This week, we received two pieces of mail from two different churches. Both were churches that we visited during our 2007 Church Field Trip Tour. Both pieces of mail are quite different. I'll let you weigh in on the obvious differences.
Solara Church - We received the typical full-color mailer announcing their Special Christmas Services on Dec. 20th and 21st. Nothing special, really. Just a simple invitation to join them for their Christmas services.
New City Church - We received a letter from Pastor Tullian letting us know that their congregation is in dire need of funds as these economic times have not been kind to the church budget. Currently, they are running more than 25% short on their budget on a weekly basis. They don't have a building, so this shortage is due mostly to their staffing costs.
Pastor Tullian says that during the Great Depression, Christians gave 24.2% of their income to the church, while today Christians give about 3.4% to the church. He says that a church of 600 people (with no building) ought to be able to finish the year with a surplus rather than a deficit. He says that most Christians are no different than their worldly counterparts - spending more than they make.
I'd go so far as to say that most Christians probably learned that lesson from their church - spending more than they bring in, and hoping for a year-end miracle. (This isn't the first time I've heard a December financial plea from a church - aiming for those "year-end gifts" that always seem to come - for tax purposes of course.)
Unfortunately, I've also seen churches/ministries "spend-out" at this time of year, so that their budget won't get reduced by a financial board in the new year. Either way, its a bit disheartening.
We don't receive regular pieces of mail from either of these two churches. I just thought it was interesting that these two churches would reach out to us - more than a year later - in such vastly different ways.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Church Evangelism during Xmas
Posted by revolution at 11:00 AM
Labels: church field trip, life observation, religion
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3 comments:
"a church of 600 people (with no building) ought to be able to finish the year with a surplus rather than a deficit"
That pretty much says it all.
ironically, we recieved a similar letter from Pastor Tullian this past December 2009.
Of course, now the leader of Coral Ridge Presbyterian, the financial obligations are much larger.
Though i still don't see what it has to do with me - someone who simply visited their church once upon a time.
They need to get the right food from us. They need to look at WHAT they are teaching ,and how they are teaching it. Then change it. Then just maybe they would never have to ask anyone for nothing. The time's have changed so much,that no one want to go to a church If they can't come out of HIGH. That's right High. When I come out of my church, I am so high with the message's. Thats one everyone is looking for. Someone who teaches the messages, and get us off our butts to live it right. Not some old humdrum service that no one cares about. That's not the right way to the door of heaven. I know I am going to heaven. I got a job there. My wing's are waiting for me. I am one of God's angles.
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