(10 Ideas for Making Ministry Work in Tough Economic Times)
Economic times are tough for everyone these days including churches. Most churches and denominations are finding it challenging, if not impossible, to survive much less thrive, on traditional giving plans and tithes and offerings. What other avenues are possible for funding ministry in days of economic challenge? What options are available? How can churches and judicatories work together to design creative funding for ministry? Let me share 10 ideas I’ve bumped into in recent months.
- Partnerships with community businesses – developing partnerships with community businesses is possible and creates venues for training, sharing of mortgages, and being on mission together. For instance, Subway, Starbucks and Chic Filet work with churches in various ways
- Partnerships with other like-minded churches – this is a group of like- minded churches, who share similar mission statements and core values. They partner on mission projects, staffing and resource utilization. This might be a group of small churches that call a pastor together or a staff person or a group of medium or large churches who collaborate on a community or national project.
- Partnerships with denominational entities/judicatories – is familiar and comfortable for most congregations. While this offers many known and trusted relationships and services it is often not enough in these days. In fact, increasingly I’m discovering that churches are increasingly skeptical of the relevancy or politics of denominations and are moving to more objective resource persons when consultation is needed.
- Collaborative Staffing is a growing trend among churches of all sizes and among various denominations. This is increasingly popular in small or rural communities and even in suburbs where churches come together to call a ‘youth minister’; ‘community missions pastor’; ‘senior adult ministry’ or ‘parish nurse’. This is funded by all and shared by all and creates a win/win without all of the expense being shouldered by one congregation.
- Outsourcing church/ministry/mission projects congregational coaching – whereas many churches are still comfortable and satisfied with the services their denomination or judicatory offer, other churches are desiring short services from practioners, designated and objective experts in the field. Outsourcing consulting, coaching or training services is on the rise. Particularly now since many denominational entities are having to downsize staff due to economic challenges. I draft a job description for a Coach in Residence position in my Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age book www.transformingsolutions.org . I believe this is a ministry position whose time has come.
- Bartering for Services in place of tithing or annual contributions – there are churches who are creating new venues for stewardship. Instead of expecting from members monetary tithes/offerings they encourage that the member provide services to the church. Particularly in times when persons are unemployed this allows them to use their expertise in the church and therefore reduce the church’s overhead expenses for extra support staffing etc.
- Designated Giving is practiced by many churches. Designated giving for projects – a new building, new instruments, choir robes, mission projects etc. People give to ministry projects touching people much quicker than to a budget for maintenance of facilities.
- Project based budgeting is closely aligned to designated giving. This could be to help a family burned out of their home or for a community member faced with high health cost and no insurance coverage.
- Endowments – most denominations and many churches provide avenues for members to will the church/denomination money from their estates after death. This needs to be general and not specific gifting. I know many churches who have plenty of money in endowments, but the gift was given under tight guidelines and the changing of demographics or times creates needs but the restrictions prevent the use of the endowment. Contact NC Baptist Foundation www.ncbaptistfoundation.org . Or your own agency responsible for endowments.
- Grants/scholarships - explore www.foundationcenter.org. What a vast array of monies available through foundations and from philanthropists.
Travel Free Learning Opportunities
Webinars on this topic, deacon ministry, learning to talk with postmoderns, guiding a church through conflict are being offered in 2009 by Eddie Hammett, Randy Pierce, and others. Go online to register for these hour long seminars with authors from Baptist State Convention of NC http://churchhealth.ncbaptist.org
©Eddie Hammett, PCC –
www.transformingsolutions.org 
