788 words - less than a three minute read, and critical for this season
In the last six months, I have had many conversations about the economy as it relates to giving in the church. It happens every time there is inflation or concerns about a possible recession or both.
When I hear the question, I become a little concerned as to what it says about our beliefs about giving to the church. That is the unintended consequence of the question. That subconsciously, or maybe even consciously, we believe that giving is tied to the economy. And that would imply that giving is transactional, not transformational, which I addressed in my last article.
The question also forces me to check my spirit about how we view God in regard to the giving conversation. That somehow, we believe God needs the economy to do well in order to provide for His church. I know we don’t honestly believe that, but the question still raises that concern.
In the Bible, some of the most amazing episodes of giving occurred amid challenging seasons. The Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 come to mind. Here we see astonishing giving - even during trial and affliction!
Despite what many believe, the economy is not the main driver of how a church performs financially. A lot of churches themselves want to believe that, but it’s not necessarily the truth. In the challenging times of 2008, 2009, and 2010 – the most difficult economic season in recent times – more than half of the churches in the U.S. were either flat or up in their giving. Only 30% to 40% were actually down. And some churches were up significantly.
We saw the same pattern during the pandemic. If I had told you in early 2020 that we would have a 2+ year worldwide pandemic, and a season when our people could not even attend church in person, what would you have predicted about the giving in your church? Yet most churches have actually fared well since March 2020 when the pandemic first began.
So, why is that?
How can giving actually increase during challenging economic times?
In lean times, the headlines will blare out that giving trends are down. But, when you hear this, remember that the data being discussed is generally related to giving to all non-profits. This includes colleges, universities, churches, museums, and many other charitable causes. They are all lumped into one philanthropic category. But church or religious giving is a separate and distinct category, and churches don’t tend to follow the same trends as their other non-profit counterparts.
Why do these other entities feel the effects more than the church?
The church is the Bride Of Christ. The hope of the world. What God birthed He will also sustain.
People tend to be more connected to churches than they are to any other charity they support. This is even true for those who attend infrequently.
A church has the unique opportunity to be present with its constituency up to 52 times a year. Although most non-profits would love to be in front of their donors on a weekly basis, they very rarely have this same advantage.
For those who give to the church, there’s a strong tendency to keep giving even when cutting back on giving to other charities. There is typically a higher loyalty and sense of priority to church giving.
This means that during leaner times, churches should not automatically expect giving to go down.
What Churches Can Expect During Challenging Economic Times
Tough times drive more people to church. Be ready for this. If people don’t have their faith solidified, tough times will drive them to attend church more….even if it’s only online. It’s because brokenness and hard times are part of the story of God. While it may be hard, it will drive people closer to Him.
Tough times increase the need for benevolence and outreach. Be ready for this as well. You’ll have more people who need funds, benevolence, and outreach from your church. There will likely be a sharp uptick in requests over a short period of time.
So, as much as the economy and the effects of a downturn might be weighing on your mind, try not to think of it as a challenge that needs to be overcome. Instead, think of inflation and a recession, if it happens, as an opportunity to extend the ministry of your church. To the people in your church and the people in your community.
As always, if anything I’ve offered up here is worth further conversation, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at jim@generis.com.