Do you know churches or church plants that are struggling with finances? What if the financial models that most American churches relied upon for many years are no longer working? If the COVID pandemic accelerated the existing trends in churches, is it time to move away from reliance solely upon tithes and offerings to other financial models that are more entrepreneurial? Too many churches are relying upon outdated church financial models that are not viable in the 21st century. To put it more bluntly, churches often rely upon a Blockbuster financial model amid a Netflix generation! Instead of moving from life support to deathbed, there is good news for a church struggling financially – there are other financial models that work for churches to remain missionally vibrant and financially viable.
I will describe six non-traditional financial options for you to consider for your own church or church plant. My hope is that you will find one or more of these models that will be ideally suited for your context. As you try these approaches, you will find renewed financial viability as well as missional vibrancy.
Instead of a “one size fits all” approach, we will explore these six approaches to identify one that fits the financial picture at your church or church plant. I will share factors to determine which option is most suitable at your own church. In addition, I will provide contemporary examples to demonstrate that this is not simply wishful thinking; rather, existing churches and church plants are already utilizing these approaches, resulting in both financial health and missional impact. I will also provide some cautions to consider when dealing with money so that we employ money as a good servant and not allow it to become a bad
master.
W. Jay Moon served 13 years as a missionary, largely in Ghana, West Africa, focused on church planting and water development. He is presently a Professor of Evangelism & Church Planting and Director of the Office of Faith, Work, and Economics at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker on areas of church planting, evangelism, and marketplace mission. In addition to his role as a teaching pastor in a local church plant and church planting coach, Jay is an entrepreneur with a handful of small businesses. He can be contacted at: w@moons.com
This post is based on the book, Missional Vibrancy & Financial Viability, by Jay Moon. To download your copy, visit: exponential.org/ebooks
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