ECFA Report: Giving to larger churches dropped last year, even as charitable donations rose
Body
“Churches with budgets under $2 million saw giving go down by 8%, while those with budgets of more than $20 million saw giving go down by 2.5%.” - RNS
As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Churches with budgets under $2 million saw giving go down by 8%, while those with budgets of more than $20 million saw giving go down by 2.5%.” - RNS
Reposted from Rooted Thinking.
In Matthew 5:42, Jesus said, “Give to the one who asks of/begs from you.” This command of Jesus is not an easy one to apply. Christ’s words are straightforward: we must respond to those who, in their poverty, ask help from us.
“While pastors today note the tithe as being central both to their church’s funding and its practice of generosity, new data …suggests a traditional tithe is not widely understood or practiced today.” - Barna
“One of the most defining attributes of U.S. adults’ giving, it seems, is that it is local—indeed, nearly half (48%) say this true, while just 17 percent share that their giving is global. They lean toward describing their giving as proactive (47%) and private (42%), but are largely neutral (45%) on whether their giving could be called sacrificial or convenient. ” - Barna
“An AdelFi study conducted by Lifeway Research found that having a Christian worldview impacts the way young adults (ages 25-40) manage their money, which is most evident in that Christians give nearly three times as much money as non-Christians.” - C.Index
“As digital monetary systems go mainstream, ministries weigh pros and cons of accepting donations.” - CToday
“We asked a variety of pastors this difficult question. They all emphasized that every church situation is unique and that there is no single ‘right’ answer. But here’s how fellow leaders from across the country approach this issue in their own church contexts.” - CToday
“In its 2021 State of Giving report released Monday, the ECFA … showed that while cash giving to member churches dipped slightly amid the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020, giving to other types of ministries increased.” - CPost
“In 2017, Lifeway Research found 30% of churches offered a giving option on their website. In April 2020, 48% of churches said they were continuing to offer online giving, while 16% said their church had added it since the pandemic began.” - Lifeway
“we do not need to be Christians for long before we learn that the greatest joy connected to wealth does not come from gaining but from giving. Hoarding wealth for ourselves gives far less lasting satisfaction than contributing wealth to God’s causes.” - Challies
Discussion