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Guest Blog
 Sept 23, 2009 // GUEST BLOG POST: Shawn Lovejoy, Pastor // Mountain Lake Church, Cumming, GA
 LEADING THE CHURCH IN DIFFICULT FINANCIAL TIMES...
I've said here before that the church is not exempt from the financial challenges that our world, our nation, our communities, and our families are facing. When people are living on less, it causes the church to live on less. Mountain Lake has not been exempt from these CRAZY financial times in our world. However, as I talk with Pastors and churches across America, it seems like God has blessed Mountain Lake by helping us make some wise decisions in regards to how we have led the church going in to, and during these tough financial times. There are a few things we've done that have helped our families and our church weather the storm more effectively. Many of these decisions are decisions we tell our families to make, it's just that we don't often practice them as churches! I wanted to share them with Pastors and churches around the world here.
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OPERATE WITH FINANCIAL MARGIN. Most every financial expert encourages families to have 3-6 months of salary in the bank. Churches should do the same. Does a church need 3-6 months in come in the bank all the time? Probably not THAT much. However, we need to keep enough money in the bank to weather several months' dip in offerings. Our church has done this. We've tried to keep 4-6 weeks' worth of offerings in the bank at all times. It has made all the difference. Our economy will pull out of this dip. Then we will have another one some day. Will you be ready next time?
- PAY ATTENTION. Know what's going on with the finances of your church. Be talking about it on a weekly basis. Don't get surprised by financial calamity. Operate on a budget and go over it as a Leadership team EVERY MONTH! We've been having discussions about responding to the world financial crisis for over 18 months now. We have NOT been surprised by the challenges we're facing., We've been preparing! We're preparing even now to weather the economy out, even if it doesn't turn around quickly.
- TEACH ON LEADERSHIP. When times are tough, many pastors would tend to think that the LAST thing Pastors would teach on is money. Not us. We just finished a message series on Personal finance called "Give Yourself a Raise" in which we challenge people to become better stewards in every area of their financial lives: spending, saving, debt, investing, and giving. BTW, attendance did dip some. During the same time, the people who STAYED TUNED IN for the series, became more obedient to God with their finances and our offerings went up by nearly 10 %.
- KEEP GIVING. As pastors, if we expect our people to keep giving when times are tough, so should we. We have actually ramped UP our efforts in our Benevolence ministry, our food pantry, and even gave 10% of our regular offerings one weekend to be able to help people are suffering MORE during these tough times. I believe God will honor that!
- BE TRANSPARENT. Let people know in appropriate ways that the church is being challenged. So many times, I have seen families inadvertently shrink back in their giving, thinking that the church will never miss it. By allowing the congregation to know that the church IS facing financial challenges, it calls players BACK OFF THE BENCH.
- TIGHTEN OUR BELTS. If everyone is tightening their belts, we as churches should not expect ourselves to be exempt from that. Down times financially give us a GREAT opportunity to assess where EVERY DIME is going in our church. I mean every dime. Down times allow us to get leaner and meaner. Every time. Down times can actually help us become better stewards with people's giving! Tightening our belts is a healthy process!
- TEACH HOPE. The most encouraging truth about the parable of the talents is the fact that we are not responsible for what we DON'T have, just what we DO have. We can't focus on what we can;t do. We MUST do what we CAN do. God honors that!
- TRUST GOD. God is not pacing back and forth in heaven trying to figure out what He's going to do with your church. He's in control! Do you REALLY trust Him? Now's the time to prove it!
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Shawn Lovejoy is the lead pastor of Mountain Lake Church in Cumming, GA and co-founder of ChurchPlanters.com. ISS has served as Mountain Lake’s Capital Stewardship Solutions Partner as well as strategic partner to ChurchPlanters.com. You can learn more about Mountain Lake Church and Shawn Lovejoy at www.mountainlakechurch.com, www.churchplanters.com, or www.shawnlovejoy.com |
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