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Build A Boiler Fund

It is a sad commentary in modern religious history that what was some of the finest ministries have either laid off staff, shut the doors, or sold the property. It begs the question, “Is there a mysterious force in the world that has the capacity to destroy great ministries?”

When you dive into the obituary of these once thriving ministries, you see that mismanagement is at the heart of the problem. What is even worse is that a naïve understanding that somehow profits are the culprit. Go ahead to the comment section of these notes (shepherdsadvantageinc.com) and leave a comment for the following statement; “I believe that ministry should be profitable!” There I said it. Before you leave a mean commit, please understand that I am not talking about raking in as much cash as we can hold. The tell of the matter is that unless you are making a profit you will not stay in business very long.

I know the argument we are supposed to be non-profit! In the words of Pastor Hybel’s, try standing behind your nonprofit status before the Lord when he asks what you had to close the doors.

One of the damaging byproducts of a nonprofit mentality is that if we raise $1.8 million then we need to spend the full $1.8 million. Can I tell you that it is not faith to always live a day or one week away from financial extinction. Here is a biblical axiom to challenge our thinking “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” Proverbs 6:6

If we believe that the church is the hope of the world, the we should do all that is within our power to make sure the church will survive well into the future.

Values Need Heat

Anytime you see god-honoring values being lived out genuinely and consistently, it’s probably because there is a leader that decided to identify a handful of values and began to teach, talk, and live out those values.

Leaders must figure out what values they believe should be manifested in their organizations. When those values are taught consistently and repetitively, being reinforced with scriptures, over time hot values will begin to shape the culture of any organization.

The Dangers of Incrementalism

It is always interesting to see how at the beginning that people will give big-time hours, pray big-time prayers, and give big-time dollars. Over time leaders and volunteers begin to realize how much effort it takes to keep the machine moving.

All of a sudden those big dreams, hours invested, and dollars donated begins to fade and the people settle for incrementalism. What happens is that we are not willing to step into bold challenges so readily anymore. All of a sudden a 2%-3% increase starts to sound like reaching the moon. Please understand I am not advocating that faith is a blind leap in the dark and that we somehow should stop thinking for ourselves.

What we should realize that a normal attrition rate for most churches is somewhere between 7%-10% per year. That fact alone requires that you pay attention to community growth cycles and trends of employment. In theory you can operate amazing programs and community service outreach centers and still loose 10 people out of every 100 people you gain.

Incremental thinking, incremental planning, incremental prayers is the kiss of death. Don’t fall into it.

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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