How do you fund your church?

Question:

I checked on your web site for anything new and read about your Church on its Home Page. The business model is very good. As you know I have a nonprofit as well. I had this fantasy that I could create this worldwide organization that I could call on when someone or organization needed help and be able to resolve their challenge. I will not sell religion! Well, I have many requests but very little capital. I thought via the Internet there would be lots of interest in the concept that if one person donated say $20.00 to a cause we are working on multiplied by a bazillion people on the Internet bingo we have a source of ready capital that could really do great stuff. Wrong. Our mission is adrift at the present time in need of some guidance. Most people I talk to about pooling capital together "who wouldn't miss 20 bucks" times 1000's equals lots of working capital. They couldn't care less about other people and their problems.

How do you fund your church? Do you have the same problems? Has the Internet helped your organization? I would welcome your comments.

Answer:

The mission Christ gave the church is to teach the Gospel. "Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Therefore go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20). The church is the organization given to support that effort. "That you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Timothy 3:15).

In the instructions given for raising funding for the church's work we are told, "On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come" (I Corinthians 16:2). And in that giving, it was emphasized that it was to be a free-will offering. "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7). This is the only funding that we raise. Members give a portion of their income to the church. We don't set amounts or percentages -- in fact, I don't even know what most of the members make or what they give. Everything is based on what a person wants to give. We hold no sales, nor raise money by any other means.

We view the website as just another means of spreading the gospel. A successful endeavor, as we currently (in 2007) run about 2,200 visitors per day. The funding completely comes from the local congregation. No requests are made on the website for funds. The work on the site is fully my own -- building a little bit each day, and done in addition to all my other duties as the local preacher. My salary is paid for by the congregation and three other congregations who are much larger and who want to help with my work in this area.

That is it. No huge staff. No huge budget. Just a few dedicated Christians trying to serve the Lord to the best of their ability.

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