AD C H RIS TIA N STA N DAR D
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AD C H RIS TIA N STA N DAR D
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letter publisher FROM THE
It happened quietly in 2018. The owner of Christian Standard and The Lookout took on not-for-profit status for the first time ever. For about 150 years, the magazines were guided by Standard Publishing, which did business like most of the working world . . . as a for-profit. The company encouraged churches to buy and pass out their magazines for free and to purchase their books and other helps for teaching. That system endured for years, even as the business was bought and sold four times. Then, in early 2017, a church-centric organization purchased the magazines, and the publications now function purely as a ministry to the Restoration Movement. Being a not-for-profit ministry is all about motive. The motive in the forprofit world is self-defined, profit, and success is measured in money. That isn’t to say all those who worked at Standard Publishing through the years were motivated by money; far from it. They pursued their work as ministry and to grow God’s kingdom, but the driving force, the business plan if you will, was
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still a financial return for the owners and shareholders. That is not the case anymore. Today, Christian Standard Media—which owns the magazines—exists purely to minister to independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. Our only motivation is our mission: We seek to leverage the power of our unity in order to build up the church through our core values: To present a greater harvest to God knowing that we accomplish more working together. To press for our commonalities while being respectful of our differences. To push innovation and relevance without compromise to our core biblical beliefs. To pull each other up through biblical reproof, rebuke, and encouragement. To pass our great heritage on to the next generation. If you share that mission and set of core values, I encourage you to remember
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this ministry in your sacrificial giving. There are many ways you can steward the blessings God has given you—so many vital and worthwhile ministries out there—but Christian Standard and The Lookout have stood the test of time. Would you consider a gift to this ministry? Would you consider remembering Christian Standard Media in your will? Is it important to you that, as this movement continues to blaze a trail forward, it not lose its mooring to what made us who we are and that our mottoes not be forgotten? Is it important to you that we stay true to the Word of God in our teaching and discipleship? Do you see it as necessary that our leaders have their feet firmly planted in the propositional truth of the New Testament? As a not-for-profit ministry, gifts to Christian Standard Media are taxdeductible. It would be a great way to ensure the truth you so deeply cherish is faithfully passed down to the next generation of Christ followers and
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leaders! The apostle Paul commissioned us all in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” We intend to continue doing that at Christian Standard Media, and we encourage you to join us in that eternal effort. Please make checks payable to Christian Standard Media and mail to 16965 Pine Lane, Suite #202, Parker, CO 80134. Or call 1-800-543-1353.
Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and senior pastor of The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. @_jerryharris /jerrydharris
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CHRISTIAN STANDARD —
FOUNDED 1866 BY ISAAC ERRETT Devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.
The Staff Jerry Harris, Publisher Michael C. Mack, Editor Jim Nieman, Managing Editor Shawn McMullen, Contributing Editor Megan Kempf, Designer Abby Wittler, Designer Renee Little, Operations
Subscription Information To order Christian Standard for yourself, your church, or your group, visit christianstandard.com or contact Customer Service. Bulk pricing is available.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
800.543.1353 info@christianstandardmedia.com
Volume CLIV. Number 2. Christian Standard (ISSN 0009-5656) is published monthly by Christian Standard Media at 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Periodicals postage paid at Parker, CO, and additional offices. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Christian Standard Media, 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Phone: 1-800543-1353. SUBSCRIBERS: Send address changes to Christian Standard, 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Send old and new addresses, complete with zip codes, at least six weeks before delivery date.
Christian Standard is published by Christian Standard Media, www.christianstandardmedia.com.
Copyright ©2019 by Christian Standard Media Email: cs@christianstandardmedia.com Website: www.christianstandard.com Printed in USA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEA T U R E
—
GENEROSITY as DISCIPLESHIP: do campaigns still work?
I N E V E RY I S S UE
by julie bullock
IN THE ARENA: churches SHOULD embrace and utilize debt
by matt merold
2-3 | L E TTE R F RO M THE P UB L ISH E R Jerry Harris
6-7 | L E TTE R F RO M THE E DITO R Michael C. Mack
39 44
IN THE ARENA: churches SHOULD NOT embrace and utilize debt
by chris philbeck
10-13 | ME TRIC S
Chur c h Multiplic ation Sc o r e c a r d Kent Fillinger
14-16 | IMAG INE how to FUND your ministry for the LONG TERM
by d. clay perkins
Ey e s on the Co mmunity: Bay side Chur c h Mel McGowan
17-19 | E 2 : E F F E C TIVE EL D ER S
50 58 66
3 -D Chur c h Fina nces Gary Johnson
the financing of the RESTORATION MOVEMENT
20-21 | H O RIZO N S
by steve carr
It All Boils Down to Faith Emily Drayne
22-23 | MINISTRY L IF E can CREATIVES be effective LEAD PASTORS?
Re w r ita ble Brian Jennings
by ryan rasmussen 26-35 | F E ATURE ARTI CL E
my personal finance story: we PEEK at the PAST, we FOCUS on the FUTURE
by chris brown
Ge ne r osity a s Disc iple ship: Do Ca mpa igns Still Work? Julie Bullock
80 | B IB L ITIC AL LY C OR R ECT
Gr e e ka holic s Anonymous After Class Podcast C H RIS TIA N STA N DAR D
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letter editor FROM THE
The statistic is alarming. According to a Christian university study reported by the Center for Church Leadership, over a 10year period 70 percent of ministers drop out of ministry. And some of the biggest reasons for that high attrition rate are financial. CCL’s September 2016 State of the Ministry research study of Christian church/church of Christ ministers reveals that 74 percent of responders who serve in vocational ministry have debt. It also found that 54 percent of churches do not provide retirement benefits and 47 percent don’t offer health/medical insurance. No wonder the survey determined 85 percent of ministers feel stress.
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With apologies to the apostle Paul, how can people hear and believe the gospel message without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach effectively when their personal and church finances are stressing them out— sometimes out of ministry? I am thankful for CCL and other organizations that are addressing these challenges. CCL has developed a number of initiatives to help ministers and churches. Go to www.centerforchurchleadership.org to discover more. Christian Standard Media is partnering with them in several ways to make a difference, and Shawn McMullen and I are on the Center’s advisory council. You will see several upshots of this partnership in months to come. Our annual finance issue is another important resource for our churches and parachurch ministries. The articles in this issue provide practical ideas for raising funds through financial campaigns and estate planning, and two writers “enter the arena” to debate the wisdom of borrowing money to fund ministry. And don’t miss Gary Johnson’s e2 column that discusses dollars, debt, and discipleship. He makes an astute point: “When church finances become more challenging because of declining dollars and increasing debt, we need to consider the importance of discipleship. . . . Instead of raising dollars, we should raise disciples. When we raise up disciples, their dollars follow.”
our movement’s resources in the 21st century to ensure that our ideals can continue to thrive.” Finally, I encourage you to read the rollercoaster personal finance story of Chris Brown. Like Chris, we can learn from our financial mistakes (as I have, but that’s a story for another issue!), realize we’re not alone, and learn to be faithful managers of the finances our Father gives us. As Chris reminds us, even when we fail in our finances, there is hope—but we must “get to the root to change the fruit.” While these are helpful resources on personal and church finance, our ultimate source is, of course, God’s Word. Two writers mention the 2,300 verses in the Bible about money, wealth, and possessions. Another mentions 230 verses on stewardship. One writer points out that roughly one-third of Jesus’ parables were about money. As Gary Johnson says, “If it’s repeated, it’s important.” Yes, some financial statistics are alarming, and perhaps they are a wake-up call for us, but we need not be discouraged. I count 10 times the Bible (in the New International Version) instructs us not to be afraid or discouraged, and that phrase is usually paired with another: “The Lord God is with you.” So be encouraged, leader: “He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work . . . of the Lord is finished” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
I also encourage you to consider Steve Carr’s article, “The Financing of the Restoration Movement.” He says it may be unpopular, but it’s true: “Finance drives movements to success.” The article studies our movement’s theology of finance, where it came from, and how we will “steward
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@michaelcmack @michaelcmack @michaelcmack /AuthorMichaelCMack
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AD C H RIS TIA N STA N DAR D
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AD
met rics BY KENT FILLINGER
church multiplication scorecard A new question on our last annual church survey asked, “Using the scale created by Exponential.org, which of the following best describes your church in 2017?�
level 1: declining (attendance going down)
level 2: holding even
Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.
(attendance largely unchanged)
level 3: growing (attendance growth by 5 percent or more)
level 4: adding/reproducing (we directly launched another new campus or church plant)
/3strandsconsulting
level 5: multiplying
www.3strandsconsulting.com
(a campus or church we helped to start has itself become a reproducing church) C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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In Exponential’s e-book Becoming a Level Five Multiplying Church Field Guide, Todd Wilson, Dave Ferguson, and Alan Hirsch provided this quick summary of the characteristics of the first three levels:
level 1 is characterized by subtraction and scarcity thinking. level 2 is characterized by plateau,
survival, and tension between scarcity and growth.
level 3 is characterized by a strong addition-growth culture. They also wrote, “In summary, 80 percent (of churches) are plateaued or declining; 16 percent are adding but not reproducing or multiplying; 4 percent are reproducing but are not multiplying; and essentially 0 percent are multiplying.” How Our Churches Compare In an article in the November/December 2015 Outreach magazine, Wilson and Ferguson contended that 80 to 90 percent of the churches in the U.S. are Level 1 or 2 churches. But based on the self-designation of the churches from our 2017 annual church survey, only 57 percent of the 428 churches identified themselves as Level 1 or 2 churches (see chart at top of next page). The Level 1 and Level 2 churches in our study on average declined in attendance in 2017 (-6.9 percent and -1.5 percent, respectively). However, 27 percent of the churches that identified as Level 2 churches experienced a positive growth rate that year (4.8 percent average growth rate). C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
Thirty-three percent of the churches in our study designated themselves as a Level 3 church, which is double the approximately 16 percent of all churches nationally that Exponential identifies at Level 3. However, 10 percent of the churches in our study that identified themselves as Level 3 churches declined in attendance (average decline of 7 percent), and an additional 2 percent of these churches experienced no growth in 2017. Wilson, Ferguson, and Hirsch estimated less than 5 percent of U.S. churches ever reproduce (Level 4) in their lifetime. But 8 percent of the churches in our study self-reported at Level 4, and 12 percent of these Level 4 churches declined in attendance during 2017 (average of 4 percent decline). Finally, the Exponential authors concluded that “less than 0.05 percent of U.S. churches find themselves functioning as Level 5 multiplying churches.” Two percent of the churches in our study identified at Level 5, which included 7 percent of the megachurches reporting. Overall, 22 percent of these Level 5 churches declined in attendance in 2017 while 67 percent of these churches grew an average of 18 percent. The chart illustrates that growth rates and baptism ratios (the number of people baptized per 100 in average attendance) mostly increased accordingly from Level 1 to 5 for the churches we surveyed. Churches ranking themselves at Level 4 or 5 were also significantly more likely to use a multisite model. The second chart shows the breakdown of how the 428 churches in our 2017 survey study identified themselves using the Exponential Church Multiplication spectrum. The boldfaced percentages show that the highest percentage of churches in each size category identified as a Level 2 church except for megachurches, which were more likely to identify at Level 4. - 11 -
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- METRICS -
RATES AND RATIOS BY LEVEL LEVEL 1 CHURCHES
LEVEL 2 CHURCHES
LEVEL 3 CHURCHES
LEVEL 4 CHURCHES
LEVEL 5 CHURCHES
OVERALL % OF ALL CHURCHES SURVEYED
13%
44%
33%
8%
2%
AVERAGE WORSHIP ATTENDANCE
629
787
1,021
4,183
3,435
2017 GROWTH RATES
-6.9%
-1.5%
10.5%
9.8%
11.6%
2017 BAPTISM RATIOS
5.0
5.5
7.1
7.4
7.5
PERCENTAGE WITH MULTISITE
11%
7%
13%
70%
67%
CHURCH SIZE BY LEVEL LEVEL 1 CHURCHES
LEVEL 2 CHURCHES
LEVEL 3 CHURCHES
LEVEL 4 CHURCHES
LEVEL 5 CHURCHES
VERY SMALL CHURCHES
18%
55%
27%
0%
0%
SMALL CHURCHES
22%
45%
31%
1%
0%
MEDIUM CHURCHES
11%
48%
39%
2%
0%
LARGE CHURCHES
10%
45%
37%
5%
2%
EMERGING MEGACHURCHES
13%
40%
35%
8%
4%
MEGACHURCHES
4%
28%
26%
35%
7%
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What It All Means Wilson, Ferguson, and Hirsch theorized that “no matter where a church currently finds itself, it can choose to put Level 5 multiplication practices in place” (from Becoming a Level Five Multiplying Church Field Guide). Based on the parable of the talents, I don’t believe every church or leader is equipped or designed to be a Level 5 multiplying church. (Consider also, not every athlete qualifies for the Olympics.) This is because not every servant receives five talents from his boss. Some receive two talents and some receive one. The mandate is to make the most of what you have received and put your talents to work. Every leader and church still is responsible to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. Churches and leaders shouldn’t beat themselves up if they find themselves in a two-talent or one-talent church. Nor should they envy or criticize five-talent churches! If you’re a “two-talent” leader or church, then make the most of the talents and potential you have. Realize that it’s not likely you’re going to be a Level 5 multiplying church, and that’s OK! The employee who received two talents from his boss still made the most of it and doubled his talents and received his boss’s reward. But don’t be like the person who received one talent and decided to bury it. Take the one talent and try to acquire more (grow and reach the community), or else the one talent may be taken away and given to the person who has doubled his five talents to ten. We see this reality played out today when a megachurch absorbs or acquires a smaller, struggling church that buried its talent and C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
didn’t take advantage of opportunities. As a result, their church dies and is lumped in with the larger church nearby or becomes a satellite campus for a larger church. Wilson and Ferguson also said in Outreach, “Regardless of the multiplication level your church is at today, the key is to consider where you are, where you’d like to go and what you need to change today to move yourself in the right direction.” This is a basic recipe for a strategic-planning process any church can follow to be more effective in making disciples: Identify where you are today, define your destination, evaluate the size of the gap between reality and your preferred future, and determine what steps you’ll take to close the gap. Acts 2:47 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (emphasis mine). As church leaders, we must never forget that our job is to be faithful in making disciples who make disciples as we plant seeds, water the soil, and pull the weeds (removing obstacles to growth). But it’s God who brings the increase and grows the church. - 13 -
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imag ine BY MEL MCGOWAN
eyes on the community: bayside church We serve a God of purpose and strategy, and we are called by him to be strategic with our resources and the stories we tell the world. The leadership of Bayside Church in Northern California found itself in a property predicament. The church owned three types of land: property that needed developing, property it was leasing, and property it didn’t make sense to sell. These properties all required strategic money management and planning to transform them into spaces that honored God and were inviting to the community. So pastor Ray Johnston created an ambitious master plan designed to revamp Bayside’s existing campuses while establishing new sites that could strategically connect them to new communities in the area.
Mel McGowan is cofounder and chief creative principal of PlainJoe Studios. He is a leading master planner and designer of churches in America. @visioneer /visioneer
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Multisite Collaboration
My journey with Bayside Church began indirectly through a friendship that spans several decades. During the 1980s, Rick Stedman was a pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, California, where I was discipled. He went on to plant and lead Adventure Christian Church in Roseville for 22 years; he also served as a board member with the organization I worked for at the time and was a mentor to me. Today, the Adventure campus is part of the thriving multisite Bayside Church family and is one of the multiple sandboxes we are playing in with pastor Johnston and worship pastor (and resident rock star) Lincoln Brewster. Additional collaborations with our PlainJoe Studios team include: • Bayside Granite Bay: After updating the master plan, we’ve performed “design intervention” surgery on their former institutional education wing, transforming it into the vibrant rescue center-themed “Thrive Kids.” We’ve also designed an open-air lanai-style “Town Square” that is the new core of the campus. • Bayside Blue Oaks: This leased industrial space functions as a Bayside campus on weekends as well as an indoor park and “third place” seven days a week. • Freedom Point: We updated a mixed-use, 100-plus-acre master plan to incorporate California’s first Top Golf, two hotels, retail, restaurants, and a new church home for the congregation currently housed at Bayside Blue Oaks. • Bayside Midtown: This former market represents an urban infill location where we are designing the redemption of loading docks and parking into a community “front porch.” C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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- IMAGINE -
Bayside Puts 'Compassion FIRST'
As Bayside works to fund these important projects, the church is taking radical steps to prioritize people, not property. Beyond simply funding their building projects, Bayside’s leadership team is actively targeting the greater impact they will have in their community by stretching their generosity. Through their three-year fund-raising initiative, Bayside is committed to focusing on “Compassion FIRST”: Fight: Bayside is targeting 13 projects that combat sex trafficking and poverty. Invest: The church is committed to supporting 12 high-impact ministry partners. Reach: Bayside is focused on the next generation by supporting eight projects that help at-risk children Serve: The church is taking on nine local projects benefiting their immediate community. Train: Bayside’s heart for raising up Christian leadership is apparent in funding 12 training and equipping programs. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
I am so encouraged to see Bayside exercising careful financial planning and setting goals designed not only to build vibrant sacred spaces, but to care for the poor and their community, and to equip their staff for effective Christian ministry. When the dust clears, they will see what they have built is worth so much more. - 16 -
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e 2: effective elders
BY GARY JOH NSON
3-d church finances
Most Americans welcomed in the new year by making a resolution. By far, the most popular resolution is to lose weight by exercising more and going on a diet, and most of us do not enjoy either of those. Likewise, money issues are a necessary part of church life that needs periodic attention. As elders, we enjoy dealing with church finances about as much as we enjoy diet and exercise. Like it or not, money is an everyday aspect of ministry. Bills (salaries, utilities, insurance premiums) must be paid. Missionaries need our support, and ministry programs must be funded. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
Dr. Gary Johnson serves as an elder/senior minister at Indian Creek Christian Church (The Creek) in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is a cofounder of e2: effective elders. Gary offers resources and coaching as he works with elders to lead with greater focus and confidence. / e2elders @e2elders
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Dollars
When addressing church finances, think 3-D. People enjoy three-dimensional movies because of the illusion of greater depth to the images on the screen. We put on our 3-D glasses and enter a unique world of cinematography. Objects seem so close we sometimes reach out and try to touch them. When it comes to church finances, we should consider three important Ds: dollars, debt, and discipleship. Examining church finances through the lenses of these “3-D glasses” does more than heighten our perception, it exposes reality. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
Across America, Christians are attending church less frequently, and that is hurting church finances. Giving is flat in far too many churches. Budgets are being cut. New ministry initiatives are on hold. Mission support is suffering. Even though our economy has grown stronger in recent years and unemployment is at a historic low, people are not giving at record levels. Christians rarely practice tithing, and even when they do, the entire tithe does not always go to the church. Last summer Christianity Today reported on a Lifeway Research study: “Among Protestants who attend church monthly or more, 4 out of 5 say tithing is ‘a biblical command that still applies today.’ Here’s where they say their giving can go: 47% can only go to a church; 48% can go to other Christian ministries; 34% can go to an individual in need; and 18% can go to a secular charity.” This phenomenon is a result of a long journey. The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy reports that 95 percent of all charitable gifts were given to churches in the 1960s, but over the years, that number has dropped significantly. At the end of 2017, only 27 percent of charitable dollars were given to churches. Giving to charities has become very competitive; charities have made the process very quick and easy. Churches must do the same. Younger-generation Christians will give using technology. Online giving portals must exist if we hope to receive a greater share of donors’ dollars. And remember this: Though many charities pursue noble causes, the church pursues the most noble cause of all; God uses the church to offer the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, we are compelled to “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse” (Malachi 3:10). - 18 -
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- e2: EFFECTIVE ELDERS -
Discipleship Debt
In Debt-Free Living, Larry Burkett said, “Regardless of how it seems today, debt is not normal in any economy and should not be normal for God’s people. We live in a debtridden society that is now virtually dependent on a constant expansion of credit to keep the economy going. That is a symptom of a society no longer willing to follow God’s directions.” American culture most certainly is debtridden. The national public debt is $22 trillion and rising. City governments have filed bankruptcy. Consumer debt exceeds $4 trillion, while 44 million Americans carry significant student loan debt. One of the fastest-growing demographics of debtors are individuals age 65 and older. Money magazine reported in 2012 that “more Americans are retiring in the red” than ever before! Credit.com reported on a Social Science Research Network study last year that found “the rate of citizens over the age of 65 who are now filing for bankruptcy increased about 204 percent from 1991 to 2016.” We don’t own our possessions so much as our possessions own us. Regretfully, churches are not exempt from this phenomenon. Congregations can live beyond their means and be saddled with debt as a result. As leaders, we must reduce and eliminate debt. After all, debt is bondage, and God never intended for us to live in bondage. Moreover, we must practice what we preach. When we teach biblical financial principles, such as debt-free living and contentment, the local church should be practicing those same principles. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
When church finances become more challenging because of declining dollars and increasing debt, we need to consider the importance of discipleship. Too often, we have a dollar-centric mind-set. We strain to raise dollars to support our various ministries. Instead of raising dollars, we should raise disciples. When we raise up disciples, their dollars follow. When people grow increasingly devoted to Jesus Christ, they give more generously of their time, talent, and treasure. One Bible interpretation rule states: If something is repeated, it’s important. When God repeats himself in Scripture, he wants our attention. With that in mind, be advised there are more than 2,300 verses in the Bible about money and the things that money can buy. Also, roughly one-third of Jesus’ parables were about money. If it’s repeated, it’s important. God wants us to have our financial house in order, including the finances of the church house. For that to happen, we must intentionally preach and teach about money— and practice what we preach in our own lives. Elders must lead by example (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). Our ministry, e2: effective elders, offers the four-week “Too Much” series that dozens of churches have used to help their congregations become more financially stable (contact us to learn more). Movies in 3-D can be exciting, but money in 3-D—dollars, debt and discipleship—is more enjoyable because it brings our lives under the authority of God’s Word. When we, the elders, learn and live what the Word says about money, we lead well. - 19 -
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hori zons BY EMILY DRAYNE
it all boils down to faith
Organizations and missionaries face an uphill battle with regard to donations. When we see a photo of a half-clothed child, a disaster-torn house, or a village that lacks clean water, our natural reaction is to want to help. Sadly, there are many needs, and not every single one can be captured in a photograph. Missionaries and their families need everyday support . . . so their children can get glasses . . . because the cost of living in their chosen part of the world is high . . . because they are starting a new ministry from scratch. These things are part of every missionary budget, but they don’t “sell” at the donor level. The missionary is, in one sense, “competing” for the same monies that go to fund projects.
Emily Drayne lives in North Carolina and has served with the International Conference On Missions since 2011. /emilydrayne @edrayne0530 @edrayne0530 www.theicom.org
C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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Follow the Perfect Example
I don’t say all of this to send you on a guilt trip. The American church loves to give to projects (such as feeding and educating children) and go on short-term mission trips (because participants come away with a sense of accomplishment). So how do we best respond?
Take a Leap of Faith Technology and the Internet have made it easier than ever to see the impact of our mission gifts. But sometimes this “first-world” luxury can be a stumbling block. I’ve heard many people say it’s hard to give when you can’t see a direct result of your gift. I get it. As a mid-20s newlywed, I’ve hovered over the donate button wondering if I’m making the right decision. But it all boils down to faith . . . that God will bless your gift . . . that he will stretch the money you give and the smaller amount of money you keep for your own needs. Giving to missions and missionaries is a leap of faith. I think the same principles apply to individuals and churches. I believe churches need to show the same faith with their giving to missions as do individuals and families. I like that my church tithes to missions from its total annual budget. I think that’s how it should be! Every church projects a budget for the year. The church bases all its numbers on that projection and trusts that the Lord will make it work. Once the budget is set, the church can distribute it to local and international missions. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
Several times recently I’ve heard it said, “It’s God’s economy, not ours.” In other words, even when the numbers don’t work on paper, God can make it work. I needed to hear that. Jesus modeled this principle throughout his life. In Matthew 14, the crowds were so enthralled with Jesus and his message that they followed him to “a remote place” without even thinking of what they would eat there. Later in that same chapter, the disciples tried to get Jesus to send the crowds away to buy food for themselves. Jesus told the disciples, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (v. 16). I can picture Jesus telling that to his disciples. They probably looked down at the basket, then back at Jesus, and then back at the basket. (That’s exactly what I would have done.) You know how the story ends. John recorded 5,000 men were there (which doesn’t include other family members; there may have been more than 8,000 people there). But Jesus and the disciples fed them all. “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten” (John 6:12, 13).
Honor God Faith is believing that God will stretch the budget, whether you are a newlywed couple, family, church, or a mission. Honor God with your finances and your lives and he will take care of you better than you could dream possible. I encourage you to give to your local church, to projects when God tugs at your heart, to international missions, and more. Give even if you’re not sure. Give and let God take that gift and run with it. For he can run much faster and longer than we can! - 21 -
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mini stry life BY BRIAN JENNINGS
Rewritable
Brian Jennings lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his wife, Beth, and their four children. Brian preaches at Highland Park Christian Church and serves on the boards of Blackbox International (help for trafficked boys) and Ozark Christian College. You can learn about his books, Lead Your Family and Dancing in No Man's Land: Moving With Peace and Truth in a Hostile World (May 2018) at brianjenningsblog.com.
“Man, I don’t have any rewritable CDs. I don’t think anyone still has rewritable CDs.” My words failed to calm him down. Deescalation seemed impossible. He got louder and angrier. He took a step forward and I was thinking, It’s about to go down—right here, right now. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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Twenty minutes earlier I’d asked my friend, José, if he wanted to walk from our office to my favorite lunch spot in the neighborhood. I was in the mood for Korean food—I’m always in the mood for Korean food. About a halfmile of worn-out parking lots and side streets separated us from the restaurant. When I felt the cool breeze, I knew I’d be ordering the extra spicy pad Thai. We’d gone only a few hundred yards when a guy named Michael came running at us. I knew Michael used drugs and sold drugs in the neighborhood. When he was desperate for money, he’d record his music on CDs and try to sell them. I bought one once. I listened to part of one song, but quickly turned it off before anyone wondered why I was jamming to the most profanity-laced music since Tupac. A month earlier, I’d given Michael the last stack of CDs from the church office; I’d found them collecting dust in an old cabinet. But Michael now was back for more and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He was convinced we were lying to him (because nobody wants anyone to discover their giant stash of CD-RWs, right?) Michael was desperate to keep his family together. He was desperate for money. He was probably desperate for some other stuff too. And he definitely did not believe me when I told him I was out of CDs or that our food pantry was currently closed. Then he asked for cash. Then he called us names. Then he told José what he thought about Mexicans. Storekeepers were peering outside, cell phones in hand. My mouth told them things were fine, but my eyes were begging them to call the cops. His verbal assault went on for what seemed like eternity. Finally, we turned and walked away. This sounds like a good idea until you realize you can’t see if someone is about to hit the back of your head. But if you look back, it invites more C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
insults. Thankfully, Michael yelled, but didn’t follow us further. We didn’t see him on our way home, but my habit of scanning bushes and alleys for Michael began. Fast-forward nine months. A lot can happen in nine months. Michael hugged me before he headed off to start his new job. Yep, that same Michael. He’s steadily held a job for several months, but he’s jumping at a better opportunity. He’s no longer using or selling drugs. His family is together with him. His kids are in school. He’s earned back the trust of our food pantry, although he doesn’t expect to need help with food again. Like the CDs he wanted, Michael was “rewritable.” So am I. So is everyone. God is teaching me not to give up on the person who let me down, offended me, or ran from God. He’s showing me there is hope buried in the shambles. And he’s reminding me the person I see in the mirror is nothing but a product of grace. I’m so thankful God never gave up on me. He’s rewriting me all the time. Oh, and if you have any old rewritable CDs lying around, I know a guy. Submit your own 500- to 700-word essay telling of an experience through which you learned a vital ministry principle by emailing it to cs@christianstandardmedia.com with “MinistryLife” in the subject line. See more information at www.christianstandard.com/contact-us/submit-articles. - 23 -
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Generosity
as
a k a D O C A M PA I G N S S T I L L W O R K ?
fe at u r e ar t i cl e
Discipleship
Generosit
by Julie Bullock
I
was asked a question by my good friend Jerry Harris (lead pastor of The Crossing in Quincy, Illinois) the first time we spoke on the phone a few years ago: “Julie, do campaigns really still work? I mean, I know you have to say they do because it’s your job to do them, but do they still work? Shoot me straight.” An hour of vibrant conversation ensued as I sat in an airport lounge in Dallas and had the privilege of sharing with one of America’s great pastors why yes, campaigns—or generosity initiatives, as I prefer to call them—do in fact still “work.” But in the realm of church giving, “work” is a subjective term that must be defined in a much deeper way than we might think. Mere quantifiable measures— though abundantly evident in these initiatives—are not the only thing by which we should define our success as we evaluate our efforts. Our desired outcomes as pastors and church leaders should be much deeper than that. So why is this even a question among pastors and leaders, and why do I believe so passionately in the answer? Let’s explore that.
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"
Julie, do campaigns really still work? I mean, I know you have to say they do because it’s your job to do them, but do they still work?
Shoot me straight.
"
Mere quantifiable mea su res— t hou gh abundantly evident in these in itiatives—
are not the only thing by which we should define our success as we evaluate our efforts.
‘C A M PA IGN ’ CON NO TAT ION S The word campaign evokes all kinds of emotions in church folks—most of which, unfortunately, are not positive. For church pastors and leaders, the word campaign might call to mind a time when you received so many emails accusing you of “always talking about money” that you eventually had to ignore your inbox for a while. It might conjure up a time when you felt so much pressure to perform perfectly at every banquet, in every sermon, and in every living room conversation that you never saw your family and you felt as if life were being squeezed out of you instead of poured into you. It might evoke a time when you overpaid for stale chicken at the local country club just to entertain your largest givers at a commitment banquet so they would give big and you wouldn’t need to continue worrying about the balloon payment on your church’s mortgage.
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And the negative connotations don’t just reside in you . . . they might also reside in your people. For people in your church, the word campaign might evoke a time when a pastor came to their house and slid a commitment card across the table and said, “What about $40,000, Bob?” It might remind them of a time when they didn’t feel valued for their current level of giving and felt instead that all the pastor cared about was squeezing more out of them. It might bring to mind a time when a certain outcome was promised as a result of giving—such as a building being built or a debt paid off—but when that didn’t happen, they felt as if they had been caught up in some type of Ponzi scheme. These are not positive feelings, but they are familiar ones. People may have felt these things at your church or a previous church, and any of these can be a reason pastors and churchgoers alike often aren’t overjoyed at the idea of a “campaign.”
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"
These folks think—and perhaps have even give or the larger percentage they give, the
That is a works-bas not one that is gos
T H E C A M PA IGN: A P OW E R F U L S PI R I T UA L T O OL
The real issue may be the way we approach a campaign rather than the campaign itself. A campaign can be a powerful spiritual tool. It can help people focus for a specific period of time on an important aspect of their faith that often gets trivialized to an amount or percentage. As we know, generosity is so much more than that. When we embark on a campaign—or generosity initiative—we have a tremendous opportunity to change and affect the way people interact with God in their giving. For many people, giving is merely a transaction, quantified as an amount or a percentage. These folks think—and perhaps have even been told—that the more they give or the larger percentage they give, the
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closer to God they will become. That is a works-based, output-driven mentality, not one that is gospel-based and input-driven. What do I mean? Consider this: If one person gives 30 percent and another gives 10 percent, some may assume the person giving 30 percent is more spiritually mature than the person who gives 10 percent. In fact, some pastors and leaders even teach this—that the larger percentage of money you give to God, the closer to him you become. That actually isn’t in the Bible. Knowing someone’s output percentage doesn’t tell me a thing about what’s going on in their heart. Many would say of the 30 percent person, “They must have a deep relationship with the Lord to be giving like that.” It is possible, however, that they just make a lot of money and don’t have many expenses! I don’t know if 30 percent is sacrificial for
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been told—that the more they closer to God they will become.
ed, output-driven mentality, pel-based and input-driven.
said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14).
them or not. I have no idea about their situation or their heart. From a pastoral and evangelistic standpoint, I want to know why they give. Don’t tell me why you give 30 percent, just tell me why you give. What is that input motivating your output? Jesus warns against this type of “output pride”: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and
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Jesus isn’t interested in an output void of an input. He isn’t interested in mere numbers or percentages without heart and meaning behind them. In fact, the apostle Paul shared in his letter to the church at Corinth that when we give, we aren’t just giving to fund something. When we give accompanied by our confession of the gospel—i.e., with an “input”—it actually overflows in expressions of thanks to God, and other people see God because of it. (See 2 Corinthians 9:12-14.) This happens not because we paid for them to see God, but because they were able to see God through the why of our giving, through the input.
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The things that truly move
the
needle
of
generosity discipleship are scriptural principles that
lie
behind
our
giving—things such as priority, preeminence, surrender, love, grace, and many other inputs.
PA S T O R , T E AC H O N T H O S E P R I N C I P L E S INSTEA D OF FOCUSING ON A N D M O T I VAT I N G O N MERE OUTPUTS ALONE.
T H E H E A RT B E H I N D A COM M I T M E N T A campaign, you see, is a powerful opportunity to help people focus on the inputs of their generosity. A campaign should challenge each person to examine the heart that is behind their commitment so the lasting effect of their generosity is experienced far beyond the duration of the campaign. The things that truly move the needle of generosity discipleship are scriptural principles that lie behind our giving—things such as priority, preeminence, surrender, love, grace, and many other inputs. Pastor, teach on those principles instead of focusing on and motivating on mere outputs alone. Tell more stories of the why, not the what. Film more video testimonies of givers, and don’t ever ask them about their amounts or percentages. Ask what this commitment means for them. Ask where it comes from. What motivated it? What will sustain it? Nourish people in the Word through generosity retreats and interactive settings, not in building drawings and 3-D fly-throughs. Vision tools aren’t bad in and of themselves. When God gives a vision for kingdom expansion to you, it is important. But we aren’t giving to something so much as we are giving from something, and the apostle Paul and Jesus are both clear about that. Be encouraged, Pastor. You have a huge heart for your people and want to see them grow. This campaign can be a season of incredible growth if you’ll let it. Yes, campaigns do still “work.” And I think you’ll find you will like them a lot more than you expect. Build your campaign not on vision and dollars, but on the Word of God. You can’t go wrong with that.
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Julie Bullock is a senior generosity strategist with Generis.
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arena
ARENA In the arena of ideas and opinions, there needs to be a place for Christ-centered and Christhonoring debate on nonessential issues. We will occasionally feature a debate like this in Christian Standard. This month, Matt Merold and Chris Philbeck take opposing positions on utilizing debt as a church. Weigh in! Tell us what you think on this issue by searching for the article title at ChristianStandard.com. Also . . . tell us what other debatable issues we should discuss “In the Arena.�
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ARENA
Q: A:
S H O U L D C HUR C HE S E M BR A C E A N D U T I L IZ E ? Y ES.
BY MATT MEROLD There are benefits that come when a church uses debt. Rich and wise Solomon, who wrote some of the strongest warnings against debt, took out a 20-year loan of sorts to help build God’s temple (1 Kings 9:10, 11). Certainly the Bible cautions us about being in debt. Scripture describes what may happen if we borrow money and fail to pay it back. Most of the counsel about financial debt in Scripture paints a picture of the rich exploiting the poor. However, it doesn’t say much about those who calculate the cost, take out a loan, and responsibly pay it back. So, what are some of the benefits to debt? Consider the following: A Church Can Capitalize on Its Momentum, Which Equates to Souls Saved
Most churches with forward momentum have a vision that exceeds their financial resources. A church with momentum usually
sees attendance growth that outpaces their offering growth. It takes about 15 months for someone new to your church to start giving a recurring offering. I pastor with a church that was once landlocked and confined to a small, rural church building. As we grew, attendance maxed out our seating capacity, so we added services and made other adjustments to accommodate more folks. It was easy to see the building couldn’t handle the growth. The shoe was determining the size of the foot. Leadership faced two options: (1) Do nothing and hope people felt comfortable sitting on each others laps or the stage steps during worship services, or (2) Relocate and build a church building that would accommodate the growing congregation. We determined that if we did nothing, we’d kill our momentum. We decided the church should utilize debt to keep up with the growth and capitalize on the momentum. continued on page 40
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Q: A:
S H O U L D C HUR C HE S E M BR A CE A N D U T I L IZ E ? NO.
BY CHRIS PHILBECK I have been in ministry for 38 years, serving as senior pastor of three churches: a church plant, a turnaround church, and a megachurch. Over those years, my churches have borrowed money for ministry expansion. Raising money was not something I knew much about when I was young, but time and experience have helped me grow in this area of leadership. As the result, two of the three churches I have pastored became debt-free, including the church I serve today. When I look at the opportunity being debtfree has provided those two churches to make a greater impact on our communities and the world, I am convinced it is the right strategy for the local church. But committing to a debt-free vision is required to make this happen. Every leader understands the power of vision. Vision gives us passion; it shapes our priorities and keeps us focused. There’s no reason why being debt-free can’t be a part of the vision of any local church.
Being Debt-Free Allows the Church to Make an Eternal Impact on Its Community
A few years ago, our church began what we call our IMPACT Ministries, which focus on making an impact on underserved and underresourced communities in the Greater Indianapolis area. This is a unique approach to multisite ministry and a big part of our vision for the future. The simple strategy is to identify underserved and underresourced communities and then live in them, learn about them, and love them. We began by identifying a community south of downtown. We purchased and remodeled a home, moved a pastor and his family into that home, and then began the process of learning about and loving the community. That led to purchasing and remodeling an existing building to serve as an IMPACT Center where we would serve the community and plant a church. We did all of this without continued on page 42
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Had we waited in an effort to save money, we may have failed to reach any number of people. Instead, we’ve seen nearly 500 baptisms since we relocated and made room for more. The Bible cautions us about debt, and Jesus asks us to calculate the cost of saving a soul. The parable of the lost coin certainly grips the reader to think about the value of a soul who is unsaved. What is a soul worth to you? One dollar? One million dollars? Is one soul worth going into financial debt? We calculated that the debt was worth the cost of saving souls. Are you willing to sacrifice temporal finances so that more people will have an eternal security with God? Securing Assets Now Is Usually Cheaper than Securing Them Later
If you’re saving money now to build later, you may be losing money in the long term. Let’s say you started saving in 2004 to build a 12,500-square-foot church building. In 2004 that building would have cost about $1 million (based on average construction costs at the time of $80 per square foot). Starting with a zero balance, your congregation manages to save $70,000 a year toward new building construction. At that rate, it takes a little less than 15 years to save $1 million. Along comes 2019 and you finally have $1 million in the bank. “Let’s build!” the people say. Not so fast. Building costs have more than doubled since 2004. (That sounds like something you might read on a Monopoly Chance card, doesn’t it?) The truth is, the building that would have cost $1 million to build in 2004 will now cost more than $2 million. The congregation faces a decision: build half of what was proposed or continue to save money. You could have built cheaper and gotten what was needed had you taken out a loan in 2004. A 15-year commercial loan in 2004 had an average rate of 4.75 percent. That means if C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
yes
- IN THE ARENA | AFFIRMATIVE -
you borrowed $1 million to build in 2004, you would have paid $1.4 million for the building after making your last payment. The church would have gotten a 12,500-squarefoot building for $112 per square foot; it would have saved nearly $50 a square foot by taking out a loan in 2004 rather than waiting to build in 2019. That’s a total savings of $625,000. The church I serve just purchased a building to house our second campus. We were presented with an amazing deal to buy a 50,000-square-foot building for millions below market price. We did not have the money set aside to pay the asking price, but leadership knew we’d never get a better deal were we to wait until we had all the money. We couldn’t build, rent, or lease cheaper than what we paid to purchase that building. We took out a loan to secure the building because, had we waited to save the money, the deal would have passed us by. Sometimes, but not always, securing assets now is cheaper than securing them later. The Risks Are Low and the Rewards Are High
Anytime you take on debt, be cautious and calculated. As far as I can determine, around 280,320 churches in the United States (73 percent) are carrying debt. A Reuters article reported that 270 churches were sold after defaulting on loans in 2010; it was the worst year on record for church foreclosures. The risk is low that a congregation will default on a loan; it’s only 0.09 percent, or less than 1/10th of a percent. Here’s another way of looking at it: 99.9 percent of churches fulfill their obligation to pay back their loan. While the risk of a church defaulting on a loan is low, the rewards of taking out a loan to build are high. Most churches are not crippled by debt but by lack of vision. When godly vision is present, people and places flourish. If you build it, they probably will - 40 -
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come. I recently talked to the CEO of a large church extension fund; he told me that, after completing a church building project, you can almost count on 40 percent growth in 6 months, and doubling in size in 18 months. That’s been true at the church I serve. He also said that total attendance of all the churches who had loans out with them in 2011 was around 65,000. Today, those same churches have a combined total attendance of more than 115,000. That works out to 80 percent attendance growth! By the way, those churches have baptized more than 17,500 people in the past eight years. Don’t forget, with church growth comes giving growth. Your Church’s Loan Payment Has the Potential to Grow God’s Kingdom
ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE TEMPOR AL FINANCES SO THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL HAVE AN ETERNAL SECURIT Y WITH GOD?
If your church ever needs to take out a loan, borrow from a church extension fund. Church extension funds think beyond themselves and have a deep concern for building God’s kingdom. The interest you pay on the loan from a church extension fund goes back to kingdom causes that further the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can’t say that about your local bank. You may find a lower interest rate at a local bank, but you’ll find that they don’t have an interest in ministry. The church I pastor has found a true partner in ministry with a church extension fund. In addition to loaning us money to build buildings, they have invested heavily into our leadership and into me personally. A church extension fund desires to see your congregation grow. They will help a congregation become better stewards of money, develop a culture of generosity, and they may even provide grants once a year to lessen or even eliminate a monthly loan payment. Matt Merold has served as the senior minister of Bethany Christian Church in Washington, Indiana, for 18 years. A gifted speaker and Spirit-filled leader, Matt has been instrumental in leading a small-town church to experience amazing growth. @mattmerold
RISTIA TIANN STA STAN DA RDD -- 4411 -- FFEEBBRRUA UARY RY 22001199 CCHHRIS N DAR
@mattmerold
- IN THE ARENA | NEGATIVE -
borrowing money because we have a debtfree vision. We have identified our second IMPACT community, where we have acquired an existing church that will undergo a restart and provide us with a great opportunity to impact the community. Once again, we won’t be borrowing any money to make this happen.
TOO MANY PEOPLE AND CHURCHES LIVE IN BONDAGE TO
Being Debt-Free Allows the Church to Make an Eternal Impact on the World
DEBT TODAY, AND
no
At the same time, we’ve been sending more money to our mission partners. This budget year we will give away more than $2 million to help train leaders, plant new churches, translate the Bible into the language of an unreached people group, and provide for a variety of relief and development efforts. We meet these needs through our annual budget, but being debt-free allows us to set aside additional money in our Global IMPACT fund so we can meet other needs, many of which are spontaneous.
THAT’S NOT GOD’S
WILL FOR ANYONE .
For almost 30 years we have been the livinglink partner for Ajai and Indu Lall (Central India Christian Mission). Not long ago we received a request for $60,000 to help with a physical need and to make up for a shortfall in their children’s fund. Being debt-free allowed us to send the money from our Global IMPACT fund without having to adjust other obligations or ask our congregation for more money. How to Create a Debt-Free Vision that Makes an Impact
I have twofold advice for any church interested in increasing their ministry impact by being debt-free.
First, develop a long-term debt-free strategy. I believe in Proverbs’ simple teachings about money. That book teaches about the wisdom of planning ahead. For example, “The plans C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). Every church needs a financial plan for the future. When we committed to being debt-free, we developed a budget plan to make it happen. We paid ourselves first and we incorporated the strategy of investing in The Solomon Foundation to help our money grow. At the same time, we limited the number of full-time staff we employed and focused on meeting ministry needs through recruiting volunteers and promoting a “we’re all in this together” approach among our existing staff. Finally, we were unapologetic in our teaching about generosity as a significant part of being a good steward, and we challenged our people to give generously. We even raised more than $1 million on a single weekend to help with a building expansion. Through all of this, our church continued to grow. Second, remember your source. When God creates a need, he provides for it. There are dangers associated with borrowing money. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Too many people and churches live in bondage to debt today, and that’s not God’s will for anyone. But another danger associated with debt is it can cause us not to exercise our faith in God’s ability to provide. I love how, after Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, they paused at Mount Sinai so God could teach them how to worship. They needed a place to worship, so God commanded that they take up an offering to build the tabernacle. What would a bunch of former slaves have to give? God had been preparing for that day for some time. All the way back in Genesis 15:13, 14, God had spoken to Abraham during a deep
sleep and said, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” Abraham sometimes must have wondered what that meant because he didn’t live to see it happen. But Moses did. In fact, when God called Moses to deliver his people, he reiterated this same promise. Exodus 3:21, 22 says, “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.” And that’s what happened. Hundreds of years before that moment in the desert when God told Moses to take up an offering, he had set in motion a plan to provide for that offering. Here’s what happened next. “Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments” (Exodus 35:20, 21). Eventually, Moses had to restrain the people from giving more because they had already given more than enough. When God creates a need, he provides for the need. I’m excited about the way God uses the local church to reach the world for Christ. And I’m committed to a debt-free vision for how that can happen through the church I lead.
Chris Philbeck has served as pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana, since 2001. /PastorCPhilbeck
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@pastorphilbeck
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how to fund your
i i m n 7 Numbers that Explain the Benefits of Estate Planning By D. Clay Perkins C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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y r
s t Could your church or ministry use more money? Financial planning can advance your ministry, of course, but it can also benefit your donors! Effective leaders do the right things consistently. They focus, among other things, on achieving long-term financial health for the ministry they serve. Mission and passion drive leaders to serve, but those alone won’t make them succeed. We serve a heavenly purpose, but each of us faces an earthly reality. Cash flow is “king,” even for faithbased, nonprofit organizations. Positive cash flow can be elusive, especially in faith-based charities. Long-term positive cash flow can be more elusive. But with deliberate effort and casting a wider net, we can develop better financial health. Many leaders overlook a simple, proven method of achieving long-term financial security for their ministry: planned giving. Most ministries already
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for the long term
have committed and generous donors. But ministries often don’t realize how much more effective they could be with a plan in place. An effective estate-planning component in your organization is a major part of building long-term financial stability. It helps committed donors and the ministry. Yet, despite decades of success, it is often ignored. Estate planning seems easy for spiritual leaders to omit from their to-do lists. Unfortunately, this neglect can result in losing opportunities to benefit beloved ministries. An estate-planning ministry addresses this human reality: One out of every one person will die. Therefore, we each leave an estate, whether we plan for it or not. (And if we don’t plan for it, the government surely does.) So here are seven numbers every person needs to know. These numbers explain the benefits of being intentional in estate planning, and the loss from failing to do so. Let’s use them to address some questions: How much? Why? How? What’s the cost?
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HOW MUCH? $30 trillion: That’s how much money—$30,000,000,000,000 (with four commas)—will transfer from one generation to the next over the next several decades, according to the Wall Street Journal. Think about it, believers hold much of this wealth. If we asked, wouldn’t many Christians be willing to pass on some of their assets to faith-based charities they love? Churches, missions, and various Christ-centered nonprofits can be left estate gifts. And with the revised federal tax law, donors can leave even more to their heirs than was previously allowed. This is commonly called the “Golden Age of Planned Giving” (it really is . . . just do a Google search) with $9 trillion likely to be transferred in the next decade alone. Faith-based leaders can’t afford to ignore this number!
WHY? 230 Scriptures: Stewardship is one of the most talked about issues in the Bible . . . it’s found in 230 Scriptures (though counts vary). Some of my favorites are: “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). “Be sure you know the conditions of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds” (Proverbs 27:23). “No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed. Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you” (Deuteronomy 16:16, 17). And also, “But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in the grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). Why be bashful talking about stewardship? If we don’t, then we aren’t telling the full story. 64 percent: Most Americans don’t have any kind of estate plan, according to a 2015 article in USA Today. Studies show that 64 percent of Americans, for whatever reason, have no will or trust. They have not taken care of guardianship issues for children. They have no advance health-care directives. If tragedy occurs, they are not ready. If they die of natural causes, and most do, they are not ready. We are missing a great ministry opportunity to help families prepare for critical life events. We owe it to our constituents to address this need for planning, even if they don’t leave a gift to the ministry. 100 percent: We all teach and desire for all of our members to give to our churches or ministry. And rightfully so. Your ministry is important in the kingdom of God. Your members give from their cash flow, whether that cash flow comes from salary, profits, or investments. However, often people manage much greater total assets than are reflected in the cyclical giving. Consider that their estate is the one and only time your members can give out of 100 percent of all they have, not just their cash flow. “It is at this point that we can be generous in ways only dreamed of when we were limited to our 10% pocket,” Mike Prior observed in a Church Executive article.
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We owe it to our constituents to address this need for planning, Even if they don’t leave a gift to the ministry.
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Estate planning is about serving people. The focus is not fundraising.
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HOW?
WHAT’S TH E COST?
20:28: Like Jesus, leaders need to focus on serving others (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). Estate planning is about serving people. The focus is not fund-raising. Estate planning has a long-term view. Those who start an estate-planning ministry with the focus of raising money for current projects will likely flame out. Rather, estate planning is a long-term, savvy, strategic choice. Those who understand that this unique ministry is about serving others will succeed, and they will build long-term financial success for their ministry and the leaders who follow them.
4:1: If by now you are thinking, my ministry needs to offer estate planning opportunities to its supporters—good. You should. Simply stated, it works. But know the cost. For every dollar spent in estate planning you can expect to raise four. So when you talk with the various organizations offering this service, make sure you know the minimum expectations for your return on investment. For every $4 raised, expect to spend $1.
2.74: Donors often leave estate gifts that are more than their lifetime “cash flow” giving. IRS data shows the number is 2.74 times a donor’s lifetime of giving, according to a post on the Planned Giving Blog. Think about that. You can help people pass on their values and not just their valuables. Donors can help the ministries they love in ways they never thought possible. I am a graduate of a small, faith-based college. Certainly, these are challenging times for such small colleges. I personally owe a debt of gratitude to my alma mater. It encourages me to know that just a small percentage of college graduates could truly make a significant impact to their college through estate giving. Would you be willing to help your donors make a difference?
Convinced? Leaders do the right things to serve their ministries. Are you doing the right things? We all know that non-faith-based nonprofits have been building long-term financial stability through estate planning for years. Public and private universities for decades have typically received a third of their annual funding through bequests. Many noble, non-faith-based nonprofits (museums, zoos, hospitals, service organizations, etc.) will be asking their donors to remember them in their estate plans. I believe it’s time for faith-based leaders to do the same. And if we do, we will fund our long-term financial needs with a proven strategic choice. Be intentional. Develop a ministry in planned giving. Ask your ministry donors to remember the ministry in their estate planning. You will first serve your members, since most of them have no plan established. And second, you will build financial strength for kingdom ministry for years to come.
D. Clay Perkins serves as executive vice president of Financial Planning Ministry. FPM facilitates and inspires biblical generosity with more than $1 billion in gift expectancies to Christian churches, their ministries and charities. Perkins previously served as president of Mid-Atlantic Christian University, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and as senior associate with First Christian Church Ministries, Kernersville, North Carolina. @dclayperkins
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THE FINANCING of the RESTORATION MOVEMENT BY STEVE CARR
WO PART T of a art three-p s e r ie s
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But in Alexander Campbell’s day, they symbolized wealth. And as postmaster at Buffaloe, Virginia, he was able to wield this wealth to benefit the Restoration Movement. During the colonial era, postal service was sketchy. It was so costly and inconsistent that the United States made it an official government institution after the Revolutionary War. As the country expanded westward, mail became essential in providing access to critical information, thoughts, and ideas. As a result, postmasters became among America’s most important citizens. Campbell was appointed postmaster in 1827 and it gave him the leverage to rename Buffaloe after the biblical town of Bethany. But it wasn’t renaming towns and handling other people’s mail that motivated Campbell to take the position. In those days, postmasters could use franking privilege—the right to send as much mail as they desired without having to pay for the postage. Why was this important? Just two years after becoming postmaster, Campbell began to publish the Millennial Harbinger magazine, arguably the most influential publication in Restoration Movement history. Campbell took advantage of his franking privilege to spread movement ideals all over the country. Interestingly, once the government began to limit this privilege, Campbell published the Harbinger less often. So how did a man like Campbell—a preacher (and the son of a preacher) who was not politically connected—get a postmaster’s appointment? It can be traced back to a friendship that his father, Thomas, maintained with a wealthy farmer and landowner in Buffaloe. Alexander eventually courted the farmer’s daughter and they ultimately married. Alexander gained the advantages of wealth through his wife’s family. With these connections, his
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I n ou r d i g it a l s o c iet y, postage stamps seem archaic.
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subsequent appointment as postmaster made perfect sense. But take away the influential inlaws and the postage stamp, and it’s possible our movement never would have become what it is today. This affirms an unpopular truth: Finance drives movements to success. That statement sounds offensive; we don’t want to admit that good ideas are beholden to affluence and power in order to succeed. But nearly every successful grassroots movement thrived because of robust financial backing— whether from benefactors supporting key leaders or powerful media outlets amplifying the cause. For us in the Stone-Campbell tradition, we must admit that our movement is no different: One of the reasons independent Christian churches exist today is because there were individuals and groups that financed it during its earliest years. Accepting the influence of finance as part of our past will help us better understand how we must face our future.
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Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone, namesakes of our movement, provide a polarity of perspectives about finance. With regard to personal finances, they were ships passing in the night. Campbell started at the bottom and ended up wealthy while Stone was born into affluence but passed away in poverty. As mentioned earlier, Campbell was the son of an immigrant preacher, so he already knew what it was like to scrape by. But access to resources through his in-laws permitted Campbell the freedom to fully devote himself to the work of restoration. Stone, however, was part of the Southern aristocracy; one of his ancestors was a governor of Maryland. Stone’s father died when he was young, which forced his mother to make some challenging financial decisions; she decided to spend a portion of the family inheritance on Barton's education so he could pursue a career in law. Unfortunately for the family's fortunes (but fortunately for us), Stone chose the path of ministry, a decision that did not make him wealthy. While Campbell lived in comfort, Stone felt financial stress throughout his career. Stone was bivocational, and would work at his Kentucky farm late into the evening to provide for his family. He preached for decades all while toiling in hard labor, a regimen that contributed to his poor health later in life. This is notable because our movement’s historians consistently mention that Stone wasn’t the intellectual equal of Campbell. While this may be true, the financial picture forces us to ask if it was a reflection of finances. Would the ideals of the movement have spread if Campbell had to operate bivocationally? Could Stone have been as prolific as Campbell if he had the financial backing to fully devote himself to the work of the movement?
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Two Per s p e c t i ve s of We a lt h
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O u r Movement's T he olog y of Fi na nc e If we’re going to analyze the financial situations of Stone and Campbell, we should also examine their theological views of wealth and poverty, as those perspectives influenced our movement during its formative years. In his later years of ministry, Stone articulated a more primitive approach to financial issues. His frontier attitude was on display as he preached a path to biblical obedience that emphasized modest living. In The Christian Messenger, Stone wrote that “the eternal happiness or misery of the human family . . . brought Jesus from heaven to earth, brought him to poverty; this led him to the cross; to the grave.” Stone’s more humble view of stewardship matched his lifestyle. Campbell, however, seemingly was influenced by his access to wealth. He did not think that Christ’s path of poverty was to be emulated. In an issue of the Millennial Harbinger, Campbell attacked the monastic habits of Catholic priests, specifically that they forsook “all the business and enjoyment of society.” Campbell felt that financial resources could be stewarded for greater kingdom gains. There were so many competing theological issues in our movement’s early years that the issue of finance was rarely discussed. But when the rift between the instrumental and noninstrumental churches widened, finance became a key point of contention. David Lipscomb, a key movement leader in the South during and after the Civil War, was influenced by Stone’s view on stewardship. When articulating why the Southern churches were theologically correct, one of Lipscomb’s arguments was their obedience to the financially humble way of Christ. Of course, Southern churches still reeling in the aftermath of the Civil War had little choice but to live in poverty, but they viewed it as a higher calling. Since the 1906 split, there’s been little conversation about scriptural views of wealth and poverty in our movement.
PERFECT TAKE
AWAY
ENTIAL THE
SENSE. THE
INFLU-
IN-LAWS
POSTAGE
AND
BUT
IT’S
AND
STAMP,
POSSIBLE
OUR
MOVEMENT NEVER WOULD HAVE
BECOME
WHAT
IT
IS TODAY. THIS AFFIRMS AN
UNPOPULAR
FINANCE
DRIVES
TRUTH: MOVE-
MENTS TO SUCCESS. THAT STATEMENT
SOUNDS
OF-
FENSIVE; WE DON’T WANT TO
ADMIT
THAT
GOOD
IDEAS ARE BEHOLDEN TO AFFLUENCE IN BUT
ORDER
AND TO
NEARLY
POWER
SUCCEED.
EVERY
SUC-
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Fi na nc i n g O u r Fut u re To day Yet while there was never intense argument over the theology of finance, the issue emerged in the 20th century as our movement used finance to guard theology. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, our movement’s parachurch organizations grew significantly, benefitting from the financial support of faithful believers. Missionary societies and ministry schools built robust financial reserves and large endowments. Simultaneously, liberal theology began to infiltrate some of these institutions. There were critiques from churches and ministers, demanding that these organizations change course from their eroding biblical beliefs. But since these parachurch organizations were already well financed, the critics lacked leverage, and the liberal parachurch organizations continued to operate as they wished. As many of us know, this led to the split with the Disciples and then a wave of new colleges and ministries to counter the theologically liberal institutions. Not only did this usher in the era of fundamentalism to our movement, it altered the way we funded parachurch organizations. Individuals and churches were no longer willing to invest in the long-term viability of these ministries, since theological liberalism revealed it was difficult to hold a well-financed college or mission organization accountable. As a result, giving patterns shifted; donors strategically rationed out their giving in smaller but consistent increments. This way, institutions would be reliant on regular giving, they would not be able to build large endowments and reserves, and if they “went liberal,� they could be held accountable by shutting off financial support. Hence, finance became a means of enforcing biblical faithfulness.
Examining this part of our past is compelling as we try to interpret the current landscape of our movement. One reason people offer as evidence that our movement is in decline is that many of our parachurch organizations and colleges are experiencing financial difficulties. It’s convenient to blame these struggles on poor institutional money management, but we must at least acknowledge the complexity of our movement’s view of financial accountability. When these ministries became dependent on incremental giving, they were encouraged to plan for today, not the future. This worked as long as the churches kept their commitment to financially support these ministries. But ask any movement development/ advancement officer and they’ll tell you their support continues to decline. Our most successful organizations are those that built strong financial reserves decades ago. Was it wrong for us to use finance as a theological safeguard? Not necessarily. The more critical question is, how will we steward our movement’s resources in the 21st century to ensure our ideals can continue to thrive? Finances will continue to be a great influencer in the future, even as lack of financial resources will signal the end of many ministries in the years to come. Since stewardship is a spiritual discipline, we shouldn’t feel obligated to continue to support a ministry just because we share historical roots. Yet we mustn’t forget that our thriving churches and institutions today have benefitted from those who came before us; it’s a symbiotic relationship. One final thought. As someone who has spent his entire professional career in the movement, I’m contacted weekly by missionaries trying to raise support for their work. It might be anecdotal, but it seems we have more workers than ever eager to enter the mission field. Yet with churches reducing
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Mone y Move s t he Move ment
(and sometimes completely eliminating) missions support, it’s difficult to raise the funds necessary to support the ministry. As much as the Lord has blessed our movement to influence nondenominational Christianity in the United States, we are obligated to support the work of restoration around the globe. We need to recognize that we, like Campbell, are living in the land of plenty. This demands that we continually reexamine our stewardship. Jesus taught that where our treasure is, our heart will be also. So where is our heart?
Steve Carr is vice president of ministry development with CDF Capital. His thoughts on the Restoration Movement and ministry can be found at houseofcarr.com. Read the final installment of this three-part series next month.
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CAN CREATIVES BE EFFECTIVE LEAD PASTORS? BY RYAN RASMUSSEN
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When I was a kid, I had a notepad that traveled most places with me. Hidden inside were doodles of, well, a little bit of everything. Floor plans of my dream house were wedged between drawings of my favorite comic book characters and sketches of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I know it seems odd to think of a 13-year-old boy drawing princesses, but my dream at the time was to become an artist for Disney and I was trying to sharpen my craft. Don’t judge me. Eventually my notepad and I grew apart and I found another way to feed my creative side. Throughout most of high school and college I played in a rock ’n’ roll band. I loved the vulnerability of penning lyrics to paper and collaborating on songs with bandmates. Those were some of the best years of my life and some of my most creative as well.
Shortly thereafter, I graduated from Bible college and entered into full-time student ministry. As a youth pastor I was expected to create outside-the-box ways of relaying age-old biblical concepts to the young people I influenced. In addition, I often found myself leading worship in student services, editing video, and acting as a makeshift interior designer on youth center renovations. Student ministry seemed to be a perfect fit for my wiring. And then something strange happened . . . I began feeling an urge to lead on a larger scale. I sensed God was calling me to lead a church. For years I struggled with that calling. It may seem odd, but I wrestled with it primarily because I was a creative and every senior leader I knew was cut from the Maxwell-CEO-leadership-style cloth. That wasn’t me. I didn’t even read Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership until I was 28 years old. I also recognized that I wasn’t a highly dominant personality. I could turn it on when I had to, but it wasn’t my default setting. And if I’m putting it all out there, sometimes the thought of being a boss made me nervous. Isn’t it more fun to be everybody’s friend? For years I did self-assessments that trudged up doubt that I could ever actually lead a staff or church . . . or anyone, for that matter. I knew, as a creative, I had a tendency to be flighty, impulsive, and emotional. Those didn’t seem like the best qualities for a senior leader. Yet, I couldn’t shake God’s desire for me. Apparently God couldn’t either, and for the last four years I’ve had the honor of serving as lead pastor of an amazing, growing, dynamic church. Here are some things I’ve learned as a creative in senior leadership:
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BE YOU Years ago, while serving in student ministry, I attended a Christ In Youth conference with my youth group. It had been a great week and we were wrapping up the final session when Mark Moore, that week’s primary communicator, asked the students who had made first-time commitments to stand. We cheered for them and Mark encouraged them as their lives were now changed forever. Then all those who had made recommitments were asked to stand. They too were given a charge by Mark. Next he asked students who had committed their lives to full-time Christian service to rise from their seats. Again, he gave them support and challenged them to stay the course. Finally, Mark asked the student pastors to stand. I can’t recall his exact words, but they went something like this: Some of you are athletic. God wired you that way to reach athletes. Others of you are more “churchy,” and God made you that way to reach a certain group of students. Some of you, honestly, are more “worldly.” You connect best with kids far from God and have a stirring in your heart to bring them to Jesus . . . just be you. Be who God created you to be. There’s a reason God wired you that way. In that moment, I remember feeling set free. It wasn’t that Mark’s words were hugely profound, but they did speak to me. It was as if the Spirit shaped those words into an arrow aimed specifically for my heart. If God was calling me to lead and wired me the way he did, then he wanted me to lead with, not in spite of, my spiritual gifts and natural skill set. This isn’t to say you as a creative leader shouldn’t challenge yourself in your weaknesses; rather, it’s granting permission to not abandon who God created you to be in order to fit into the senior pastor box.
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SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO AREN'T LIKE YOU If you are a creative leader, you’re probably not highly organized. You’re too busy dreaming about the future. You’re probably not great with details either. I’m speaking in generalities, of course, but surrounding yourself with people not like you is almost a necessity to sustain you in this role. You need someone you trust to act as an extension of you and your leadership, all the while filling some of your leadership gaps.
RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF TODAY'S PROMINENT CHURCH LEADERS HAVE A CREATIVE BENT Creative leaders, we’re not alone. Recently I’ve noticed that many household-name pastors— the one’s with big, influential churches—have roots in art, music, and other creative avenues. These individuals learned how to harness their God-given gifts, opting to use them instead of believing they must exchange them for more “typical” leadership qualities.
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SHIFT THE MODEL At First Christian Church, which I have the honor of serving as lead pastor, we’ve shifted (and are continuing to shift) to a model where I have three primary areas of responsibility: general church oversight (vision, mission, values, budget, etc.), writing and content (sermons and sermon series, blogs, church communication, monthly podcast, and other content), and oversight of my “lead team” (four individuals who help me guide the church under the authority of our elders). That’s it. Everything else is delegated to other trusted staff members, allowing me the opportunity to spend more time doing what I do best . . . dream and create. Leadership can be lonely, especially as a creative. Be encouraged! Your calling is not a mistake and neither is your wiring. Trust that God knows exactly what he’s doing with you.
Ryan Rasmussen serves as lead pastor with First Christian Church in Canton, Ohio. @RyanRRasmussen
@RyanRRasmussen
my p er s o na l fi na nc e s to r y
we peek at the past, we focus on the future by chris brown
I was sitting on the floor of an empty, roach-infested apartment. There was no food or furniture in No. 217 of the Ocean Breeze apartments at the corner of Edwards and Warner on the wrong side of Huntington Beach, California. I was sitting there scared and confused. I remember staring out the second-story balcony window wishing my birthday could be different. I was hoping for bounce houses, presents, and perhaps some ice-cream cake. But I couldn’t help replaying the last several years of my life. I knew that having several father figures who had gone to jail was not part of the typical family plan. I knew repeated nights sleeping in the back seat of a 1979 Dodge Diplomat wasn’t the American dream. Bouncing from abuse shelter to abuse shelter and frequently sleeping under a bridge was not how life was drawn up for most. I remember years of disappointment and pain . . . and I remember the kitchen. The typical items you find in most kitchens were absent—no dishes, canned goods, or paper products—but my mom was there. She was my hero: a hard-working single mom trying to make ends meet. I remember fixing my young eyes on my hero’s face . . . her silent stare of hopelessness is etched in my mind forever. At that exact moment, I became passionate about stewardship. I was only 11, but I knew something was wrong and there had to be another way. I didn’t know what was wrong, I didn’t know who was at fault, but I resolved to end the curse. I resolved that I would not repeat the cycle when I grew up. I made it through middle school and high school—I have no idea how, but for the grace of God. I ended up going to a Christian college, even though I didn’t know Jesus. The college was willing to give me $50,000 to play baseball. (For 50k, I was willing to love Jesus all day long.) It turns out Jesus knows what he is doing, because I accepted him during my first month at college after learning that God is the Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68). Not only did I meet Jesus at college, I also met my bride. I was from the hood and she was from the “Brady Bunch,” so obviously it was destined to be perfect. God blessed our improbable relationship and we got married and graduated from college.
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I remember my 11th birthday like it was yesterday.
when when finances finances get get flipped flipped
We started our adult lives with two great jobs. We were making really good money for new grads, and we were living on way less than we were making . . . which made us unicorns. We looked around and saw everyone else struggling, but we were saying to ourselves, This adult stuff is easy. We saved a ton of money and decided to buy an investment home, which we fixed up and sold. Today we call it flipping. We made an additional $30,000 in three months . . . and that made us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We liked the way that felt, so we did it again and again and again . . . and we were raking in the dough. Until one day, when I had an idea. (It was my idea, not the idea of my Proverbs 31 wife.) Why flip one house at a time when I could flip eight at a time? Why make $30,000 at a time when I could make $240,000? It’s just basic math. So, I walked into a mortgage office, borrowed nearly $1 million, and bought eight investment homes with borrowed money. That was in 2007. It’s painful to write that. The transactions occurred right before the housing recession . . . and I wasn’t able to sell or rent those homes. The mortgage payments came due every 30 days, and I paid nearly $10,000 a month for the next 36 months! The well quickly dried up, and in January 2011, I walked into a courtroom, looked a trustee in the face, and explained my situation. And because I lived in the south, she said, “Bless your heart” (which is code for, “You’re an idiot”). I declared bankruptcy that very day. My biggest memory from that day was not the filled courtroom; instead, it was looking in the bathroom mirror that morning before heading to court. I saw the same silent stare of hopelessness I’d seen in my mother’s face decades before. I said I would never do this to my family. And yet here I was . . . I had done the same thing.
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lesson learned
This is not the most encouraging story—I know that—but whether you are a church leader or attendee, a marketplace leader, a husband or wife or student or senior citizen, I want you to know:
1. th ere i s h o p e I don’t know whether you have noticed, but this isn’t 2011! Several years have passed, my wife and I have clawed back, and now are in the best financial position of our lives! No matter what financial mistakes you’ve made, I doubt yours was a million-dollar one like ours. There is hope! Every decision and every transaction matter. And when we remember that each of those transactions are a chance to honor God, it changes everything.
2. yo u n eed to ow n yo u r m i s ta k es You won’t grow if you ignore your financial mistakes. Guilt and shame are of the enemy, but awareness and openness about a mistake are foundational of the humility needed to bounce back and begin to steward for Jesus. Remember, we peek at the past, but we focus on the future.
3. yo u ’re n o t alo n e You’re not the only one to make financial mistakes. This is a major epidemic in America. According to Ramsey Solutions, more than 85 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, or worse! This is not an income problem but an outgo problem. Ramsey Solutions reports the average American spends more than 20 percent above what they earn. This is a major problem and it involves more than just one person. Believe me, because I have struggled with this problem.
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the belief systems at the heart of our finances So what do we do about this? I believe we must get to the root to change the fruit. This is not a math problem or a money problem, but a perspective problem . . . and in most cases, a heart problem. The good news is that the necessary changes are easier than you might think. But before we make any changes, we must look at our belief system with regard to money. Our belief system yields actions, and those actions yield our results. So what do we need to believe with all of our heart?
G o d i s th e ow n er We have to know why all this matters. If we’re just managing money for our next trip or gadget, there is no real purpose. But when we internalize Psalm 24:1 (“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it”), we realize that every dollar that enters our hands and our accounts is not really ours, it is the property of the King of kings. Then we stop worshipping the provision and start worshipping the provider.
we are G o d ’s m an ag er s If God is the owner, that means we are not. So what are we? We are the managers for the creator. It should overwhelm us that God trusts us with his stuff! He trusts us with his relationships, time, resources, . . . his everything! When we realize this, we become deeply passionate about managing God’s blessings, God’s way, and for God’s glory. Scripture says that those who have been trusted to be managers must prove themselves faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2).
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c o n ten tm e n t i s th e fo undati o n o f g o dl y fi na nc es The world literally screams that we need “more” to be satisfied: more cable channels, more on our data plan, more money, more energy, more clothes. . . . I spent years chasing more and found myself in a higher income bracket still chasing an ever-moving target. This endless pursuit left me feeling empty. Don’t be confused; contentment doesn’t mean apathy or a lack of ambition. Contentment is simply peace in our soul as we move forward. It’s great to be ambitious, but it isn’t great to be controlled by ambition. When contentment and gratitude replace the spirit of entitlement, it changes everything . . . all the way down to our smallest financial decisions.
bu d geti n g i s th e n o. 1 to o l to w i n w i th fi na nc es Whether we’re talking about saving, retirement, avoiding debt, or school funding, we can’t be consistently effective unless we budget on a monthly basis. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (King James Version). What is your five-year goal? What is your one-year goal? What do you want to accomplish financially this quarter? This month? Every dollar needs to be assigned. Jesus said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14:28). Zig Ziglar once said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
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So wherever you find yourself today—rolling in cash, out-earning your financial stupidity, way behind your financial goals . . . wherever—remember that you’re not alone. God knew we would have trouble with this subject. His Word contains more than 2,300 verses about money, wealth, or possessions. The first step is to work on our belief system. And as we work on that, may we begin to turn away from the world’s way of handling money and turn toward being faithful managers for our heavenly Father. I am so thankful he showed my wife and me so much grace over the past eight years. We were in such a dark place, but then we started doing it his way, and it turns out his way works. It turns out he knows what he’s doing!
Chris Brown is a pastor, speaker, and ministry coach. Chris has ministered to thousands of people as a campus pastor at Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, an executive pastor at Potential Church in Cooper City, Florida, and a national personality for Dave Ramsey and Ramsey Solutions. Chris loves the local church and resides in Nashville with his wife of 19 years, Holly, and his three children, Max, Jack, and Annie. @chrisbrownonair
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The 1970s and ’80s were good decades for church planting in the Chicagoland area. Two of the best Chicago District Evangelistic Association church plants were in Dyer, Indiana, and Lakes of the Four Seasons, Indiana. Both churches enjoyed many years of steady and healthy growth and disciple making. In recent years, however, these two churches experienced difficult seasons. It seems every church has a life cycle, and various circumstances can affect them. A body of believers can be like a human body, experiencing birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, senior adult years, hospice care, and ultimately death. Various factors can impact a church’s life cycle: leadership, location, decisions, demographics, and other dynamics. Regardless of the causes, these two once-strong churches eventually reached the end of their life cycles in 2017 and formally closed. But that wasn’t the end. Both churches owned good facilities in excellent locations with no debt. Before the churches closed their doors, as they saw their attendance numbers dwindling, the church leaders sought the advice and help of Ignite Church Planting and The Solomon Foundation, and a new strategic partnership was formed that put those resources to work for the kingdom of God; it became the seed from which has grown two brand-new churches that will do even more. C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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A Vision and Strategy for Two Dying Churches
The Launch of Two New Churches
The Solomon Foundation and Ignite presented a vision to these two aging churches. They proposed leveraging the equity the two dying churches had in their building facilities and reusing it for the kingdom by planting two brand-new churches with modern approaches for reaching thousands in their areas. What’s more, The Solomon Foundation envisioned using equity in those two buildings to assist as many as 10 churches in constructing buildings. The two aging churches overwhelmingly agreed to this plan, and a new strategic partnership was formed.
Fast-forward a year. In October 2018, two new churches launched. In Dyer, Indiana, Rise Christian Church had a glorious grand opening on October 14. Matt Reece, lead planter, and his team were ready. On their first Sunday they greeted 189 people. It was a great day but, as in every church plant, they collectively held their breath to see what weeks two, three, and four would hold. Great news! There was only a slight dip in attendance, and this new Christian church now has a stable 150 people from which to begin growing a large disciple-making church. Rise’s facility can accommodate growth and the church is also debt-free.
The churches that were closing donated their facilities to Ignite Church Planting of Chicagoland, who in turn donated the properties to The Solomon Foundation. The Solomon Foundation then granted each new church plant $300,000 for remodeling the old church facilities and to help fund their launches via marketing and hiring start-up staff. Under the guidance of Ignite Church Planting, and with the help of Nexus Church Planting in Texas, lead planters were assessed and appropriately vetted. Then the two existing churches—both of them in obvious terminal situations—went dark . . . because for something new to be birthed, something old must die. Over the next six months, facilities received face-lifts and equipment was upgraded to prepare them for new churches with new names and new leadership. Launch team members were recruited, and they shared and studied together and caught a shared vision of reaching lost people for Jesus.
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On October 21 in Winfield, Indiana, just outside of Lakes of the Four Seasons, LifeWell: A Christian Church debuted. Lead planter Danny Cox and his team welcomed 350 people for the grand opening! As with Rise, leaders held their collective breath to see the attendance pattern over the next few weeks. Again, just as in Dyer, the drop-off was surprisingly small. Attendance settled at approximately 275 folks from which to build. And LifeWell has baptized 10 people and rededicated 5 since their launch. Wow! And there is even better news. Approximately 75 percent of those present for these two launches were folks who were not attending church. Double wow! The new churches immediately began new believer classes, and rededications, conversions, and baptisms followed. Serving the community became a core value and DNA of each church.
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Leveraging the Past to Reach Future Generations God only knows what the future holds for these new churches. But an old proverb is applicable: “Everyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.” These churches are now seeds in the hands of a mighty and resourceful God. These exciting stories lead us to wonder: What can God do with other churches as they complete their life cycles? In both churches that closed, faithful church members had given sacrificially—some for more than 40 years—to ensure their building was paid off. Most times when a church closes, those sacrificial gifts of the past are never leveraged for future kingdom use. Buildings are sold—and seldom to another Restoration Movement congregation. In both of our examples, however, gifts to God from long ago are being used to reach new generations of lost people through new, vibrant Restoration Movement churches. When people faithfully gave in the 1970s, ’80s, and on into this millennium, they had no idea “their church” would close in 2017. But God knew “his church” would survive and grow again. It can never be defeated. An important question for people in struggling churches today is this: Where are you in your life cycle? Is your church currently in a hospice-care situation but refusing to acknowledge the end may be near? You might be ignorant of—or possibly resisting—your church’s last and best opportunity. God can use your church’s history of hard work and sacrificial giving to miraculously reach a new generation for Christ. God can reuse your resources in ways you never imagined. A dying church that releases its grip on its resources in this way can provide the seeds to reach innumerable people for Christ in this and future generations—and isn’t that what the Great Commission is all about? Saints of the past probably never imagined their gifts could be leveraged decades later through divine and strategic partnerships to carry God’s work forward in such magnificent ways.
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This is a spiritual challenge; never look with dismay and discouragement at what seems to be the end of something once grand. A mighty God can take the ashes of the past and produce something much better. One huge caveat: Those ashes must be surrendered to him for his glory to be revealed. In the 1980s songwriter and singer Steve Green wrote and performed a powerful song titled “Find Us Faithful.” The song describes Christians as “pilgrims” journeying on a narrow road, “and those who’ve gone before us line the way” . . . cheering for us, encouraging us. Green’s lyrics goad us to take the “heritage of faithfulness” we’ve received and pay it forward. This is the chorus: Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful, May the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave, Lead them to believe, And the lives we live inspire them to obey. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful. When folks in the 1980s sang that song, they most likely thought back to those who came before them, to people from the 1940s and ’50s. When we hear those words today, we think of the faithful servants of Christ in the 1970s and ’80s who invested and sacrificed in churches that now make new ones possible. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:1, 2).
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GREEKAHOLICS ANONYMOUS From After Class Podcast Sponsor: Welcome, everyone, to this week’s meeting of Greekaholics Anonymous. The purpose of this support group is to help those of us who are helplessly addicted to using biblical languages in our sermons—even though we really don’t know what we are saying and most listeners have no idea what we’re talking about. Let’s begin with our GA preamble. Everyone: Preachers who don’t know Greek shouldn’t use Greek in their sermons. Sponsor: Would someone like to be the first to share with the group? Pastor Strong: Hello, my name is Jim and I’m a Greekaholic. Everyone: Hello, Jim. Pastor Strong: I’m so ashamed of my habit. I know it’s wrong, but I just can’t shake it. I’ve tried leaving Greek out of my sermons, but when I do, I don’t quite feel like myself. It’s so hard to get my sermon going, but once I get a little Greek in there, things really get rolling. Sponsor: We understand, Jim. Pastor Strong: It didn’t seem so bad at the beginning, just a little word study here or there. But it jazzed up
the sermon so much and seemed to impress my audience, so I just kept going. Over time, I needed more and more Greek to keep the high alive. Now it’s out of control. It’s like I don’t even know myself anymore. Sponsor: We’re here for you, Jim. Who would like to go next? Pastor Vine: Hello, my name is Bill, and I’m a Greekaholic. Everyone: Hello, Bill. Pastor Vine: For me, the worst part is coming down afterward. In the moment, it’s such a rush. As soon as you say the words, “In the original Greek,” you can feel the electricity pulsating through the pews. Everyone knows what’s coming! It’s exciting! Sometimes I pause a beat or two just to sustain the moment a bit longer. But then, afterward, when I’m home alone, that’s when the doubts come, that sense that I’m an imposter. It’s not a sustainable high. Sponsor: We’ve all been there, Bill. Pastor Vine: At this point, I think my biggest struggle is fear. I’m so used to having Greek there for me, I don’t know if I can preach without it. Sponsor: You can do it, Bill. . . . Anyone else?
Pastor Thayer: Hello, my name is Joe, but I don’t think I’m a Greekaholic. I’m only here because my elders think I have a problem. Sponsor: Do you think you’re able to use Greek in moderation, Joe? Pastor Thayer: Absolutely. As Jim said, it adds so much color and flair to my sermons, why shouldn’t I? It’s not as though anyone is getting hurt. No one else even knows Greek, so it’s not like they’ll know if I make a mistake. Isn’t a moving, intellectually stimulating sermon the ultimate good? If you take away our Greek, you’ll hamstring all of our efforts. I just don’t see the problem. Sponsor: Now Joe, the first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem. Our goal is to help each other recognize our weaknesses so we can achieve health. Pastor Thayer: Yeah, I guess you’re right. Sponsor: Great! Well, I think we’ve made real progress here tonight, so why don’t we wrap up with our closing statement. Let’s say it together. Everyone: If you can’t use the language right, don’t use it at all.
The After Class Podcast guys are Bible and theology professors at Great Lakes Christian College; from left to right in the logo, they are Samuel C. Long, Ronald D. Peters, and John C. Nugent. They strive to engage provocative contemporary topics with wit and careful biblical scholarship. https://afterclass.libsyn.com/ C H RIS TIA N STAN DA R D
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