Presbyterian Mission Agency



Changes in Giving, Impacting the Church

Mid-Council Financial network

November 6, 2013

“Twelve Issues that are Gaining Momentum in the Church and Culture that Will Affect the Bottom-Line”

1. Dismissal of Congregations

a) Gracious dismissal often leads to a loss of assets

b) 2012 – 110 congregations 2011- 21 congregations - Just 1%

c) Legal fees will continue to drain assets

d) Mission giving – In some cases the church was not giving, but some were.

e) Per Capita- Some presbyteries are collecting past due per capita as a part of dismissal.

f) Remnant communities that can no longer support a pastor and a facility – seeking presbytery support

2. Closing of Churches

a) PC(USA) has dissolved between 55 and 85 churches each year for the past 10 years

b) We typically merge 20 congregations each year for a net loss of 10.

c) Typically most of the assets are gone by the time a congregation is dissolved.

d) Most churches resist closing even if they have only 6 or 7 in worship.

e) Most are older members who eventually drop-out or join larger churches.

f) One researcher suggests that there will be 8-10,000 churches closed in the US in 2013.

3. Growth of the “Nones”

a) 2012 Pew Research has been getting a lot of attention

b) The nones are those people who claim no religious affiliation

c) 15% in 2007 and 20% in 2012 a 33 percent increase

d) There is no longer any societal or family pressure to attend church.

e) The departure of many of these marginal members has a financial impact. Most were giving something.

4. Heightened Conflict

a. Strong resistance to change among the builder generations born before 1946. They cling to old models from a past that has improved with age.

b. Baby Boomers, the primary source of church leadership today, fight for ideals in church and culture at the expense of the institution. Donors get offended and stop giving because of disagreements.

c. Millennials will not accept the church as it is. They are not adversarial, but they are willing to ask hard questions

d. They focus on discipleship as opposed to membership – prefer to follow Jesus as opposed to joining an institution.

e. They are not interested in fair share or percentage increases, but are ready to talk about and explore stewardship as a lifestyle – commitment of all of life’s resources in serving the Lord Jesus.

5. Fickle Commitment

a. A decline in institutional loyalty is pervasive and it is no wonder.

b. Four of the Top Five Global companies today did not exist 40 years ago.

c. One futurist, Thomas Fey predicts that 2 billion jobs (one half of today’s jobs) will disappear by 2030.

d. There is a lower level of commitment, even among committed members, people who used to be in church every time the doors were open, are now present 75% of the time.

e. Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources suggests that the decreasing frequency of attendance of active attendees may be the single largest contributor to church decline in the past 5 years.

f. Decreasing attendance is often followed by decreased giving.

6. External focus on the Community

a. Millennials have shifted the focus from individual development to community development.

b. They are not just interested in other church members. They are interested going into the community to minister to merchants and residents who live in the community where the church is located.

c. They want to work on causes that offer greater meaning or purpose.

d. Millennials are not waiting for someone else to change the world, they will Just do It!

e. From charity runs to starting non-profits from home, the next generation believes they can have a global impact and many are having an impact now.

f. Donors are asking, if their church giving is making a difference in the world. They are weighing options for giving and choosing to give where they believe it makes a difference.

7. Church and Culture Disconnect

a. There is a growing level of discomfort for congregations with the culture in which they seek to minister and serve.

b. For all of the 20th century it was a culturally acceptable and even expected that most people would be a part of a congregation. This expectation is gone.

c. There is a growing and distinct divide between the values of the culture and the Christian values held by most churches according to Tom Raines.

d. As the church becomes a counter- culture, it is difficult to imagine tax-exempt status, deductions for charitable giving and benefits like housing allowance lasting too much longer.

8. Institutional Mistrust

a. There is a pervasive and growing mis-trust of all institutions, government, business and religious.

b. The church has to demonstrate how it has something to offer because the default is to presume that the church wants to take from individuals rather than give to them.

c. Most people are willing to trust authority if the authority has earned their confidence.

d. More than ever, trust is earned slowly and lost instantly.

9. From Professional Staff to Lay Ministry

a. Financial constraints have made it essential for volunteers to do what paid staff used to do in congregations and mid-councils.

b. There is a growing emphasis on the ministry of all believers.

c. Commissioned Ruling Elders will take on increasing importance in the life of the church.

d. Charismatic leaders are being replaced by transformational leaders. Charismatic leadership is based on the personality and charisma of a senior leader. Transformational leadership is based on the collective vision of an entire group.

e. Transformational leaders empower people to reach for a common goal. Leaders present the big picture and why it is important. Together the community addresses the issues.

10. Implosion of Homogeneous Churches

a. The church growth movement of the 20th century was based on the principal of homogeneity. People desire to worship and serve in a church with similar people and the best way to reach people is with others who are similar.

b. Baby Boomers began to change this thinking and many have sought diversity.

c. The Millennials will gravitate towards heterogeneous churches because they represent what is normal for their generation.

d. What people segregate, the Gospel unifies.

e. The multi-cultural church will grow and the homogeneous church will implode.

f. Churches will get on board with this trend, not to grow the church but because it has been God’s plan for the church from the beginning.

11. Online is the new Default

a. You used to have to go to church to hear a message or music. Now you just need Wifi and a Smartphone.

b. Almost everyone who comes to your church for the first time has checked you out on-line before showing up.

c. Attenders are Googling while you are talking and posting on Facebook or Tweeting what they are doing during worship.

d. This may be good in that most people do not trust advertisements or church promotions, but they do trust first hand reviews that are unsolicited.

e. What you say about your organization matters less than what others say.

f. Most church leaders expect to have the majority of income to come in by check or cash. We will experience the death of these two modes of giving and younger generations with expect to give by Smartphone, debit card or giving kiosk.

12. Communication is interactive

a. People want to talk, not just listen

b. Today a church without conversation is a church without converts.

c. Conversation can be in person or on-line.

d. People want to find their own path. People want to be met where they are on their journey. Only after walking together is a new disciple likely to embrace the path of Christ.

e. People are willing to be transformed, but they believe the church needs to be transformed as well.

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