Dealing with Tough Financial Times: Money, Morale & Momentum, Part 3

Continuing the series based on Mark Driscoll’s suggestions for coping with the recession —

7. Real Estate

This is the time for multi-campus churches to pursue real estate from dying and struggling churches that are facing an uncertain future and would benefit from a partnership that breathes life into them. This is also a good time for any church, if it is able, to pursue purchasing real estate because the market is down and prices are cheaper than they have been in many years.

8. Visibility

People judge the love and health of a church in large part by what they see and do not see.

Therefore, to not give the impression of greed, we need to watch the appearance of lavishness personally and organizationally.

To not give the impression of ingratitude, we need to make sure the last things we cut are thank you gifts, volunteer appreciation, and bonuses. To not give the impression that we are poor stewards, we need to watch visible areas of waste. To not give the impression of being untrustworthy, we need to always spend money we receive on what we promised we would spend it on. Ministries that inappropriately spend designated funds are destroying their credibility with their donors and in so doing are sawing off the branch they are sitting on.

Regarding no. 7, there won’t be many churches looking to buy real estate in the course of this recession. However, those few that have the resources to do so may well have the best opportunity to buy inexpensive land for the next several decades.

Of course, land doesn’t have to be for a church bulding. It could be for a training or food distribution facility. I’ve heard of a church that bought 1,000 acres in Angola so they could provide inexpensive land to farmers and house orphans. You see, this is not just a US recession.

Regarding no. 8, it is very important to remember that church leaders are being watched by members who’ve lost their jobs or are otherwise going through tough times. We need to not only be frugal with the church’s resources, we need to look frugal. Anything that looks wasteful will create serious problems when the church asks for donations.

And it’s always essential that we spend donated money for the purposes for which it’s been donated. The law requires it, as does the fact that we need to keep our word. If we don’t honor our word to our donors, we have no business being Christian leaders.