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Laodica-On-The-Move Ministries, for all of your church growth needs! [message #299]

Fri, 07 July 2006 16:46

william
Messages: 1464
Registered: January 2006

Senior Member
Administrator

I was reading about the big statue the church erected and thought that I could come up with a better idea for the money being spent.
Here is the link if anyone is interested: (I noted that this church is a "overcoming" church too--so we are not alone!)
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA _25340_4822121,00.html

This solution would wonderfully fulfill all of the dreams of some mega-churches with only one downside (as far as I can tell).

For most of these churches it seems as if a quarter of a million dollars is the average spent on such stupidity. I think the church we attend keeps that much on hand for "emergencies", so it is a good figure with which to start. Especially since this program has so much promise.

First we define what the goals are:

1. To reach the lost for Christ.

That's it. At least this is the only goal that these churches want you to believe they are trying to achieve.

But we know (as do 98% of those endued with "common-sense" who hear about such programs) the real reasons and goals of these churches are never stated goals. These include:

1. Making a name for themselves.
2. Growing beyond anything anyone ever thought possible.
3. Having the biggest and most elaborate building possible.
4. Pulling in more money to the Church coffers so that the above three goals can be achieved multiple times over.
5. Oh, to reach the lost for Christ.

Ok... I've got just the "program" that will achieve the above goals (even the un-stated goals of the church leadership/pastor.)

The population of our fair city is around 36,000 people. Let's say we want to reach a sizable portion of these people to achieve the above goals.

We take the 250,000 dollars and start the program I'm going to propose. Now it will take "faith" for a church to adopt these principles, but I, for one, am confident that it will not only work, it will make the aforementioned statue-program look like it was conceived by a VBS grad.

First, get the media involved. They will be your friends. You will be recognized nationally for this program. CNN will probably do a story on your church which will help achieve not a few of the goals enumerated above.

What will generate all of the "excitement?" Cash, cold hard cash... we are going to give it away. The church gives a press-release saying that it plans to help the poor of the city by giving away cash. This will get attention and go a long way in the name-building department and the free advertisement will be yours for the taking.

Ok, what strings are attached? Only one, and it is no biggie, nary a one will think that this is too burdensome. All one needs to do is to get themselves up on Sunday morning and attend the service (making sure a visitor's card is properly filled out). That's it. A check for $50 is made out to the person and he is sent on his way "warmed and filled."

Now, for this to work, the church must make sure that they have a message prepared that will actually feed the poor soul. (But even if you don't at least the church will be doing something good and the first goal is met.) This was the downside to the whole endeavor-if your pastor can't preach it ain't-a-going to work.

Ok, let's say that you do have a good message. (After all, is there a reason for a church's existence apart from a good message?) The person decides "Hey, this is a great church with a great message, I'm so glad that I came, I believe I'll continue to attend even without the inducement of the fifty bucks." Every pastor thinks that the only reason his church isn't filled to capacity every Sunday is simply because the word hasn't gotten out about his awesome abilities to preach a message that holds everyone spell-bound for at least an hour on Sunday mornings. (If you don't believe that, why all the fuss about recording his messages on cassette tapes (now dvds/cds), getting the radio to carry the sermon, and let's not forget the TV and Internet ministries!).

Ok, now let's do the numbers (we've got to satisfy the board!) With a quarter of a million bucks you can expect to bring 5000 new people to your church by giving them fifty bucks each. Assuming the pastor isn't "off his game" and preaches the kind of sermon he knows he can preach--after all, they are all Billy Grahams if only they had the crowds!

Let's say that of the five thousand, you actually "reach" only one percent. I'm low-balling the figure for the Board of Directors sake--I'm sure the pastor can do better than that. <wink>

One percent of 5000 is 50 people... now stay with me here. First of all fifty people brought to Christ is nothing to be ashamed of; if you want to get right down to it and spend the whole quarter of a million and only get one saved--would it not be worth it? Ok, let's continue cause we've got other goals that must be reached.

Look at it this way, you've got fifty people who have just joined your church (pastors will already have figured this out but for the rest of us let's do a little math) fifty people that will hear the Sunday night message on tithing! Yeah, that's right, another opportunity for the pastor to shine! We know these newbies are probably poor because they came for the dough, but let's say that we can get them on the right track with their financial situation. If the average annual income for these converts is twenty thousand dollars each, then we have a potential of two thousand dollars coming into the church coffers annually (if the pastor can convince them that they must tithe on the gross and not the net income... a small thing for those skilled in fleecing sheep!).

Have you added it up yet? That's two thousand times fifty--One-hundred thousand dollars coming back into the church coffers annually! That is a whooping 40% return on your initial investment! You need only keep them coming for a little over a couple years (what's that when compared to eternity??) and all of your initial investment is returned plus you will generate 40% for as long a the pastor can keep them coming... and keep them coming he will, cause now he is a well-known pastor, an innovator, one who reaches out to the poor, and one who can now afford the bigger building complete with coffee-klatch and amenities that others can only dream about!

So there. All of the goals reached (both stated and un-stated). The Board of Directors happy. The church is now on the map... known for their generosity, unprecedented growth, building program in full swing... and yes, even reaching the lost!

William
COPYRIGHT 2006 by William- and soon to be formed LAODICIA ON THE MOVE MINISTRIES-A place where church growth isn't just a building fund but a way of life!

[Updated on: Fri, 07 July 2006 17:17]

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