Coaches game plans are made on Monday’s for a successful Sunday afternoon contest. Amateurs play Monday morning quarterback with perfection. Everyone can play the would have, should have game and be a winner. The real task is deciphering what lies ahead. When it comes to making predictions about the economy and how giving might be impacted as we finish out this year it is even more difficult.

While we have been through several recessions before this current one has more “experts” wondering which way is up and what is next. For every expert that you can quote saying the economy is on a rebound you can find another that disagrees. Our politicians are pointing fingers and posturing for the camera’s instead of providing true leadership. The American public is growing increasingly skeptical of anything that comes out of Washington. The war on terror, if you admit that there is one, slogs on with no end in sight. Yet amidst all this uncertainty and angst life goes on.

How will it impact you and what should you be looking for? Here are some thoughts on Monday morning about what to expect in this next quarter.

The recession is technically over but emotionally it continues. Your people that you lead don’t feel like the recession is over. It will be a long time before they feel confident once again. This lack of confidence is widespread from Main Street to Wall Street. That in and of itself creates a negative climate that hinders a quick recovery. At the same time it gives we in the church further opportunity to show hope through Jesus and Biblical principles.

The economy will rebound slowly. While technically we are in recovery there are still many areas where the rebound is slow. Some areas of the country will be in recession for many more months. Others will rebound more quickly. Nationally it will be a slow climb up from where we were last spring. Expect joblessness to remain high for at least one to two more quarters beyond this quarter.

What this means for you is that those that are not solid disciples consistent in their giving will be slow to return to giving to your ministry. It will be a challenge to move them beyond their fears to again start making contributions. Sadly many nominal Christian, a vast majority of your attendees, see giving to the church as one of the first places they can cut in their budgets. It will take real skill and wisdom to get them to see that doing so only hurts their chances for financial stability.

A new normal is being established. We need to forget about the return to normal. Normal has been redefined. Your expectations, at least for the next few years, needs to be lower. This is not only true in you personal life but in terms of raising funds as well. While some stewardship companies will talk about helping you raise three times your operating budget over three years the facts don’t support that. So, accept that you might pledge less than a few years ago. That does not mean however that you can not move forward with projects or plans for ministry.

What all of the above means is that you will have to be smarter and work harder than before. Don’t expect growth and dollars to easily flow into your ministry. You will need to keep your finger constantly on the pulse of society and your congregation. You can not retreat to your ivory tower to stay. Smart leaders understand the times we live in. Smart leaders don’t simply sit by and let circumstances smack them around. Smart leaders develop a plan of action and act upon their plan. Those with a plan succeed. Those who fail to plan are planning on failure.

Work hard but pray harder! It is not by our might but by the Spirit that we succeed. While the times might be challenging I have yet to see Christians dragged into their cities local stadiums to be chased by lions until they die. We need to stop whining and get up off the floor and get busy about our Father’s work. He has not left us. We have more tools now then our grand fathers or fathers generation did. Nothing will help the church grow more than a revival. While we might decry our loss of spending power it none the less has served to bring many to a point of need. Now we the church need to exercise leadership to meet that need.

While I can not predict the future even of this coming quarter I do know that God remains in control. He will accomplish His plans. If He has given you a vision then He will provide the means to fulfill that vision. Our task is to stay focused upon Him.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

I found some interesting tidbits from my daily Filtrbox email. Filtrbox is a free program that allows me to track various words that appear across the internet daily. One word I track is giving. JVA Consulting out of Colorado had the following posted on their site from Sept. 23rd.

“At JVA Consulting, we are always collecting research about fundraising and what works. Here are some of our favorite facts about individual donors.

Looking at these drives us to one clear conclusion: This is why nonprofits should make sure fundraising efforts target individual donors, especially in these tough times.

Charitable giving (from all reported sources) totaled $307.65 billion in 2008

7 out of 10 Americans give to charity
77 percent of donors give to six or more organizations
77 percent of donors give to a cause that personally affects them or someone in their family
82 percent of charitable gifts come from households earning under $90,000 per year
73 percent of donors say that they could give more

When you look at these facts, what stands out? One of the things that always strikes us is the large percentage of donors that give to more than one organization (which means, they might give to yours as well), as well as the large percentage of charitable gifts that come from households earning under $90,000 per year.

How can you use these facts to think differently about your fundraising program?”

I could not have written it any better so I did what so many preachers do. I appropriated the quote.

At any rate let me add my own commentary to this. What this tells me is that you have no excuse for not having a plan to attract and sustain donors. While a church is indeed different from other non-profits many of the principles are the same. One truth that applies to both is that if you do not ask you will not receive. So many churches never ask their members appropriately to support the work of ministry they are doing. As a result thousands of dollars go elsewhere. Americans are still donating money during this recession. If you don’t get your lure in the pond don’t be surprised if some non-profit fishes in your back yard and pulls out fish that could go to your church.

Get a stewardship plan in place today!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Some guys fish others play golf. I am a runner. Not a jogger, a runner. There is a difference. At least in the serious runners mind there is a difference. Don’t ask me to explain it just take my word for it. Runners hate to be called joggers. You golf, I run. Don’t try to understand why just accept it for what it is.

What is worse I am a marathoner. I ran my first marathon in 1990 and was immediately hooked. Down through the years I have run 19 marathons and 2 50 K’s which is about 31 miles. So to the uninitiated I simply say that I have run 21 marathons. Some years I ran one while one year I ran four. The year after running four I ran one due to the fact that I ran four the year before. One year I missed running a full marathon and instead ran two half marathons. I don’t count half marathons. Any runner can run a half marathon. Really stud runners run marathons. Crazy runners run 50 K’s and up. I have since recovered from insanity and only run marathons now. Since I am fifty-two and a bit thicker around the middle I try now to run one marathon a year.

So, my fall marathon looms large ahead of me. Now is the time to start getting ready. To me there are great parallels between training for a marathon and life.

You will never run any race unless you get off the sidelines. Most people are defeated before they ever start. Too many convince themselves of what they can not do without even trying. We need to remember that great saying of William Carey who said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” So, get your spiritual shoes on and get in the race! Christianity is not a spectator sport.

Great progress is made one step at time, one mile at time. Life is a marathon not a mile run. This is especially true of our spiritual life. Too often we forget this fact. We surge out with a burst of speed only to fade away at the end or quit altogether. The key to success is to keep moving. When I run a marathon my focus is always on the mile that I am running not the next mile after that. I can worry about that mile after the current mile. One mile at a time and finally I will achieve my goal of finishing.

What you do in other areas of life can and will affect your running. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me that since I run I can eat all I want. Try that and you will not be able to bend over to tie your running shoes. What you have to learn is that you have to eat right to run right. Poor diet and other bad decisions will affect your ability to run a marathon. The same is true in life and ministry. Mistakes made in one area will spill over into your Christian walk and ministry. To finish a marathon you have to be self disciplined in many areas. My scale this morning told me that I need more self discipline if I am to finish that fall marathon two months from now.

Some days running is a chore but you have to keep on running. I had a great 8 mile run through the Georgia woods today. Yet some days my running feels as if I am in wet cement. I have learned that you just have to keep running. I have had some bad marathons down through the years but it has not kept me from running or from attempting another marathon. In life the same applies. Not every day is Christmas. Not ever Christmas is filled with joy. You just have to keep on keeping on. I am reminded of what the author of Hebrews wrote in chapter twelve when he said, “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Are you persevering today? While I run for perishable medals that are ultimately meaningless, in life we race to please our Heavenly Father. How are you running the race that is set before you? Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…”

Run on!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

You remember that old saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it?” It is good advice. Sadly I think we in the church act like we have never heard that before. Our motto seems to be, “If it’s old let’s throw it out. If it’s new it must be better.” We have gone through about twenty years of attempting to contemporize the church into the 21st century. Some things needed updating. Other things frankly need to be left alone or taken for what they are.

After all this supposed change we are no better at reaching the lost world than when we began after all reading Barna’s “The Frog In the Kettle.” I know some of you think that is not accurate or at the minimum I am being pessimistic. Yet if you have continued to read Barna you will have to admit that this is true. We have made perhaps only a dent. Every day we are losing ground.

I find this true in the realm of stewardship too. I am frankly tired of people telling me that we are in danger of losing the funding of the church if we do not get the next generation engaged through social networking and social media. We are always one generation away from extinction in the church. Every generation rises to the challenge despite the fears of the generation before them. The Sovereignty of God seems to escape those that say we just have to try the new tools to get this generation engaged. In all these years God has somehow found ways to fund his church. I really don’t think He will fail now. He certainly does not need Facebook or Twitter to accomplish it.

Before you fire off an email or hit the little X in the top right hand corner let me tell you that I Twitter and Facebook with the best of you. I love the new social media that we have. I am not saying that we don’t need to use every means at our disposal to develop stewards. I am simply saying that in the end all the new tools in the world will not replace the tried and true method for developing stewards. It is called discipleship.

The best and perhaps only way to truly build a stewardship base for the future is to teach discipleship. In our desire to attract the masses I fear we have watered down our message or at least diluted it. Call me old fashioned. Say I am out of date. In the end though I can prove to you that all your cute methods of attempting to raise up the next generation will fail unless you first and foremost make disciples. My fear is that in the church today we have a lot of people on the band wagon but few disciples.

We need to return to that which has worked for every generation since the church was founded. Use whatever new means you can but never depart from what truly brings funds into your ministry, disciples.

So, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Colleges and seminaries are ill equipping our future ministers for the world in which they now have to minister in. While denominations like the SBC and other mainline groups decry the departure of the next generation of pastors and leaders they need to look no further than themselves. When many are foregoing theological training for more practical degree fields we can either continue on the path we are on or we can change. The sad reality is that most of what I learned in ministry I learned on my own.

This is especially true of stewardship. I can not remember one class in either my undergraduate degree in religion or my seminary training that taught stewardship. Maybe one day was dedicated to the topic and I skipped that day. I never had to buy a book discussing stewardship strategies so I am fairly confident that the subject was seldom if ever mentioned. I took Greek, Hebrew, Church History, Theology courses, Preaching and a few practical ministry classes. In all those classes I was never taught stewardship. What I learned I learned from reading books, attending seminars and buying tape series. All that education and I was ill prepared for the ministry field I was placed in.

Today’s pastors and Christian leaders are so ill equipped in the area of stewardship. It frustrates those of us who are trying to help pastors. Few see the importance of stewardship until it is far too late. Many think it is somehow not their role or unspiritual to even delve into. Most of the pastors I know have totally abandoned the field entirely. Their strategy is hope. Hope is never a good strategy!

I blame their training for a large part of this disconnect. If we are to turn around this problem it has to start with the core curriculum in college and seminary. It needs to be a separate class not some addendum to an existing class. It needs to be required not optional for EVERY degree plan in seminary and for Religious studies in our Christian colleges.

I do not agree with those in the upcoming generation that think they do not need theological training. Too many are taking the short cut path and in the end they do themselves, their church and ultimately the Kingdom a disservice. While theological training is not required for God’s blessing it none the less has huge benefits for the minister and for the churches they serve.

Those of us as alumni of seminaries and colleges need to speak out about revising the core curriculum of our alma maters. We have to make getting that degree more attractive to this generation. One way is to actually teach things that have value and meaning for practical ministry application. I don’t know about you but my Greek New Testament has a lot of dust on it. Even if I picked it up it would be all Greek to me. However I still use books on Christian stewardship that I bought almost fifteen years ago. How much of what you learned in seminary are you actually using? How much about stewardship did you learn in seminary or college. Your answer proves my point. Thoughts?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. Ok, shameless advertising time. I have devised a seminar called, “Recession Proof Your Offerings,” taken in part from my book by the same title. In one day we can teach your association, or a group of pastors how to boost their offerings even during this time of recession. It costs little and it promises to give back much more than those that attend pay. Email me for more information at Mark@thecharisgroup.org

One thing this recession is going to teach us is to be better stewards of our funds. As churches and Christian ministries feel the impact of either declines in giving or plateau’s in giving they need some creative ways to eliminate excess costs and some ability to raise additional funds.

On top of the already challenging times we are facing the price for many things that we can not do without is on the rise. Take your utility bill. The Wall Street Journal recently stated, “Surging fuel costs are about to inflict more pain on consumers, this time in the form of rapidly rising electricity bills”. If you think your bill is high now just wait.

We can sit back and let this happen to ourselves and hope that it will get better. Remember, hope is not a strategy! Or you can do something about those rising energy costs. Recently we heard about a company that develops “Green” projects that has a renewable energy product that among its many features and benefits will actually lower energy costs by up to 25%. One church that installed this system had a monthly electric bill of over $30k. After installing their “Green Box” they saw a reduction of $7K a month in their electric bill. Think about it, that $7K a month might have just saved someones job or a much needed ministry.

Listening to this story led me to think of some creative ways in which churches can easily save money but also an idea where by they could raise additional funds at the same time. On top of that you can demonstrate the greenness of your church in protecting the environment. How would this work?

First, move to cut your own power. The church I mentioned above spent a few thousand dollars getting their “Green Box” installed. The return on investment was almost over night when you think about a $7K a month savings. You need to seriously investigate your churches power usage as an easy way to save money. You can click on the link at the bottom to find out more about how to get your own “Green Box.”

Secondly, start a Green Campaign. Don’t stop by just eliminating waste at the church building. Why not get your members to install their own “Green Boxes?” As they too save around 20% monthly they could then sign Green Pledge cards to give a portion or all of that savings to your church.

For those that do sign on to get their own “Green Box” through The Charis Group we will for free design this campaign for you. We will help you with the communication process, pledge cards and all aspects of implementing your own “Green Campaign.”

With people struggling to find ways to make ends meet you can be sure that one area under consideration of cutting is your offering plate. Show your members how they can keep giving to your ministry, save energy and save money. It is the ultimate win/win. The cost for a residential “Green Box” is $299.95. Again the return on investment with 25% in savings will be made quickly.

Outside the box thinking…

This may sound totally out of the box in terms of thinking. Isn’t it time you thought outside the box? If you could save thousands of dollars annually in utility bills wouldn’t you be better able to fund ministry? If you help your members save money and encouraged them to return some of that savings back to their church don’t you think a large majority would?

Frankly I have some churches that are in the midst of their fourth capital stewardship campaign with no end in sight. They truly are the tired and the tapped! They are tired of capital campaigns and they are tapped out of money. I am always looking for creative ways in which we can help our clients raise more funds to fuel more ministry. This could be the path to saving thousands for your church and raising additional funds in a non threatening way.

I am sold on the idea and am encouraging all our clients to utilize this service. How about you? To find out more click on the link below my name.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

To find out more about the “Green Box” go to:

I have come full circle in my personal quest to find a place of worship. What amazes me is I now find myself in a very traditional church. Yep, hymns, robes and printed order of service. We even have responsive reading! This will amaze those that know me as one of the first that advocated a more contemporary style of music. It will amaze the rest of the contemporary crowd who will deduce that I have somehow lost my mind. Perhaps I have but here are my reasons for landing where I am.

I have found much of the current contemporary scene to be simply a performance and not true worship. Ouch! That will cost me some twitter followers. Yet what I mean by this is that too many of those that are suppose to be leading the congregation in worship are simply performing or caught up in their own worship. Lights and lasers and smoke may be cool to some of you but to me its just a show that too often masks our lack of truly coming before the Lord. It is not the style of worship that I decry, its how it is manifested. Please understand that I know not all are guilty of this but the truth is that many are.

Too many contemporary pastors preach only what they buy off the internet and not what they have received through the study of God’s Word. I think the man of God needs a word from God for the people of God. When I can get out my blackberry and Google your sermon topic and find out who you bought it from then I am sorry but you have really lost something with me. Did I not ever use somebody else’s sermons? A few times yes. That is not my point. My point is that I fear too many are taking the easy road. What your people need is not some slick video montage to back up your sermon or some catchy phrases, they need to hear from God.

Many in the contemporary scene have an arrogant and dismissive attitude that is prideful and sinful. Wow! Now that was a statement huh? Here is my point. In God’s Kingdom it takes all kinds of styles and churches to reach this world. No one style is better than the other. I have equally defended the contemporary approach with traditional people but I now find I have to defend traditional worship to those that are contemporary. You are not God’s gift for the future. You are not God’s only answer. The contemporary style will not be THE style of the future church. Get over yourselves!

I have to admit that part of this rant is based upon many of the comments I have seen posted from pastors that I follow on Twitter. I love what these guys are doing. They have a drive and a passion that many in the Church lack. We need what they are doing. My fear for them is that they are missing some things and over looking others.

Lest you think this is just the ramblings of an old man, 52 is ancient to some of you, I was reminded of a young couple that visited my church back in the day. We had put together a great worship style for our times and our denomination. We had projected words, Brooklyn Tab music, chorus’s, relevant preaching on hot topics, etc. As I stood at the back door shaking hands as people left a young man in his twenties approached me. I thought he would tell me what a cool service he had just experienced. Instead he told me how wrong the service was since we had not sung one hymn that day. He told me how the service did not minister to him at all. It proved to me that this is not an age issue but a preference issue.

Here is the final thought…

Never make your preferences principles that you think others must abide by!

That includes me. So, rock on contemporary boys and girls. Turn up the sound. Blast it away. Fill the room with smoke and laser lights. I applaud you for your attempts to reach those that other churches will not reach. But ask yourself the question, are you really reaching those that would not be reached any other way? Are you truly, because of your format reaching people? If you think that style and format are the key what does that say about the God? Finally, give the guy down the street in the robe some slack. He loves Jesus just as much as you do. We are each called to where we are by the same boss, a former carpenter named, Jesus.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

“I wish I had started sooner!” That is the number one thing that we hear pastors say when they reflect back on their capital stewardship campaign. Yet time after time we find that churches and pastors wait until far late into the process before deciding to move forward. The end result is that the campaign process is often rushed, hurried and not well planned out. The ultimate result is the loss of dollar potential.

There are few last minute campaigns that are successful. Campaigns to be properly executed take a good six months and often longer. They can be done in a shorter time span but the ultimate is to start early. The earlier you start the more options you have. The later you start the less options and the greater you will feel the press of the campaign. Waiting until the last minute could cause you to miss crucial building blocks to success.

Why do pastors delay starting a capital stewardship campaign? Here are a few reasons we find…

Money. Many think that by putting off the campaign until the last minute they are saving the church money. Most will read this and think that my motivation for an early start up is to get the churches money. While I do like to eat I really want campaigns to do well. So, it is more than bringing money into our coffers. It is about getting the campaign right. Yet sadly too many are focused on getting a campaign for as cheap as possible. Can you really gamble on the future of your project?

Tyranny of the urgent. I really think that most pastors are simply overwhelmed. They think they have enough time or the campaign simply sneaks up on them. The press of every day ministry can often keep you from forward planning. As one great coach said, “The future is now!” Your plans are closer than you think. Act now and saves yourself a lot of angst.

Sequential thinking. As pastors we preach from one point to the next in sequence. I find that when pastors approach project planning they do so from the same mind set. They tend to move from issue to issue not starting on one aspect of the campaign until all others are settled. In project development you have to think simultaneously as well as sequentially. Failing to do so will cause you to be behind.

Inexperience. You can not know everything about everything. Many pastors are simply inexperienced about the flow of a project and the timing of a campaign. As a result they delay to act until many times it is too late. This is why a stewardship partner can not only raise you more money but save you time by avoiding mistakes. In my 11 years of consulting I have found that most mistakes are made far in advance of when I arrived at the table. Also inevitably pastors and church leaders feel they have more time than they actually do. They simply do not know how long the process of a campaign takes. Starting early helps you avoid the mistakes that inexperience can cause.

Those are the major reasons I find for putting off the start of a campaign. Make sure you are avoiding those same mistakes as you begin thinking about your project development.

I find that now that we see some glimmer of hope with the economy churches are beginning to dust off their building plans. The question is when should you begin nailing down your stewardship partner? For a fall campaign you should be finalizing that partner and beginning work immediately! For a spring campaign you should be starting work in September or October at the latest.

Giving yourself ample time will help you enjoy the process more and ultimately raise more funds. So, call us today. The clock is ticking!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. Email my Director of Marketing Tom Holloway or call him today and say you read this blog and we will discount our fee by 10%!

We have been trying to find a church home here in Atlanta. I know that sounds like an easy task when there are so many churches here. The truth is I think that makes it even tougher. For whatever reason we simply have not been able to find a place to call home. I know there is no perfect church etc. etc. etc. That is not what I am looking for. I just want a place that I can worship at, be feed at and hopefully offer my talents serving at. What sounds simple has become complex. Why is this so hard? Here are some reasons…

Worship is a lost art. Please understand that I was a pastor who was on the contemporary band wagon early. I well remember the furor over inserting choruses and projecting the words on screens. So, don’t assume I am not “with it.” I do however think we have thrown out the baby with the bath water. This might discount me with a lot of you boys but frankly I miss the hymns of our faith. I love choruses but do we have to sing the same ones over and over again and again? And do you guys not believe in the omnipresence of God? The way you blast out the sound you must think God is deaf. Oh, its because I am now past 50 that I am complaining, is that what you are saying? This Sunday we are going to worship with our neighbors at a traditional UMC church. You know why? They know how to do Easter like it is suppose to be done.

Actually what I am looking for in worship is a place that appreciates BOTH hymns and choruses. I want a place where worship is just that, not a rock concert performance with laser lights and smoke. I want to follow a worship leader who actually leads instead of simply performing. It helps if I can actually hear myself sing! At this point we have not found that perfect match in worship.

Preaching. I need to hear the Word of God proclaimed. I left my last church because Sunday after Sunday I could Goggle on my Blackberry the pastors sermon and see where he bought it. Does no one preach original stuff any more? I want to hear what God has been showing you and telling you not what Ed Young preached last month.

This will shock my SBC friends but one of the best sermons I heard was given by a woman Methodist minister at my neighbors church. Oh my I have lost my conservative bearings huh? I might not still agree with women pastors but I have to hand it to her it was fresh stuff of what God had been speaking to her. It beats the store bought stuff most of you guys are cranking out. You can keep your slick videos and power points. Just give me fresh bread. Tell me what God is telling you!

Theology. I love you Methodist boys, and girls, but I just am too Baptist in my ways to join up with you. So, while I love my neighbors and think their church is fine ultimately theology does play into this for me. I can worship with most any evangelical church. I can not JOIN a church however that I do not agree with their theological positions. While I tend to be more Baptist in theology I find that most Baptist churches focus more on personal preference than true theological positions. All this makes me a “former” Baptist. There are not a whole lot of places left as a result.

Size. We went to North Point Community for a long time. I love Andy Stanley’s preaching. Yet no one knew me unless I happened to bump into a work associate among the other 17,000 people there. Then we worshiped at a church of about two hundred until just about a year ago. I loved that the pastor knew my name and I was greeted by name at the door. I served as an usher, worked in the nursery, led a small group and even wrote some small group materials for the church. Just my size of church. I believe that bigger is not always better. So, that wipes out a lot of choices for me.

Anyway, enough of this rant. You can see now a bit of my struggle. I have found lots of churches I could join and work with. Most however are clients of mine that are hundreds of miles from my house. So, the search continues.

In the mean time isn’t it time to rethink who church is being done?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. Prayers for our church search are appreciated!

Yesterday I spoke at the McKnight Group’s regional i3 conference at The Gathering Church in New Haven, IN. I spoke on the topic of Navigating Through the Mine Field of Project Development. I have posted thoughts about this topic many times here. The one thing that I was impressed with in talking to the churches in attendance was the fact that they were making plans. While many are looking around and thinking how bad things are here were churches seeing instead an opportunity. In some cases they were months out from initiating any new project. Yet they were dreaming, thinking, getting information and planning.

In over a decade of working in the stewardship field I would say that the biggest mistake churches make is waiting too long before they pull the trigger. Is it fear? Sometimes that is the case especially during recessions like the one we are going through. Ignorance? Sometimes, we need to realize that what we don’t know will hurt us. Laziness? While that might be harsh the truth is that many leaders are too busy with the tyranny of the urgent to do planning on the future. Project development is hard work and I find that sometimes we farm out that task because we simply don’t want the added work it entails. Sometimes the party or parties that the task gets assigned to do not have the same passion as the pastor has. Whatever the reason, too many leaders and churches put off planning for the future and pay dearly for that indecision.

The average project takes twelve to eighteen months from start to finish to build. You can count on at least six months to a year of preparation and planning before you ever break ground. There are architectural plans to be drawn up, zoning issues to deal with, financing to line up and funding to pay the financing back. All that takes time and planning. The dream you have today of a new project to enhance your ministry ability could take two years to realize. Do you have two years?

This is why wise churches are not letting this current economy stop them from moving forward. While starting construction today might not be the thing for you, planning for future facilities, if you are growing, is something to do today. What are you doing today to help achieve the dreams and visions God has given you?

Start planning!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group