many ministries and complete Development Audits, I receive this request: "How can we raise more money from churches"? My response is—Create a way to SERVE the local church rather than what you can GET from them. The local church is being stretched in numerous ways right now.
Here are the pressures on them:
1. Most local pastors teach stewardship as a budget issue and therefore are frustrated with shortage of funds.
2. Church members have higher expectations of their church ministries. They want "services" but do not want to "pay" for them.
3. Many church members think the local church should be doing more of the ministry that para-church ministries are doing. Example: Why can't our church feed the homeless?
4. Most para-church ministries have seen the local church as an income source rather than as a source of stewards that can benefit from partnering with their ministry.
5. Most pastors hesitate to let para-church ministries in fearing the "pie is one size" and it will hurt their own budgets.
Those are the issues I see in my work. If we can present our ministries to the local church as an extension of their work and build trusting relationships with the local church leadership, we can make a huge impact on our communities.
John R. Frank, MA CFRE, President
John R. Frank Consulting Group, Inc.
Most of my experience with the local church concerning personal support as a missionary for over 40 years has been excellent. This would involve response for special projects like travel expenses, airplanes etc. as well as monthly support channeled through a recognized missions agency.
Such church giving has usually involved monthly promptness on their pledged gift, steady giving over the years in spite of pastoral changes and generally good monthly gifts in the amount of $200 or more. The amount pledged is generally much more than individual donors.
There has been a lot of discussion concerning church giving versus individual donations on a monthly basis for missionary support. The crux has been that individuals can generally make immediate decisions as Christians although the amount pledged is generally in the $100 or less range. Whereas in approaching a church for their partnership, there is a lengthy procedure that must be undertaken via a mission committee, interviews, personal appearance, etc.
I have found that when I have good communications four times a year with churches who support our ministry, the donations given proceed smoothly in the same amount or more than has been pledged by a local church.
Frankly, I would much rather have personal support from a local church, and I have found them to be most generous. Also, there has been a saying that "when one gets on a church's budget, it is hard to get off it."
Anonymous by Request
Yes. We've been happy with our church support. For WorldVenture, church support is a major part of our annual income. Although, we are not content with the number of churches that support us and the amounts they give. I believe churches can do more. As I've learned the hard way, churches want more accountability from the organizations that they support. They want more value for their donated dollar. Give them that, and you will find that more churches will give, and give more. Churches can do a lot more to help organizations connect with members of their congregations. Many churches are over-protective of their members, believing, in-part, that a tither who supports charities outside the church will tithe less. You and I know that's not true.
Kevin D. Feldman, Director of Marketing Communications
WorldVenture (formerly CBInternational)
Yes, we are very appreciative of congregations that support individual staff and the organization; however churches can be one of the hardest places to raise money for “faith missionaries.” A relationship is necessary for a mutual mission together. Because missionaries are usually torn for time the church universe is usually small for an individual staff person. Usually a staff will have one to three churches support that person. One challenge is the expectations that a church can put on staff. Reporting requirements and expectations of “production” can have a negative effect on a ministry. Particularly when the church’s expectations do not line up with the organizational expectations placed upon the individual staff member.
Lauren Libby
Navigators
Most of our church giving has come from churches who have supported us over the years. This is a market that we're looking to take a closer look at over the next year. Similar to Foundation giving, the better the relationship with individuals at the organization, the better the opportunities for funding.
Kevin Heyne
Spring Hill Camps
No we have not been happy with our church support—mainly because this has not been a focus of our fundraising efforts. We see this as an untapped resource and are looking at strategies to increase this area of support.
Marc Kirchoff
Prison Fellowship
Our church giving is declining. We hope to roll out a program that will connect a specific student with a church, so that rather than giving unrestricted support, the church can support a student, that may also intern at their church, speak at their missions conferences (if it is an international student), etc...so that they can see the leader they are investing in.
Gary Hoag
Denver Seminary
We are so blessed by financial support from churches. I believe the churches see the need, respond to the need, and get involved in the need by coming as volunteers in this ministry.
Pat
It appears to be difficult for churches to give support across the board for “other ministries” that are not a part of their own internal working or maybe even their own denomination. How funny it is that we are all a part of “His” church! And it takes all of us—from an organization that can get into the schools to the local church body (that can work to meet the needs of the whole family)—from inner city works (those culturally relevant to where society is) to international outreaches (those who can bridge a gap to those afar) —to truly reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Isn’t that our real task? How to reach the lost? And, yes, we would all “disciple” in our various “ways” but if we stick to the principle of “Know Jesus: Heaven bound—Don’t Know Jesus: Hell bound” we could all really get along in the church world. The giving follows the heart. When our hearts are not in the right place, we all lose! Giving is also about “releasing” and that is difficult when issues of desiring to control the outcome or even the process are looked at. Many feel they can support with their heart a specific work; therefore, they won’t give with their pockets. How sad we have turned the art of giving into such a control issue!
Anonymous by Request
As vice chair of our district of churches, we have been disappointed. Giving over all is up, but there still is a great disconnect from what is agreed to as a body at convention and how it translates into the various church budgets. Currently, we get about 3/4 of what is actually requested. Unfortunately, there are many churches that are not on board with our needs at all. Our challenge is to get everyone to participate.
Jon C. Wiebe, President & CEO
MB Foundation & MB Loan Fund
We have been happy with our support from churches. Our musical groups travel to churches throughout the school year and summer. The support they generate from churches is vital to our general giving. It also connects us with new donors.
Jack Hooker
God's Bible School & College
Not at all. The majority (98%) of our area churches do not give us any support as a church.
Mike LeMay, General Manager
Q90 FM
We receive generous support from church partners around the country but we are always looking at ways to enhance our church relations programs. Because we are a volunteer-driven organization that works through and depends heavily on our relationships with the local church we have always been cautious regarding how we approach them for funds. I think for us there are more opportunities to develop these important relationships than not.
Anonymous by Request
We've been pretty pleased but our program is fairly unique. As a publisher of Sunday School and VBS materials, we provide the churches a way to contribute to our international programs through coordination with the SS material itself. For example, each quarter, we feature a different international program focusing on kids. The SS kids can bring their dimes, nickels, and quarters to provide kids overseas with picture bibles and other outreach materials. We are averaging about $150,000 a year in dimes, nickels, and quarters through this type of program.
Tim Gunsolley
Cook Communications Ministries
Yes, we at SWU have been very pleased with financial support from churches. We are denominationally affiliated. Our church gave SWU over $1 million last year. We also receive direct gifts from Wesleyan Churches into our promise fund totaling over $27,000. We would like to encourage non-Wesleyan churches to join with us, and we want to make a special way to recognize and honor churches that support.
James Hansen
Southern Wesleyan University
Our giving from churches remains in a fairly steady range. Over the last 9 years, our giving from churches has ranged between 35% and 39%, with last year at 36%. Being a para-church organization, we'd like to have more of our income come from churches and are working to increase our relationship with sending and supporting churches.
Mike Dey
Serving in Mission (SIM)
Our member churches support the conference head office and our programs on a voluntary basis. Although we recognize that there is a shift in attitudes toward supporting an operating budget we have been very pleased with the level of financial support we receive. Appeals for special mission projects are very well supported and most churches try to give what might be considered a proportionate amount to the conference budget. On average over the past 5 years we have exceeded expenditures.
Len Barkman
My experience has been that ministry personnel receive the lion share of resources, including compensation. Our board frequently uses the phrase, "We need to take great care of our Pastors," but seem to forget about the non-pastoral staff.
Anonymous by Request
It would be nice to have additional financial ministry resources. Our South Carolina Baptists and their churches have been giving very generously. I view the rate of giving as an encouragement to keep sharing and teaching about biblical giving in a consumerist society. If we can help our congregations visualize effective financial stewardship they will do it.
Russell Patterson, Stewardship Development
SC Baptist Convention
No, we’re not real satisfied, but we could certainly work harder on building those relationships.
Bruce Everhart
Moody Broadcasting/Stewardship Division Manager
My own home church would not help me this year with support from the missions fund. I went to them in March and was told they had already given out their budget limit. I asked why they don't save some funds for requests that come up later in the year. They never thought of it that way. They thought that I should have come to them in November last year. I said I wasn't employed by my Christian nonprofit at that time so I couldn't ask for support ahead of the actual time. Do all churches have budgets decided based on that logic? Sounds like a need for developing logical policies along with the numbers.
My organization has forged good working relationships with a few churches that support the mission and the activities. The men involved are elders at these churches. We have other churches who send donations to support my organizations activities also. Please change the name or just use initials. Don't want any hurt feelings.
R.S. (Initials used by Request)
We do not receive any regular support for our ministry from churches but, then again, we have never asked any churches for support. Our students worship at more than 80 different churches. If we are missing a significant potential giving sector for our ministry, I would like to know.
Bob Broman
Wheaton Christian School
I think the level of support is related to the extent to which our ministry is embraced as an integral part of the overall church ministry. Let's see if I can break that down for you. At the highest level of support, the church runs our programs, supports the local Regional Director (faith supported) and contributes to our general fund. The next level down would be those churches that run the programs and support the local Regional Director, seeing that individual as a missionary. The next level would be those that simply run the programs. Currently approximately 25%–30% of the churches actively running our programs, also support a local Regional Director. 10%–15% provide support for the general fund. Am I happy with this? Not really. I feel the level of integration speaks to both the long term viability of our ministry in a specific local church as well as to the level of support our ministry will receive.
Don Paterson, President
CSB Ministries
ABU has not been able to see increases in church giving. We are owned by the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches and as such seem to have a limited church resource. Growing churches here are in their own capital campaigns and extra resources seem to be directed there. Smaller churches have limited financial resources to help us any more than they are currently doing. To answer your question, we are not happy with church support.
Roland Rackham, CFP, CHFC, ACSE
Vice President for Advancement
Atlantic Baptist University
We have done very little with churches in the past. So, the responsibility is on us to build these relationships.
Randy Dirks
Bethany International
I feel satisfied with the effort churches make in supporting us. I do wish more of them would consider raising their level of support to us to match the increases in costs of living each year.
Jay Craig
Shiloh Christian Children's Ranch
Although those that contribute do so substantially, the last calendar year, only 25% of the churches in our denomination contributed. Unfortunately, this has been a relatively common number over the years, hovering around 25%–30%. Of course, we would like to see this number increase.
Anonymous by Request
A portion of our budget comes from the Cooperative Program and various individuals have included The Foundation in their giving plans over the past 65 years. While we do not actively solicit gifts for the benefit of The Foundation, we do work with various Baptist nonprofits from the local church to entities and Convention ministries. In so doing, we see a trend that is both disturbing but at the same time offers hope. One thing a recent Boston College study tells us is that more than $41 trillion will change hands over the coming 10–12 years. We (The Foundation) see a need to help our churches do a better job in teaching their members about a mostly overlooked area of stewardship—planning their estate.
At The Foundation, we knew we needed to “re-tool” if you will, and focus our efforts on educating church leaders and members alike on the biblical basis of planning their estate. For more than a year due diligence was done and an organization to partner with us that teaches the biblical principles of taking care of assets on loan from God was selected. First, we knew we needed to help individuals understand that God is the owner of all that we have. We place the emphasis on those four little words—God is the owner. Once this is really understood, we are seeing people take the time to properly plan estate distributions. We knew we would need the assistance of church leadership to make this work. We help the pastor and church leadership catch this vision and provide materials for promoting these seminars. We began this educational ministry in January 2005 and have seen more than $28 million in planned gifts. The good news in this is that more than one-half of the $28 million went to the local church. Prior to planning, the local church was not included in any of the estates. That also meant that almost one-half went to support other Baptist nonprofits both local and national. The next step is to help the church see that they, too, must be good stewards of those gifts and provide support for local, state, and national ministries. Thus, we are seeing increased funding for other ministries.
What we see lacking is a coordinated effort among our fellow Baptists to work together for the common good. The Foundation is in the unique situation of helping people provide funding for all types of ministries. Because we are not a proprietary fundraiser, we are able to guide people into making decisions on how to properly plan their estate. The first step we emphasize is prayer. This is the foundation upon which to build. I personally am thankful that God has placed me in this area of ministry. My wife and I have changed our thinking as to how we will plan our own estate. We have also begun to reduce debt in order to provide gifting to ministries that are important to us.
In the movie Pay It Forward, a great lesson can be learned. I have learned the proper perspective on what I really own in life—nothing. All is a gift of God and is on loan from him. This being the case, I find it vitally important to plan my estate as if God were sitting at the table with me. It is possible to take care of both heirs and ministry with our first making a commitment to ask God to give guidance and then sitting down with a professional for guidance. I hope to pay this lesson forward to another and another and so on until we have a great movement in Alabama of people learning the meaning of estate stewardship.
Randy Driggers, Vice President for Development
The Baptist Foundation of Alabama
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We're happy with whatever support we get from the local church, whether financial resources or volunteers for our local and overseas work. We understand each church has its own mission and priorities, most heavily focused on evangelism.
Our ministry focus is the physical needs, working in partnership with in-country churches or Christian ministries that focus on the spiritual. Often, our lack of emphasis on frontline evangelism is an obstacle with church missions leadership, but we still get tremendous direct support from individuals in missions-minded churches who understand the importance of both physical and spiritual ministry to people in need. Thanks for all CSA does to equip and encourage us in stewardship ministry.
Bill Miller
Northwest Medical Teams
Churches support our missionaries very faithfully, however when it comes to supporting the ministry in a general sense, I believe most do not the see the need for it. In fact, many see organizations like ours as competition for gifts.
Anonymous By Request
I am not happy with our financial support from churches because most churches’ budgets are so concrete and set in stone that it’s hard for a new organization to come in and ask for support when they have been all their money designated.
Patricia Patyrak
Assistant VP of Development
Living Water International
Support for our organization and our staff from churches has been a tremendous blessing. Churches often give so much more than money. They provide people resources, ideas, encouragement, and prayer support. From time to time we’ve encountered churches that will “use” our ministry services or personnel and not think to cover expenses or help us minister to others – or they will make big demands for very little support, but this is the exception, not the rule.
Anonymous By Request
I am a church pastor and am happy with the level of giving in our congregation. Some members still need to understand generosity, but the vast majority are above average stewards.
Karl (Last Name withheld by Request)
This is a hot-button issue for me. Church support historically represents leass than 5% of our budget. Churches seem to want to give a little bit to lots of ministries. What works best for us is when churches allow us to share our message with the congregation - but those opportunities are increasingly hard to come by. Basically I think churches see the local parachurch as always having their hand out - and that's mostly the parachurhces fault. Parachurches need to present the (very real) case that the congregational church needs them. A core tool for this awareness is hands on volunteerism. When churches catch a vision for how their people can grow through local volunteerism, they begin to appreciate their need for the parachurch.
Dan Ward
Executive Director
Metro Hope Ministries
Churches basically support our missionaries and we take a percentage of this to support administrative functions. The support has been strong.
Ted Barnett
U.S. Director
Africa Inland Mission
I am somewhat satisfied but not fully satisfied with financial support from churches. Reason for my unhappiness: Some people give as a last-minute reflex or out of spirit of tokenism. This fact is reflected in the amounts they give. I have witnessed adults who consistently give less than young children or unemployed teenagers. Even for a poor person, their level of giving falls far short of the "generous" or "as you are able" standards of Scripture.
Anonymous By Request
Approximately 30% of our funding comes from churches. Of that 30%, ~ 1/3 goes to staff support and 2/3 goes to program support. Our challenge and primary focus is to take the churches that we already have relationships with through our U.S. conference ministry (Bible conferences for the local church), and bring them into a “partnering” relationship with our International ministry focus. (Launching pastoral training movements worldwide)
George B Bowater III
Director of Development
Leadership Resources
We really haven't been satisfied with the response from local pastors and the Body of Christ in our community. We have tried several things to communicate the significance and vision for Christian Education ministry:
1) We attend a local gathering of pastors and support community-wide efforts among the Body such as National Day of Prayer, Police, Fire & Emergency personnel appreciation, Back to School prayer, etc.
2) Once a year, we invite local pastors to lunch at the school and give them an update on what is happening and provide a tour
3) We have contacted all area pastors asking for appointments to discuss the vision for Christian Education, our eagerness to partner with them in this area and the incredibly strategic spiritual significance that it has in our community
4) We have offered to share with congregations (5, 10, or 15 minutes) what God is doing in education
5) We offer churches bulletin inserts about Christian Education and the school
6) We let pastors know about specific needs and issues that are affecting specific members of their congregations and who attend our school
7) Except for 3 or 4 churches (out of over 70 in the community), we have been largely ignored. One church provides significant financial support (with what I know to be sacrificial giving). One other church has taken up an offering to support the school after a 10 minute presentation before their Sunday morning worship service. A couple of other churches provide support in other ways and all of these few churches hold us up in prayer regularly.
When I do get feedback from pastors, the sense that I get is that:
1) Some view us as competition for resources
2) Some aren't really interested in the needs that are being addressed by ministries other than their own
3) Some think the school is a ministry of some other church in the community (we are a non-denominational, independent non-profit owned by parents and participants in the ministry)
4) Some believe that we are a service business and not a ministry at all (even though we endeavor to meet the needs of every family that God brings to us independent of their financial situation)
I have always found that prayer and personal communication are the best tools for vision casting but I find that getting opportunities to meet, listen to and then speak with our local pastors has been difficult and frustrating. Anything that you might do to help us in this area will be greatly appreciated.
Jim Eldred
Business Administrator
Monroe Christian School
We receive little support from churches, but that is not too surprising since we are a non-denominational school. We have chosen to focus our fundraising efforts raising gifts from individuals rather than churches for that reason.
Joyce Miriam Brooks,
Director of Foundations and Major Gift Operations
Biola University
We have been unhappy with the financial support from churches. It has been a long process for our organization to be seen as a church program not just a youth program. We have seen mission budgets cut us because they don't see our organization impacting missions for the long haul.
Alon Banks
Director of Development
Amor Ministries
While we have many encouraging partnerships with churches, we are not happy with the current level of financial support we receive from churches. We believe that the church should be our primary supporter/partner and the focus of our attention almost exclusively. However, we depend heavily on individuals and foundations as it currently stands. We want the percentage of our overall income given by churches to increase.
Scott White
International Teams
For the most part I have been happy with the churches that do support our ministry on a monthly basis. Out of 34 churches that support the MAP Ministry, most come through with their pledged amount each month. There are a few that are unpredictable. They will send their pledged amount for a couple of months in a row and then we might not hear back from them for several months. We have a couple of churches that give out a Christmas bonus at the end of the year. This really means a lot to the ministry because of year end bills that need to be paid.
Joe Keim
Mission to Amish People
Some of our churches are giving way beyond what we might expect for missionary work. The majority are giving what we had hoped. We have probably around 20% of our churches who are not providing anything for missions. All and all, I would have to give the mission giving of our churches a solid B or B+. Certainly we are always looking for ideas to improve the presentation of our message of need to our constituencies.
Harold Patterson
Director of World Missions
Advent Christian General Conference
As a non-denominational institution we don’t have a natural constituency so we have to work with churches who have sent us students and try to make the transition once that student leaves.
Jim Hughey
LeTourneau University
The churches in our area have been very supportive and generous. We could always do better keeping the lines of communication open.
Carolyn Rexius LCSW
Christians Addressing Family Abuse
Giving from churches is down significantly. Many of them are reducing their interaction and partnership with other organizations , and are starting their own duplicate ministries. Mega churches are very difficult to reach. A lot of churches feel as though para church organizations are taking resources away from their own ministries.
Anonymous By Request
We are in something of a unique position as an agency of the Southern Baptist Convention, in that our churches have for many years joined together in what we call the Cooperative Program. As a result, we are blessed in that approximately 1/3 of our operating budget is provided by local churches around the world.
Joe Breshears
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
We do not typically get support from churches much at all. That is a cultural thing with the particular denomination in which we have roots (Churches of Christ) - since each congregation is self-supporting and self-governing, there has been very little "cooperative" financial activity, such as churches as entities supporting universities, etc.
Anonymous By Request
We have seen the giving from churches to missionaries stay strong and increase as the missionary support needs have risen. As a result, though, many churches who formerly made additional gifts to TEAM as an organization have rerouted that over to their missionary as well. So the giving to TEAM is down but churches still strive to resource the vision and outreach of their missionaries. We are more than thankful for that but need to address the situation of necessary funds to TEAM for operating expenses.
Shelley
TEAM
We do receive most of our support from churches and individuals, however I feel if people would truly pray and seek God's guidance in what to donate I believe that God will meet our financial need through those individuals and Churches that respond in a Spirit-led manner. We would not have to send out the frantic 911 letters to the them asking them to please send donations. My personal opinon is that their gifts to us do not reflect the true financial blessings God has allowed them to have.
Anonymous By Request
I am not happy with church support. It doesn't happen or is very low. They are overwhelmed with requests or they don't have the resources to make a gift. Some don't even have the administration to facilitate it.
Anonymous By Request
We receive between 3 and 4% of our funding from churches. So, my answer is no, I am not happy with the responses we receive from some churches.
Shirley F. Fierro
Director of Development
Washington City Mission
No, I am not happy at all with our financial support from churches!
I say this with great love and concern with the North American church. I am passionate about God working through me and my colleagues who serve the North American church to ensure that my dear brothers and sisters in Christ can stand before Him and tell him that the WHOLE tithe was brought into the storehouse out of love, not obligation and guilt. In 2005, only 2.5% of our organization’s non-missionary support (what our development staff is responsible for raising) came from churches and their missions departments. The other support was 62.3% from individuals and 35.2% from foundations. Even our missionaries raising their own support, get very little from their “sending churches,” particularly those who are more focused on denominational affairs than extending the Kingdom and investing in strategic ministry.
Before I get into reasons, please understand, though I represent world outreach, my true heart and calling is to the American church and my brothers and sisters in Christ. I love them so much and ache for the self-centeredness I see as I travel the country speaking on stewardship and trying to resource ministry.
The most identifiable reasons I see for the lack of funding from the North American church is:
1. They don’t know for whom they truly exist. When the “rubber meets the road,” the American church does not truly exist for God and His kingdom. God exists for them and their kingdoms. When they understand who they serve, true stewardship will flow. It is a natural consequence of a love relationship with a real person. We love our spouses and kids with all our hearts. Does only 3.8% of our gross income (average giving of a born-again believer to their church – Barna research) go to them?? The Treasure Principle applies to churches as well as individuals.
2. It’s all about them. Far more dollars are allocated to facilities and staff than to extending God’s kingdom. I had a meeting this week with a large, growing church where the missions pastor told me that he was most interested in God’s work through us, but I should not contact them again until their new addition is completed. I went outside to see this new addition and it was so huge, it absolutely dwarfed the residential neighborhood around it, looking more intimidating than inviting. Again, it’s all about us, not the Kingdom. I recently read of a large seeker-oriented church planting a new facility in a large city in one of the most affluent areas that will cost $40,000,000 to construct. Is a $40,000,000 building what we need to further God’s Kingdom? Just think about what $40,000,000 could do in other countries to show the love of God where a post-tsunami house can be built for $3,000.
3. Churches don’t really understand the Great Commission. They don’t realize that it is not about creating converts, it is about creating disciples, empowered laity who can create converts with depth and focus on a person, the person of God in Jesus Christ. The American church needs to understand that they do not exist for “doing church.” These are only tools. The purpose is to engage the world in the fact that God will hold the world accountable for the Gospel and “Being the Church!” This is not a Sunday and Wednesday night only phenomenon. The work begins Monday-Friday with each of the members of the church, the “Kings” conquering and providing provision for the vision of the “Priests” who range much further than the walls of any church.
4. We’re a Body, not an Organization! Missions departments and church leadership are now structured as governmental organizations with an overworked, unapproachable hierarchy and the head, not a true community or body of believers with and outward focus Christ as the Head. To quote Pastor Dwight Smith: “Lop off the head, and the Body parts grow!”
5. The Barriers discourage us, rather than encourage us. The process for ministries to approach is fraught with barriers:
a. Busy, overworked missions people and senior leadership with little to no margin;
b. Missions committees where missions who only evaluate ministries annually;
c. Required reporting that is very involved and non-standardized for the amounts provided;
d. “Sending” mentality that requires an American missionary, preferably from the providing church for consideration (General agency support is frowned upon);
e. Poor understanding of empowering the indigenous church to complete the Great Commission.
6. Church Budgets are not “zero-based.” Most churches look at historical budgeting and adjust accordingly instead of seeing where God is at work, joining Him there, and recreating the budget each year based on what he is doing! People don’t give because God’s work isn’t being done. If His work is being done, He will fill us with passion and faith and resources to do it.
I know, I know, you thought I said “quick answer!” I started responding at the end of the work day yesterday, and now I’m on a flight from Atlanta to Indianapolis, so God blessed me with more time to pray about this and thing about this. You’ve really struck a cord with me, Mike, and what it boils down to is glorifying God.
As the American church, we have lost touch with our first love, which manifests itself into poor return on our stewardship efforts to Glorify God. That’s the bottom line!
God is all about worship, glorifying Himself. Why? Because He is God and we’re not! Missions is a means to and end – the end being worshiping Him in spirit and truth. We have so many distractions from that truth. The chief end of man according to the Westminster Catechism is to “Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” When we glorify Him, truly glorify Him, we will see unprecedented support to and from His church. It must become His first!
“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.” Isaiah 4:6-7
God bless you, Mike, and all of the faithful serving us and encouraging us and challenging us at CSA. Keep us challenged, brother!
Anonymous By Request
The local church has not funded our ministry financially, although you will hear preachers who are quick to encourage you to step out. I have discovered that it takes a season or two before they will even consider the possibilities and in most cases they are threatened by a stewardship ministry because they for the most part lack the disciplines that it takes to have cash flow.
William Winship
Holy Spirit Economics
Any gift that we get from a Church offering is an added blessing for us. The Church is not responsible to fund Christian higher education but we work to keep them informed and they respond to that information. We continue to witness that the closer we are to the congregations, the more involved they are in our campus, and the more they tend to support us.
Rick Van Dyken
Executive Associate to the President for Development
Trinity College
As a Christian university we don't usually solicit gifts from churches outside of our denomination. I must acknowledge that even in that area it is an area that we are working on expanding as it has not been the normal practice to make the their universities as prominent part of their budgets. We are working closely with our area superintendent and making headway. Once we have our own denomination deeply involved we will certainly be looking to other denominations coming along side but that will be some time from now.
John H. West, Executive Director
Corporate, Foundation & Major Gifts
Seattle Pacific University
I have been very happy with the financial support I receive from churches -- for two reasons:
1. Since they tend to operate on more of a business model than individual donors they virtually never miss their commitments. They are consistent, and never go on vacation!
2. The churches that support me trust me and do not ask me to jump through a variety of hoops to satisfy their peculiar curiousity. They genuinely appreciate their partnership with me -- and I with them -- and do not communicate that they have a majority ownership of me despite a minority investment (as I have heard that some churches do).
Rod Beidler
VP - International Affairs
The Navigators
Our experience from local churches has generally been good the past year. There is a normal amount of attrition (churches closing their doors) but we have seen several new churches come on board in the international missions arena.
Stuart Hake
Grace Brethren International Missions
We haven't been very satisfied with contacts from churches. Churches are very difficult to get into unless you have a friend or elder in the church who speaks for you.
Blessings.
Harry Enns
Bible Literature Fellowship
Yes I believe we are happy with the financial support from Churches. It represents a large part of the finances needed to support World Missions through ABWE. We keep them informed and have established a good relationship with them.
Spence Jackson
Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE)
I have been quite disappointed with the level of financial support we are receiving from churches. As American Baptists, there are very few "hard" lines about anything that exist. Many churches are increasingly becoming unfocused in their mission giving, lacking sophistication and understanding of how to make a significant impact in their hometown, local area, nationally or globally.
Steven L. Roblee
Minister of Mission Advancement
American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest