If you are like me you are fed up with politicians. On a day when we needed answers they gave us rhetoric. Instead of working to gain support of both political parties leaders pointed fingers and cast blame. Whether it was the foolish speech of the Speaker or simply fear of the cost the bail out went down in flames. Then amazingly instead of continuing to work Congress recessed until Thursday! Instead of working on something new and better they hit the press trail blaming the other party.

Let’s be frank. Democrats have the majority of votes in both the House and the Senate. They have had control of both houses for the last two years. They can by sheer numbers pass legislation. 40% of the Democrats voted against this plan!

It is time to stop playing the blame game it is time for leadership! While you and I can not go to Washington vote we can do some things locally in each of our given areas of influence. We might not be able to affect the markets, investments, or the economy we must do something to protect our ministries so that they can continue forward. Here are some thoughts…

Admit the obvious. The economy is stressed and will continue to be so for the next year. The market is down, gasoline is up, credit is harder to come by and some have lost their jobs. We as leaders can not stick our heads in the sand and pretend it will all go away. You as a leader need to show that you do read more than the sports page. You have to be fully versed in what is affecting those in your ministry base.

Set it in context. In my post here yesterday I talked about how this was not the worst crisis we have seen. The press and politicians talk about that because it gets attention. However we have only to go back to the eighties and the S&L crisis to see historically what happened then and how the country did indeed recover. Barney Frank and John McCain both said that the fundamentals of our economy will see us through this time. History has proven them correct.

Your knowledge of the past and how the economy reacted can give you an edge in communicating hope to those in your ministry base. While we will indeed see some difficult times my feel is that we will not see bread lines and mass unemployment. We are not tottering on the brink of decline as a world power.

I hate to toot my own horn here but check the past postings here for additional information about where we are and our historical past.

Have a plan! What we in the public want from Washington is a plan. I don’t care at this point who is to blame I want it fixed. Blame can be assessed latter if that is needed at all. What your supporters want to know from you is what your plan is.

As a preacher I loved sub points so here goes some sub points under Have a plan!

Start with a compelling vision. People give to vision not brick and mortar. Good vision trumps bad economy. Give your people a reason to give and they will. Show them that their gift is making a difference and they will continue to give.

Trim your budget of any fluff. Smart ministries are watching their bottom line. Your donors will want to know that you are not be frivolous with money. When they are cutting their budgets it makes sense that you should cut yours. This sends a positive signal.

Teach stewardship. Frankly the churches that are experiencing a down turn in offerings are the ones that avoided teaching on stewardship or emphasizing an offering. You have to have a positive plan on how to teach stewardship. Show your members how giving will benefit them. As I have advocated in previous posts I would have a ministry like Crown or Financial Peace as part of what I offered to my members. It might not yield fruit for the present but long term it will make a difference.

Plan for the future. Don’t give up on the future! Continue to plan and execute for growth. We are about adding to the Kingdom. While it might take more creativity and time you can and should still move forward with growth. We know that this too shall pass. Will you be positioned to take advantage of that time?

Be a leader! That is my final point. We need leaders and you can start by leading in your area of influence. Don’t wait for someone else to lead you lead. Those that lead during these times of trouble will get the vote of their donors. Those that panic will lose. In the end what is our confidence in the markets or our great God?

While the future might be frightening to some for those of us who know the Lord we have confidence that whatever may come He is in control. He has our best in mind for us. This is not a time of panic but of placing our faith fully in Him.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

On Thursday as I was driving I was listening to a national show when a guest said, “This is the greatest crisis this country has faced in a hundred years.” Excuse me! Did this lady never read any American history? Has she never heard of THE Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, Pearl Harbor, The Cuban Missile Crisis or the assignation of JKF? I marvel at how we are talking ourselves into believing that we are tottering on the brink of disaster. We have faced worse times as a nation and we will probable face difficult times in the future. While the present economic time is a challenge it is not the worst crisis we have ever faced.

Consider the following:

Unemployment is currently at 6.5% nationally. However during The Great Depression it was at 25.2. From 1979 to 1982 it averaged 10.8%.

Interest rates are down at 5% or below. During the S&L crisis of the early 80’s interest rates climbed above 18%.

Current inflation is running just above 4%. During the recession of 82-83 it was at 14.4%!

I could go on but hopefully you get the point. While the current economic climate is indeed a challenge it is NOT anywhere near The Great Depression. Those in the press and the politician trying to gain the White House do the American public a disservice painting this dire forecast. We have gas lines here in Georgia we are told not only because the gas supply is limited but due to people topping off their tanks in FEAR that they MIGHT not have gas when they need it. Gas is here you just have to go at a time when the stations are open. Yet the panic on the street is creating lines and in some cases running up the price.

Congress appears finally ready to vote on the bail out plan today. Finally! What was three pages long initially will end up being a mountain of pages that only a lawyer can understand. I am convinced that I could have gotten five people in a room and come out with a better plan in half the time it took those bozo’s! This will settle things for the present and we can get on with our lives. The upshot of all this is that your retirement accounts will be safe and you can thus retire the thought that you might have to work the rest of your life.

So what is my point? That we all need a big chill pill! Those of us who are Christians especially need to realize that markets will fluctuate. The economy will grow and decline. Our confidence and hope is in the Lord God.

My friend Les Garrett is a tire dealer and a committed Christian. He gives counsel to many small businessmen in his community. Last week he told me several had come by his store wringing their hands about the current crisis. He pulled out the Bible and quoted them this verse, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” Psalm 20:7,8

Now is the time for Christian leaders to rise up and stand firm!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Yesterday I received a note that while very well written contained data on giving that was unsupportable. The note said this about giving “With average giving down across the board around 25% and receipts from capital campaigns down to around 50% of commitments, leveraging commitments and pledges with banks is just not happening.” While it is true that some banks are not allowing you to leverage campaign commitments the data in the note about giving was based upon hearsay not actual data. What sometimes happens is that numbers like this get used and quoted and before long accepted when in fact they are merely urban legend not reality.

I would concur that giving will be off this year. However I feel that a more realistic number for the drop will be in the 10% to 15% range. Here is a portion of my reply to this note based upon the research that I have been doing.

Giving Facts

The Southern Baptist on September 2, 2008 announced that giving was up .88% to their Denominations Cooperative Program from the same period as last year. The Cooperative Program gift total is an indicator of how individual churches are doing. When giving to churches is down the CP is down as well. While individual churches can and will be found that are suffering a decline overall the SBC seems to be weathering this storm.

A new study by LifeWay Research an arm of the SBC shows that 72 percent of Southern Baptist pastors indicate difficulties in the U.S. economy are affecting their churches negatively, yet 76 percent say offerings are at or above levels they had expected when drafting budgets several months ago.

The SBC is one of two growing denominations along with the Assembly of God. Also of the top 100 churches in America many are SBC churches as well as AG churches. They continue to grow and thrive.

I have talked with a representative of the Assembly of God and his report was that they might see a 10% decline in pledges to campaigns and a slight decrease in over all giving but that giving at most churches remained steady.

The churches that we are working with are on pace with seeing gifts from pledges coming in. While some might lag a bit none are 50% behind like the note stated. In fact nearly all were ahead of where they should be at this point in their campaigns. Again while our number pool is small, throughout the industry as I talk to others they are seeing essentially the same thing. Giving to campaigns is steady as usual. We see no reason NOT to expect a 70% to 80% return on campaign commitments.

We are seeing a decline in what is being pledged as much as 30% and in a few cases by 50%. However those ministries are the exception rather than the norm. Of the stewardship firms that I have talked to they are still seeing good commitments to campaigns.

From my searches of all religious periodicals and denominational sites none are reporting the kind of decline that was alluded to in the note. Again, a few might be seeing this kind of a decline but over all while seeing some declines churches are weathering this storm.

IF there was a 25% decline in giving we would be seeing mass lay offs and extreme cut backs in ministry that would be generating press attention. We are not seeing this as of yet.

Avoiding Panic

My reaction to the note, which on the whole was excellent, might seem severe. However, my fear in this climate is that we panic. It is too easy given the political year that we are in to allow negative press and bad numbers to deter us from God’s best. While never advising leaders to stick their heads in the sand I do want to make sure that they respond with good data not panic.

Our position at The Charis Group is that though giving will indeed be off it is not in and of itself reason for delaying what God has in store for you and your ministry. Now is the time for leadership and properly understanding the times we live in is essential. It is to that end that this blog is dedicated. To give you solid advice and answers to the challenges before us. We have in other economically challenged times weathered the storm and we will weather this one as well.

How you respond to this time will teach more than any sermon or lesson you ever give. Respond in faith and God will reward you!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

It is an American tradition to play Monday morning quarterback. We love to talk about what went wrong with our team and what the coach or players should have done. If only they had listened to us then the outcome would have been different. Everyone is perfect as a Monday morning quarterback. The only problem is that the game we dissect is not played on Monday but Saturday and Sunday.

Today in the financial and political world there is a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking going on. As I mentioned in an earlier post we love to play the blame game. We think that it helps take the pressure off of us by placing it on someone or something else. So, in the next few days you will see a lot of posturing about who is to blame, who sounded the alarm but was ignored and what we should have done to avoid the mess that just about happened.

So, in that great American tradition here is my Monday morning quarterback calls followed by practical advice to keep you in the game when others lose out.

First who or what is to blame for the near melt down on Wall Street? Here are my views of why this all happened.

Unchecked greed. I believe there is a lot of blame to throw around and we the American people have a share in that quest for quick riches as well. The idea that you could make a killing on Wall Street has been around for a long time but in these last few years it has been overly hyped. You have scores of seminars and books out there on how to get rich quick. Either by paying nothing down for real estate or stocks many have tried to build wealth by risky methods.

The current meltdown is extremely technical to understand when you throw in terms like credit default swaps, hedge funds, short selling and derivatives. The bottom line for me is that too many took too much risk to gain huge profits. About the only ones who seem to have made money on this are the CEO’s who ran these companies in the ground and certain politicians that received huge amounts of money from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. As the old saying goes, “follow the money.”

So for me the fault with our government was that it did not step in to check this greed on the Street sooner. It could be that too many politicians owed too much to groups that were pouring money into their reelection accounts but for whatever reason it went unchecked. Ultimately we the people are to blame here for not holding our politicians accountable.

Unrealistic expectations. I could go on and on about this one as there are so many that are guilty. While everyone ought to want home ownership Americans are often unrealistic in what they need and what they can afford. Having kids share a bedroom fifty years ago was standard today we think that is parental abuse. So, we buy houses that are huge with even larger mortgages. Then when we can not pay for it we blame the bank that loaned us the money. The bank was stupid to loan the money in the first place but we have no one to blame but ourselves.

As a result of watching too much television we have lost a sense of what is realistic in terms of financial peace and happiness. We want more and we want it now! The Apostle Paul’s words in I Timothy 6:6-10 are especially instructive. Here is what it says…

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Ok, enough blame what advice do I have? Here are some thoughts…

Invest for the long term. In one of my last posts I talked about how the market over time has always gone up. If you evaluate your 401K only on the basis of the last year it is indeed discouraging. However taking a long view of things your investments will pay off and be there for you in retirement. The fundamentals are indeed strong and this present down turn shall pass.

Diversify your investments. Every good financial planner will tell you this. Almost all 401K’s allow you to do this. You should have a portion of your portfolio in aggressive funds, and a portion in safe funds. The people that are suffering the most, who have lost the most are those that gambled the most. Play it safe and you will have money for the future. Gamble on today’s get rich investment and you might be working until 80!

Save, save and save some more! We have worked long and hard to save up at least six months living expense. The tragedy of most Americans today is that they do not have any savings to speak of. Start a budget today so that come what may in the future you do have money to fall back on.

Place your trust in God not your investments. At the end of the day what I have my trust in will dictate how I feel. If your trust is in God then you can weather this storm. If your trust is in your 401K then you are in for some tough times. How you responded to the market dropping suddenly last week tells a lot about where your real trust is.

I believe by following these simply truths you can avoid the pain that many are feeling today. For those of us in leadership we must realize that we can never lead our people where we ourselves have not gone. Let’s step up and provide good leadership for our people in these trying times.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Barack Obama seized upon John McCain’s remark that the “fundamentals” of the economy were strong. It made for a good media show and probable gave him back a slim lead that he had lost in the last week or so in the polls. CNN’s Candy Crawley stated that the current crisis is just what Obama wanted. I have been saying for months that the current economic challenges are actually made worse by politicians looking for issues that will cause voters to support them.

I felt like McCain was attempting to reassure Americans while Obama was trying to scare Americans. The bottom line is that the party out of the White House will always make things look bleak so that you will vote them into the White House. Frankly the Democrats want you to panic but don’t.

While Obama bashes McCain’s comment about the “fundamentals of the economy” my financial advisers have sent out notices to assure me that the fundamentals of investing will still work for me. I have two retirement funds. One fund I contributed to for 20 years as a pastor of Southern Baptist Churches. It’s called Guidestone Financial Services. I have another 401K with Oppenheimer that I started three years ago when I started my new company. Both funds have lost significant amounts due to the decline in the market. However each of firms have released statements to assure me that the fundamentals of my investment are still strong.

Avoiding shaky investments

The essence of each note is that the fund managers over seeing my money did not invest in the risky investments that are the cause of the current crisis. In their greed some have tried to get rich quick with questionable investments. Those that followed them down that path are now looking at serious losses. I am pleased that none of my funds were in those types of investments. Again the point each of my retirement accounts made was that IF you had invested wisely and safely you could still expect in the long run to see a return on your profit. In short they are saying the fundamentals are there for a full recovery.

Historical lessons for future investing

Indeed listen to what Roy Hayhurst of Guidestone says, “Consider that over long time periods the stock market has been friendly, yielding many more positive returns than negative ones. One industry research firm, Ned Davis Research Inc., looked at stock performance over an 80-year period, 1926 and 2006, and found:

1) 88% of the five-year periods and 97% of the 10-year periods yielded positive returns.

2) 100% of the 20-year periods yielded a positive return.

Essentially, the company found, an investor could choose any five-year period of time between 1926 and 2006, and almost nine out of 10 would show growth in an investor’s portfolio. While past performance is no guarantee of future performance, the market itself has been resilient through the years.”

Sound advice

Consider the following sound advice that was given in the Guidestone press release yesterday. “Certainly, many investors are alarmed by what happened with the markets Monday,” said Rodric E. Cummins, chief investment officer of GuideStone Financial Resources. “The important thing for investors is to remain calm, consider your financial goals and not to let your emotions guide investment decisions.”

GuideStone continues to stress important principles for navigating today’s troubled markets:

– Always focus on your objectives, not your emotions.

– Avoid making impulsive decisions.

– Don’t count your losses.

– Maintain realistic expectations about market behavior.

The bottom line is that indeed the “fundamentals” will help this all turn around. We have been through times like this before and we have recovered. We will recover from this as well. Don’t let some politicians set your agenda with his fear tactics. Fear and panic will only lead to further bad decisions. While I don’t like seeing my retirement account diminish in the short term I have faith that in the long run the fundamentals will assure me a future in my old age.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden recently released his tax records which showed a dismal giving record. Guys like him talk a good game and castigate the party in opposition to him yet do little or nothing themselves.

By the way the Obama’s gave a paltry amount to charity before he became a US Senator and started his bid for the White House. The man who talks a lot about helping his community gave less than 1% to charities. This despite the fact that his wife was making significant dollars. They now report giving a bit above 5%.

McCain gave double digits to charity but many question if that is true given the wealth of his wife. At least on his tax form he did give putting his money where his mouth is.

Talk is cheap. To hear some politicians talk you would think that they are the only ones that ever serve or give. The facts are that conservatives give far more than liberals do and give more time to service than liberals.

Two recent reports bear this out. One is the recent release by scholar Arthur Brooks entitled, “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compasionate Conservatism Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.” His study shows that conservatives give more than liberals do.

Another recent study commissioned by AARP found that the rate of volunteering is highest among those who attend religious services regularly 86% and evangelical Christians 80%. What was also amazing in this study is that they found that 83% of the Republicans said they volunteered for an organization in the last year, while only 67% of the Democrats said the same.

The left talks a good game they just don’t always back that talk up with action. The Al Gore’s of the world will chide you for your SUV while he flies around on his private jet and sips tea on his new 100 boat. Then when the light of discovery is shined upon them they cry foul. Maybe if the spot light of public scrutiny is shined upon the elite they might change their ways and actually do what they advocate. In the end that kind of leadership might inspire others to start giving.

Think that is mean spirited? Well tell me how many hospitals have the name Baptist, Catholic, Methodist on them compared with names like Humanist General? Who built all those colleges the liberals love to go to? Without the hard working gracious philanthropy of Christians where would our country be?

That’s my rant for the day.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Yesterday the market dropped over 500 points. Financial institutions once thought bastions of stability are filing for protection or looking for someone to buy them out. The press held a field day talking about the demise. The politicians pointed fingers at one another and then attacked the attacks of the other. You and I opened up our 401K’s today and wondered if we ever would be able to retire. So with all this bad news what should we do. Well for one, don’t panic. It might be depressing but it is not The Great Depression.

As you a Christian leader approach this challenging time what should you be doing to help your followers put the present situation in context? Here are some thoughts.

1. God is still in control! One of the great things about our faith is that it allows us to weather whatever storm is thrown our way. This present situation did not sneak up on God. While it might cause some discomfort and delay in our plans and dreams ultimately every situation like this reminds us that our trust is not in the market but in the Eternal God of the Universe. Whatever happens on Wall Street today I can have confidence that it will not knock God off his throne.

2. Crisis while uncomfortable, always cleanses and prepares us. No one likes to go through difficult times. However as finite humans without conflict in our lives we are prone to wonder in our affection and attention. Times like these have a way of cleansing away the dross in our lives and preparing us for God’s greater good in our lives. Pruning the vine might be painful in the short term but in the long run it does produce a greater harvest.

3. God will always humble the proud and oppose the greedy. Everyone is pointing fingers today as to who fault this all is. As I posted yesterday people love to play the blame game. The truth of the matter is that the underlying problem is our greed. While I don’t rejoice in the pain that this is causing the common person on the street I can hope that everyone learns from this hard lesson. Sometimes we hard headed humans have to be knocked in the head before we wake up.

4. This too shall pass! As bad as this seems we will survive this. In fact no matter who gets elected I predict in a year’s time this will all be a memory. Historically we have always bounced back and I have faith that we will do so once again. While my 401K took a hit yesterday I know that long term it will rebound. Even if it does not my hope is not in my treasure in some bank but in my treasure in heaven.

Knowing Him and knowing that He is in control gives me ultimate peace amidst the economic storms that might gather. As leaders we owe it to our people to help them put things into perspective and to bring them hope. If I were preaching this week I think I would focus on some of these things.

Just a thought…

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Baseball might be our national pass time and football our passion but playing the blame game could be Americans favorite sport. As we move through this frenzied political campaign process more and more accusations and counter accusations will be hurled about. One thing batted around like a volley ball is the blame for the current economic decline. If you are a Democrat its Bush’s fault. If you are a Republican its the government regulations of the Democratically controlled Congress. If you are the average Joe you might not know who to blame you just know things are not what they were a few years back. Whoever is to blame we are looking for that scapegoat so we can tar and feather him.

A friend of mine a few weeks ago said, “Its the banks fault.” When I asked how that could be he said, “The banks loaned all these people money that they should not have and now they are in trouble.” In essence there is some truth to that claim yet in and of itself that is not the answer. In my opinion there is blame enough to go around to everyone including ourselves. Yet the very essence of looking for a scape goat is a defense mechanism we use to deflect blame away from the uncomfortable truth that we might be to blame.

I often contended that in most divorces while one party might be ultimately at fault it was usually a two way street. Granted one side might have one lane and the other eight lanes of fault but it typically took two to get the marriage in trouble. My contention is that you can not ultimately blame banks, though they do seem to lack some common business sense, you need to blame our greed.

One case in point revolves around a bedroom community of Atlanta. A popular talk show hostess told her audience it was a good place for minorities to settle to. Upward minorities flooded the town buying million dollar plus properties. They were asking for and getting 105% loans on the appraised value of their homes. Even a freshman economics major could have seen that this was a disaster waiting to happen for any one white, brown or black. Yet banks loaned them the money, the market started down and the now they are upside down in a house that has lost 20% or more of its value. Who is to blame? I would say both share blame. The bank loan officer was stupid to give the loan. However no one had a gun to the home owners making them buy a fancy house way beyond their means. Greed drove both to make a bad decision!

Its time we stop playing the blame game and own up to the fact that our greed got the best of us. The bottom line is greed a sine the Bible has much to say. Preaching that might be unpopular but it is the truth.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

P.S. Speaking of blame consider this from the Wall Street Journal. “As fond as Democrats are of saying how poorly stocks have performed under George W. Bush, here’s a sobering fact: Stocks averaged 14.1% return in those Bush years when Republicans controlled Congress - and when Democrats go in there and mucked things up, the average has been a loss of 8.9%. That’s not even including 2008 year-to-date, which doesn’t look so pretty.”

Almost daily we are seeing headlines about another bank either closing or in trouble. For the last few days the crisis at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have grabbed the headlines. Lehman, Washington Mutual and others are under the gun as well. We may have not seen the end of this yet.

A lot of people want to play the blame game. Are banks at fault for extending questionable loans to people who might not truly have qualified? Do you blame the individuals for wanting more home than they could rightfully afford? Frankly I think its a two way street and both are to blame. However pointing fingers doesn’t get us out of the crisis.

What does this all mean for you and your ministry? While I am not a banker and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn last night I do have some observations and thoughts. I base these thoughts on my conversations with bankers and churches attempting to get loans. Here is what you can expect.

Banks will be more cautious before they approve any loans including yours. Banks are feeling the pressure like never before. As a result of some making unwise decisions and loans all banks are being much more cautious than in years past. Don’t expect them to be lining up at your door with bags of money.

It will take longer for you to get a loan. Expect the time it takes you to acquire a loan to double. We have had banks tell churches that if it was a year ago they would already have their money. Now however banks are slowing the process down.

You will have to provide more proof than ever before that you are a good risk. We are seeing banks ask for at least three years of financial giving data. As we approach a year where giving to charities and churches is in decline this will make it even more difficult to provide three consecutive years of growth. Not only are banks looking for a solid year to year growth they want churches to have a cash reserve. This new wrinkle from years gone by will present a challenge to ministries that often spend money as fast as it comes in. Move now to begin a reserve account to show you are a good risk.

Banks are demanding that churches hold and finish their capital campaign before they will loan them money. Having a campaign is no longer an option. Banks are requiring churches to launch a campaign first and then after the results seeing what they can and will loan the church. This makes doing a campaign right the first time even more imperative.

Rates will probably remain low for the time being but money will be tight. The good news is that the rates are low. The bad news is that there are few loans out there. Banks will only loan so much money to churches. Make sure you are first in line to get what money is out there!

So what should you do? Here are some thoughts…

* Start immediately to get your financial house in order.
* Build a solid financial package to present to banks showing you are a good risk.
* Talk to several banks finding out what they will require and how much they might loan you.
* Don’t wait to begin planning the capital stewardship campaign.
* Build a healthy stewardship climate in your ministry for long term success.
* Don’t get discouraged and whatever you do don’t give up!

While the field in front of us is littered with bodies and land mines churches are still acquiring loans. It might be tougher than it was even last year but it can be done. If God initiated this you can be assured that He will provide a way to accomplish it!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Philanthropy Today released data on where charitable dollars go. For we in the religious arena the good news is that the vast majority of gifts go to religion. For instance 67% of gifts from households with incomes of less than $100,000 go to religious causes. However as one moves up the income level religion gets a smaller percentage. For those above $1 million or more education and health causes receive their donations. The breakdown for religious donations are as follows:

Less than $100K - 66.7%
$100K to $199K - 57.3%
$200K to 999,999 - 23.0%
Over $1 million - 16.9%

What is also interesting to note is that only 2% of gifts of $1 million dollars or more go to religious causes. 44% of those types of gifts go to education. Health and medical gets 16% of those types of gifts. Arts and culture is the only other category in double digits at 12%. Also reported is that giving by family foundations only contributes 2% to religious causes.

What does this mean for you? For one thing you better be teaching stewardship on a regular basis. It also teaches you that your base is what will make or break your budget. There are few if any sugar daddies in the church to bank roll your budget or project.

Another thing that this data shows however is that we in the church have done a poor job of relating to, attracting and ministering to the wealthy of this land. Wealthy people need Jesus too and it just might result in them donating money to your cause!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group