In our previous post we talked about the demise of the offering-based church. We wonder if it was ever a good idea!

The church will never be able to do more than patch the ills of society if it relies on the offerings of the needy to sustain a comfortable lifestyle for the parish.

Programs and outreach will then be created to benefit the affluent with a nod to the needs of the poor. Rich kids will travel to poor areas for a short-term mission project and then return to their comfortable lives.

The poor? We address their needs once or twice a year at holiday time.

Consequently, the model of the church relies on a caste system. We, the givers, serve the unfortunate takers. The takers are excluded from full participation in church because they cannot contribute.

Today’s difficult times have pushed this faulty model to the limits.

Without substantial gifts, the local ministry cannot provide outreach even within its own community.

The problem trickles up. The local ministries cannot sustain the regional bodies and the regional bodies cannot sustain the national church.

There is a stick in the spokes of this treadmill.

The offering-based church may survive, but it is unlikely to thrive or grow. Church statistics support this conclusion.

A new model must be found.

Local congregations must assess their ministries as if offerings do not exist.

They must begin to operate their outreach endeavors in a way that will sustain them in increasing mission and fund future initiatives.

Property assets are first. How can property be used in a way that the costs of maintaining the property will be covered through use.

This has led many churches to operate day schools. Good start.

Second are the talents of the people. Congregations can probably get far more value from their memberships by utilizing the vast range of lay skills and knowledge beyond the offering plate.

Most churches attempt to involve lay people in approved roles — lectors, choir members, Sunday School teachers, etc. They rarely consider if those willing to volunteer are really any good at these skills. Their most valuable gifts may be in areas the Church has never considered allowing lay people to influence.

Redeemer found among its new members a professional architect, property manager and mortgage broker.  The three got together and began to donate their expertise to form a ministry that would help our growing immigrant population identify and purchase first homes. Their efforts would guide immigrants through the purchase of a starter home. The projected annual income from their volunteer services would have created a recurring income of about $10,000 per month. (An entire annual offering plate income.)

Two other Redeemer members had worked in child care for several years and worked to earn a day care license. Redeemer was helping them start a daycare on Redeemer’s property that would have created an immediate benefit to the congregation of $3000 per month, growing to upwards of $6000 per month.

Another member was interested in social media.

Since the Synod decided (against church law) that they should control Redeemer’s property, all the plans of Redeemer were scuttled and resulted in a five-year legal battle. The only project to survive Synod’s interference was the social media project.

As this project begins its third year, it is poised to begin creating a significant return on the two years invested.

In each case, Redeemer was working with its own resources to forge new ministry. There was no support from the regional or national church.

Our resources/Our ministry.

The regional church (in our case the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or SEPA / ELCA) promotes such initiatives and encourages congregations to do new things.

Then it destroys innovation to meet its immediate needs.

If small congregations are to ever again thrive, the vision of small churches like Redeemer should be encouraged and fostered. Innovation has a price. Without it every congregation will face slow demise.