This past week I had two presentations to two different churches. Each of those churches were also interviewing other stewardship firms. As much as I love my job the one thing I hate is the “selling” side of what we do. I have always hated that about my industry and that is one reason why I do not have a sales force. I came to this position after listening to salesmen in my industry say just about anything to get a contract even when they knew they could not deliver on the promises they made. At The Charis Group we live by the mantra “We would rather tell you the truth and lose your business than just take your money.”

So, I am a bad salesman sales people tell me. They don’t come right out and say it but in part they say I am too honest or I say more than I should. My position is that I would rather tell you everything up front than have to explain later why I did not find it needful for you to know that few churches pledge four times their budget.

One of the other problems I run into are questions that seem to be good questions but in fact are not. I get asked a lot, “What exactly will the campaign look like?” My answer is it depends on a variety of factors. That gets a quizzical look from those across the table from me. I then explain that we simply don’t roll out a set program for churches. While I know some things about a church at that point I do not know enough to consult for them what a successful campaign for them will look like. Any one that easily answers that question is not building a partnership with you but simply rolling out a pre set program with your name on it. You can buy those online for a lot less than that company is charging you.

Its a distinctive that few in my industry either understand or want to take the time to offer. Some are trapped into the belief that getting people involved in some task will automatically get their commitment to the campaign. That might have worked forty years ago. I don’t think it works in today’s society. Other companies roll out programs because they are simply easy to do. They put on a show of personalizing it for you. They might even give you a personalized website to go to. In the end its just smoke and mirrors for a pre programmed approach. I know I over saw that approach for years.

I am praying that my industry will make some changes. Two of the largest have recently been purchased by new owners. Now is the time to change what was broken. Here specifically are the things I think need changing.

Eliminate salesmen from the process making all consultants “sell” what they work and stay with the church from beginning to end. This will eliminate over selling what we can do and eliminate the feeling of many churches that they were baited and switched. It would also help make follow up a smoother transition.

Cap the number of churches a consultant can work in one calendar year to no more than 10 evenly divided between Spring and Fall. The dirty little secret of my industry is that most consultants work far too many churches. As a result they are on site less and simply can not properly meet all the needs of a church. They are over worked and under paid. Too many of the large firms have the top dogs making incredible amounts of money while the average consultant takes on too many churches to make a good living. Always ask your consultant how many churches he works in a calendar year and then ask for the list and then call the list!

Create true partnerships not simply cranking out programs. Almost anyone can take a program and make it work. There are some out there. The value of the stewardship firm you choose is not the companies name or how long they have been around but the consultant assigned to you. Can he think creatively? What pastors and church leaders need today is not another program but someone to help them through the process. Sadly too many companies in my industry either do not have the skill set necessary or the willingness to do what needs to be done.

Treat smaller churches with the same respect as large churches. Some companies do follow some of the things I have advocated but only for the Super Mega churches they serve. The rest get a program. Why is it that Pastor Big Church deserves or needs more attention than the guy slaving away at the church running a few hundred or less? I will never forget sitting in Joel Osteen’s dinning room one day and then a couple of days later being with a pastor that the previous Sunday had run just over 200 in attendance. It was a reminder by the Holy Spirit that both men needed help.

So, while the presidents of the other firms probable won’t or don’t read this it is none the less my cry for a revolution. Let’s start giving the church what they truly need. Now is the time to rethink and retool our industry so that we might be better stewards of the gift God has given us. If we say we are in this for ministry then should we not do that despite what the cost might be? Lets stop writing books about integrity and simply be men and companies of integrity. Maybe then instead of ignoring us when we call pastors will actually want to talk to us.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

If only I could accurately predict the end of this current recession. I could buy that beach front house I fantasize about! Everyone wants it to end but no one knows when it will end. Early on as the economy started its downward slide I determined to find out everything I could about recessions and especially their impact upon giving to churches. I did this in part as a service to the churches we serve but also in writing my book, “Recession Proof Your Offerings.” I joked with a pastor a few months back that I have gone from reading commentaries of various books of the Bible to reading commentaries about economics. Along the way I have learned a few things that might give you some insight into where we are in terms of this recession.

The experts have no clue. You can find any opinion you want to out there about where this recession is and how much longer it will go. There are those that are still wringing their hands saying the worst is ahead and others who see it about to end. I have come to the conclusion that much like the weather, we can sort of predict patterns and trends but there is no accurate forecast of our economic future. I always remember the petroleum executive that told me last summer that the price of oil per barrel would absolutely hit $200. It got as high as about $147 and then plunged downward. Everyone was wrong including the experts.

The experts won’t go away. Guys like Jim Cramer can get things totally wrong and still sell books and stay on TV. Even though economists have lost a lot of respect with people they will still be out there telling us what they supposedly know. Forgive me but I am a bit tainted now.

The recession was not helped by Washington. Both parties stunk up the place on this. If we are honest, there are few that are, we need to admit that politicians used the recession to their advantage. In the end the American public has an even lower opinion of politicians than before. History will judge both parties harshly in terms of what they did do and did not do.

We have short historical memories. I love history. I read histories like a lonely woman reads romance novels. Sadly, most Americans, including our politicians do not know or understand our economic history. Repeatedly I have contended that this is not The Great Depression but is a recession, one of many since WWII. In fact years from now I believe this recession will be written as much like the recession of the early 1980’s. As bad as it is now it is not as bad as it was in the early 1980’s. While we are indeed experiencing economic stress today we are nowhere near seeing the things we saw in the 1930’s. If you doubt me ask someone that lived through that.

The end is in sight, maybe. See I just did what all good economist do, qualify my statements. I truly do believe that we are seeing the beginnings of recovery. Here is what we need to understand. Recession do not begin over night and they do not end over night. We got into this region by region and sector by sector. We will get out the same way. Some regions of our country will experience a recession longer than others. Some sectors will take longer to recover than others. I do believe we will see recovery beginning in late summer or early fall but full recovery will not be until 2010.

So what does this mean for churches? Here are some predictions…

Giving will remain flat. Some churches will see a decline and others will see increases. Over all the mood of the country will be cautious. Those churches that cast a compelling vision will see their giving remain steady. Those that do not will see declines as members will put their spare dollars under the mattress. Much like consumer confidence members are often impacted by what they see and hear in the media. I believe the long term impact of this recession is that churches will have to work harder to gain and keep good stewards.

We have an opportunity. Who better to provide hope and answers than the Church of the Lord Jesus? Smart churches will present not only members but the public with wise help and counsel on how to manage their finances. The church has been a leader in this area and will continue that leadership. Crown Ministry and Financial Peace or some other program should be a mainstay offering of every church in America. Then when the next recession comes the church will be better equipped to weather that storm.

God is still on His throne! I may not understand the book of Revelation but I do understand one thing, our team wins! God did not slide off his throne as your 401K slide backward. So, stop whining and start preaching and declaring the Good News. If the Christians of the first century could find joy and happiness while in chains do you not think we can experience the same even if we have to downsize dinner from Outback to McDonald’s? Let’s start proclaiming what really matters in life.

So, there you have it. My take on where we are and what is ahead. If you want you can send this to me in a few months to see how I have done. One thing I do know, that unless Jesus returns, we will all be ok doing what God has called us to do. Life will go on. If Jesus returns we will be even better! Even so come Lord Jesus!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

In my ten plus years of working in the stewardship ministry the one question I hear all the time is, “Can you relate to us?” “Do you understand our uniqueness, what drives us?” That is what they are asking. The answer is of course! The reality is though that there are few churches that I have ever run into that are all that different from the next. Oh, for sure the traditional churches with the robes and hymns are vastly different in appearance than the guy preaching in jeans and singing Hillsong music with laser lights and generated smoke. Yet strip away the outward appearance and mission statements look almost identical.

I was once asked by a ethnic church if I had ever worked with a church of their type. “Sign the contract and you can be first,” I said. They all laughed but at the end of the day I had to show that I could add value to them despite being the white fifty year old dude who lived in Atlanta. In my nearly eleven years of doing this I have worked with traditional to contemporary, white, black, brown and yellow churches. The largest in North American and some of the smallest. How can I pull this off? The focus is on values and principles.

So, after all these years here are some things I have learned…

Contemporary churches all claim to be different but at heart they are all the same. This might be met with a huge push back from some of you guys that actually read my stuff. Yet its true. I can not tell you how many times a church has almost demanded that I attend their service so that I can see for myself how different they are. What I find is that they are just like everyone else in the so called contemporary model. In fact, I usually listen to the same sermon I heard a few months earlier at another church as both pastors subscribe to the same sermon service. This is not to be critical but to simply point out again that at heart the differences are more about style than substance particularly if you are comparing this movement to the larger evangelical church movement. Sure, if you compare them to the ultra traditional robe wearing clergy reading the denominational sermon for the week there is a difference.

It takes all kinds of approaches to reach this lost world. We need to realize that our approach is not the only approach. Give the denominational guy some grace that he is where God has called him to be. Give the contemporary guy some grace that he too is where God has called him to be. So you don’t like hymns that does not make them wrong. If you don’t like to sing a chorus at church that does not make them wrong. We need to stop making our preferences principles that everyone must adhere to. I think I remember Paul saying, “I have become all things to all men.” So, give some grace and support to those that are different from you and recognize that they too are doing Kingdom work.

Each approach while working for some is failing over all to evangelize America. All you have to do to understand this is one, read George Barna’s studies and two watch TV and get on the internet. The Southern Baptist are all upset as their current president has stated the obvious, they are not reaching people for Christ and need to rethink and retool. Everyone then gets defensive of their turf. If we are honest we are making only a slight dent in the number of truly lost people. While some churches grow as the hottest new thing if you look hard you will find that the number of true conversions are small. We are quickly falling behind and seeing our nation become ever more secular. There are few pockets where this is not the case but if we are honest over all we are losing ground.

We need to recognize that what we need is not a new approach but a fresh anointing. I am all for trying more effective approaches. I simply think we need to realize that unless the Lord builds the house we labor in vain. Scripture says, “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit.” I fear that at times we forget that.

So, can I relate to you and your church? Do you have a heart to reach people for Christ? Do you long to have a church where sinners are welcomed and God’s people are ministered to? Do you want help in meeting those ministry goals that God has given you? Then yes I can relate to you.

Apparently the ethnic church that wanted to know if I had ever worked with a church like theirs agreed because they signed the contract. We just finished a very successful campaign. I treated them like I treat all churches. Their vision is not really different from the white church down the street or the African American church down the road. You treat people like people, focus on Kingdom principles and show up with a blank sheet of paper asking how can I help?

If that is the kind of partnership you need then give us a call.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Ever hear the story about seeing a car driving without its lights on? You were told NOT to blink your lights at them as it was a gang initiation and if flashed your lights they would then track you down and kill you. It sounded true and it certainly scared a lot of people. There was only one problem, it was an urban legend. Never happened. Snopes.com busted that myth. Yet it still gets repeated.

Myths and urban legends can sometimes filter over into the church. Remember the rumor that Proctor and Gambles Man in the Moon symbol was satanic? It was not true but it caused a lot of damage. While some myths and urban legends are funny others do real damage. There are a host of what I call Church Myths that can and do harm churches particularly in the area of stewardship. The book that I am working on, “Killer Myths: How Myths and Urban Legends Kill Your Giving Potential” deals with this topic.

I found an article in “Fast Company” magazine that talked about the power of myths and urban legend. They used the gang story I began with to illustrate the power of an idea even if it is wrong. Here are some quotes from the article Getting Your Ideas to Fly…

Why is the gang-initiation tale so irresistible to pass on? Notice a few things about the idea. It’s emotional - in fact, if you believe it it’s terrifying. The French psychologist Bernard Rime’ has found that people almost compulsively share emotional experiences (both positive and negative), and the more intense the emotion, the more likely they are to talk about it.

There’s another emotional angle: When someone shares this legend with you, they feel like they’re doing you a public service. They might believe they are saving your life.

The point of the article was getting your message out not exposing myths. Yet I was struck by the confirmation of how myths are perpetrated. In my experience in the stewardship field I can not tell you how many times statements that can not be supported get repeated. It seems that the more they get told the more credibility others give to the statement until it too becomes an urban legend or what I call a Church Myth.

So, what is the harm? The danger is that myths, half truths and church legends left unchecked can harm your ministry. It is the premise of my book that incorrect data from myths, half truths and church legends leads leaders and ministries to faulty conclusions. Faulty conclusions lead to inaccurate and ineffective actions. This often results in loss of momentum, loss of time and ultimately loss of funding.

What urban legends or church myths might you be falling prey to? You can always protect yourself by asking a few probing questions. Make those that make statements as fact prove where they got those facts. Many times you will stump them as they have to admit it was simply something they heard from another friend. Fact checking is not just a good practice to put politicians through it is also good for the church. Guess what? It is good for you to fact check stewardship firms.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

What plan do you have in place that will keep your giving steady throughout this summer? If you have not thought about that now is the time to put together a strategy to garner the financial support needed to make it through the usual summer slump. If you are like most pastors you have been pressed by so many other factors and demands that you have probably not even thought about the impact of summer upon your giving. If you don’t make plans now to whether the storm of summer you will not have the needed finances to fuel those summer ministry plans you have made.

While we are seeing a glimmer of hope that the recession is receding most churches are still seeing their giving facing series challenges. This trend will continue throughout this year. Daily we will see ups and downs in the market and in the confidence of Americans in the economy. One day will bring good news of recovery and the next day bad news will smash those hopes. The end result is that your donors will continue to be cautious about where they spend their money and that includes your offering plate! When you add to this the usual summer slump in giving you could have a perfect storm brewing that might severely dampen your ability to fund ministry.

While summer is all but upon us it is not too late to put together a plan of action. Here are some recommendations for your consideration.

Honest assessment of your giving status. Take a honest realistic view of where you stand with regards to your giving to date and your budgeted needs. If you are already several thousands of dollars behind it is time to be honest that you will not make up the difference. Any budget short fall that is more than 10% is a sign that you will in all probability not make the budget you set. So, admit the obvious and adjust your budget now. A mid year review can save you from unrealistic pressures and demands in the fourth quarter of your budget year. Making further cuts might be tough but its better to admit the truth now than to live in a fantasy world of make believe.

Gather your leaders for an upbeat time of vision casting and challenge. It all begins and ends with your leaders. Tell me where they are and I can tell you how you will do for the rest of the year. While it might make us sad the reality is that the top 10% to 15% of your donor base, your leaders, will comprise 80% or more of your donations. So, get out the ice cream maker, have a Leadership Summit with these people. Inspire them with your vision, thank them for their support and challenge them to stay strong in their giving. How they respond this summer will make the difference in whether you can keep that ministry or not. Don’t neglect this key group.

Take the top ten donors out to lunch. Ask your financial secretary to give you by alphabetical listing the top ten donors of your ministry. Then take them to lunch or meet them for coffee to simply touch base with them. You don’t have to ask them for a dime just meet with them and share your heart. Ask how you can pray for them and how best you can minister to them. Don’t announce that you are taking the top ten out just do it. You will be amazed at what this personal touch could mean for your giving.

Use the mail. Direct mail works. Why do you think you get all those requests in the mail from so many ministries asking you to give? It has worked for them and it can work for you. I would have a planned series of direct mail letters to send out to all my members. Each letter would have an envelope with a postage paid stamp on it where they could send in their contribution. If you don’t directly ask for your members money this summer don’t be surprised when they give it to Mickey at Disney World!

Use the platform. Don’t beg from the platform for money but don’t go the other way and not say a thing. Use the time each Sunday wisely to update the members on where you are and the needs in front of you. Always remember this, good vision trumps bad economy. Give people a reason to give and they will give. Begging won’t fill the offering plate. Showing people real needs and real progress of your ministry and then asking them to financially support what you are doing will fill the plate.

Get on your knees. Build everything of your plan around the power of prayer. Plans are great but unless the Lord builds the house we labor in vain. I would attack my budget by not only praying myself but challenging all my prayer warriors to take up your giving as a point of prayer. The economy is weak but our God is not. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest!

These are just a few ideas that could mean all the difference in the world. You might have some other ideas that will work better for you. The point of this post is to get you thinking about some sort of plan. When we have no plan of action we should not be surprised in a giving decline. So, what is your plan?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

As I awoke today in Hawaii at 5 AM the Stock Market was already in the red reacting to the news that retail sales were down for April. It does not take much to set the market in decline these days. It is so volatile that any bad news can cause it to decline. I am always amazed at the reaction of people who should know better. Sadly the Market’s reaction is mirrored by much of the American public. What has been even more disheartening to me is how this emotional roller coaster has effected the Church.

At the beginning of this recession I determined to study and read all I could about what is going on and perhaps what to expect. Frankly for some one who would rather read the sports page it was tough sledding to stay awake at times. Want to get to sleep? Get an economics book for bed time reading! Yet what I have learned I do believe has helped me learn some lessons. So here are some things to ponder as we are still in this current recession.

Recessions come like clockwork. This is not our first and this will not be our last. We have poor memories when it comes to history. As this recession hit the bottom all you heard about was The Great Depression. This is not a depression it is a recession. Brian Wesbury and Robert Stein in their Monday Morning update said this, “this is not the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. It reminds us more of the banking crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, when bank loans to farms, oil, and Latin America went bad all at once. On a mark-to-market basis, every money center bank was bankrupt in the early 1980s.” Fifty years from now when their is no political hay to make of this current recession the historians will record that this recession mirrored the recession of the early ’80’s.

Recessions happen region by region and job sector by job sector. Conversely you get out of a recession region by region and sector by sector. There will not be some switch we hit that will make it all go away. In fact we will not even know when the recession has ended until months after. Remember for much of 2008 we were told that we were not “technically” in a recession. While we want there to be a point in the road up ahead that we can focus on there will not be one. Little by little we will see our way out of this. Some months will bring upswings and some months, like April’s decline in retail sales, will show downswings.

We have a ways to go before we are out of the woods. I do believe we have hit the bottom and are on the way up. Yet it will take us some time to get back to where we were. So, we need to relax and take bad news like April’s decline in retail sales with a grain of salt. The fundamentals are working and we will recover.

What does this mean for your ministry? It means you too can make it through this time. While you may have to make some tough decisions you can weather this storm. You will learn lessons that will make you more stable for the next recession. Hopefully above all it has caused you to trust more fully upon the Lord God.

If there has been a point of disappointment for me in this all it has been the fear and lack of trust I have seen in Christian leaders. We must understand the times we live in and provide good leadership for those around us. So, perhaps you need to get your head out of the commentary and read the business section from time to time. Or you could just subscribe to my blog. Better yet go to our website, www.TheCharisGroup.org click on the button that says, Free Book and get my book “Recession Proof Your Offerings.”

Now, the sun is coming up and the surf is pounding out my back door and I have done enough work for one day. After all I am on vacation in Hawaii!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Stewardship Coach

The Barna Group released a study today that found both pastors and church members struggle in terms of how to define spiritual maturity. The study is worth reading and I am sure will spark debate among Christian leaders as to why this struggle exists. What was evident from the study was that too often pastors and other Christian leaders frankly do not know how to define spiritual maturity.

I found this finding interesting, “Most Christians equate spiritual maturity with following the rules.” I think that most of us can identify with that. I was thankfully raised in a Christian home. Church was not an option in fact we were there three times a week. Isn’t that how you gauge spiritual maturity by who shows up for Sunday night and Wednesday night? I worked with a pastor once that gauged it by whether a person showed up for Tuesday night visitation along with the three services of the week. For years as a child I saw my faith only in keeping rules. Don’t dance. Don’t smoke. Don’t drink. Don’t go with girls who do. If you kept the rules you were ok. If not, well…

Not to step into a mess here but I find that most Christian leaders ascribe to a works based faith. We do this sometimes unknowingly. We have these rules that if met we give a person a slip of maturity. The truth is they can be mean as snakes but if they met all the right rules we judge them as ok. Have we forgotten Paul’s writings? I fear we have.

Just last week an article came out in Leadership Journal about drinking in the church. It at first caused me to laugh. The more I pondered it though the sadder it made me. We in the church seem to always fight over mole hills and miss the larger picture. I grew up in a non drinking household. We were taught, whether overtly or indirectly, that those that drank went to hell. As a pastor I held that view and preached it along with my Baptist brethren. As I worked with other godly Christian leaders and Christian lay people I found that there was another side to this issue. I actually met godly, soul winning, Bible believing, Republican voting, Pro Life, Pro Family etc, etc, etc, who drank! They were just like my Baptist buddies in every way and view. The difference was they enjoyed a glass of wine as they discussed what verse had impacted them that day.

The point is not drinking or drinking. The point is that we have made a rule the standard of righteousness. What will amaze me is that many will read this and dismiss me missing totally the point. How can we ever begin to think we will impact this world for Christ when we can not understand the full impact of grace. Grace is not throwing off all rules and constraints. Grace is however understanding that my works gain me nothing. It is Christ finished work that counts and whether or not that is manifested in my life by my thoughts and actions.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Today a pastor called to talk to me about the situation at his church. This guy has been in some very large churches throughout his ministry. He is widely sought after and well known. Yet for the first time in his ministry the church that he is pastoring is losing members. They do have lots of people visiting but the back door is wide open and they just lost another 100 families. Needless to say he is concerned. As he and the staff and Elders have probed the reasons it is inevitable that this pastor would ask, “Is it me?”

I am not sure there has ever been a time in recent years when being a pastor is more difficult. The expectation level is simply at times unfulfillable. Pastors are always under the gun to baptize more, increase offerings, build buildings, increase attendance and do more than ever. As a result what joy there could be in being a pastor is often diminished or non existent.

What is the cause of this? Here are my thoughts…

We have made success an idol. I fear that we are driven by success more than we are driven by being acceptable to God. We have defined success in worldly terms that have more to do with numbers than righteousness and holiness. We have become number freaks solely for the fulfillment of numbers. We are always trying to out do last Sunday or last year. Too many pastors and staff members are like hamsters on a treadmill. The result is a hollow spirituality and a gnawing dissatisfaction.

We equate growth with God’s blessing. Well, isn’t growth a sign of God’s blessing? Not necessarily. I am not opposed to growth but can you be sure your growth is the result of God moving or your ingenious marketing plan? In too many churches I fear the Holy Spirit could leave and we would never know it. We have so many tools and programs that if we are not careful we can grow a church without it ever being attributable to God.

We elevate those that do show growth into rock star status. Who gets to speak at the conferences? Whose books get published? I am not saying that those guys should not be listened to and read. I am saying that the negative side of this is that the rest of the pastors in America feel demeaned and ineffective. We need to realize that only eternity will tell who really was the good and faithful servant. I am convinced that some of us will take our marching orders in heaven from pastors that we here on earth might disdain since their church is smaller than ours.

These are just a few of the reasons I feel that the majority of pastors in American struggle to feel fulfillment in what they do and where they serve. We need to reevaluate what we value. Numbers is not the goal for the church but producing the Fruit of the Spirit and Christ like disciples. We need to rejoice in what God rejoices in not what the world does.

This morning I was driving back to Atlanta from Huntsville, AL where I had met with a church last night. I drove through some small towns where I would see small churches. Some one is the pastor of those churches. I wondered if he felt fulfilled. I prayed he did. The thought went through my mind that God had him there to minister to the people around that building. While it might be interesting to watch on TV the slick preachers it is that pastor that will be in the hospital room praying over the sick not the big church guy. Is that pastor any less successful than the TV preacher? Is he any less valuable to the Kingdom?

My prayer for all my preacher friends is that they might find joy in serving not in attempting to fulfill the success syndrome. I pray that they can find joy in their calling. What about you?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

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

The first of this year we were in competition for a churches business for their capital stewardship campaign. During the question and answer time they kept probing me about the importance of the pastor in the process. I remember that I was curious as to why he was not in the room. To me it is always a bad sign when the Senior Pastor does not show up for the interview of the stewardship partner he might be working with. For something this important you would think that he would clear his calendar.

His absence made sense when just weeks later all companies that were being interviewed were informed of events that had caused the project and potential campaign to be put on hold. The pastor was leaving for another ministry position.

So, just how important is the pastor when it comes to raising funds? Indispensable! Without a pastor 99% of all campaigns will ultimately fail to reach their potential. Frankly it is probably more like 100% failure rate.

Why the pastor is so important

The pastor sets the tone for the entire church. It’s called leadership. If you do not have a leader you will not raise funds. Plain and simple.

God gives the pastor the vision for the church. Some might disagree with me but I firmly believe this is the biblical pattern. That does not mean the pastor is a dictator to the church. It does not mean the vision does not need input and refinement. It simply means that successful churches are those where the pastor has received the vision and communicated it down line to the rest of the church. Their buy in is essential but it always starts at the top.

Donors want to know if the program will be completed before they will commit to giving towards it. How can they be assured of that if the pastor is being rumored to be leaving or has left? At that point all bets are off. They will wait until the next pastor comes to see how things will play out. It is imperative that pastors communicate that their desire is to finish out what they believe God has initiated them to do. If donors feel the pastor is simply using them to climb up the ladder they will not support the vision.

Pastors are the key spokesperson for the campaign. I have lots of pastors who tell me they want to engage us so that they can continue to focus on ministry. I know what they are saying and it is true we can help administrate the flow of the campaign and we certainly can help in strategic planning. However no one can replace the shepherd in the minds of the people. There are simply some things that the pastor MUST do to make the campaign successful. If the vision really is burning in your heart you will find the time needed to communicate it.

In the ten and a half years that I have been working in the stewardship ministry I have had two churches come to mind that attempted to have a campaign without a pastor. At the time I knew better but I was not the boss so I did not have the freedom to make the call to delay the campaign. Both campaigns failed miserably. Of course when the leaders were looking for blame I am afraid their fingers were pointing in my direction. The best magician in the world can not pull a rabbit out of the hat if there was not one in the hat to begin with. Now we would NEVER attempt a campaign for a church that is without a pastor. Pastors are just that important!

So while I certainly wanted and needed the business of the church in my opening illustration. I was glad that they had the discernment to know how important the pastor was to the process and hit the pause button. Pastor, do you know how important you are to the process of raising funds? Are you willing to do what it takes to raise those funds? Without the pastor there will be no success. They are indispensable!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group