November 4, 2008

Empty Tomb report on giving troubling for Southern Baptists

What we do is more important than we say.

So what are we "telling" the world through our church giving behavior.

Read Report calls US church giving 'lukewarm'.

Posted by bstroup at 12:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 27, 2008

3 steps to position your church to address an economic crisis

As the impact of the economy continues to to impose itself upon family life and church family life, it's critical that churches be positioned as a resource. We have been handed a golden opportunity to provide Biblical, relevant solutions to families who are hurting and suffering from the loss of their jobs, homes, etc.

Here are three things that you need to begin doing (if you haven't already):

1. Name the fear. As one of my communication professors once said, "Until you speak it, it's not real." Get it out in the open. Name the pink elephant in the room. The economy stinks, and like it or not we've got to make some adjustments to weather the storm.

If you choose to ignore it, you'll be the ONLY one who does. The people in your pew need to hear from you. They know that their financial reasoning for the most part is flawed, but they also aren't sure how to correct it.

The other risk you take by keeping silent is that your decision makers could step in and take control. And they may choke the ministry right out of the church in an effort to survive.

You are the spiritual leader. Own your role. Talk about it. It's less scary and managable once you put it into words.

2. Host financial workshops. Getting out of debt programs are a great place to begin. What about leading a community session on mortgages? What about a job skills fair? There are wonderful ways to bridget the work of the church into the community, one full of people in need.

Get some good financial practioners in your church together and create a series of events that help people deal with real issues and offers practical solutions. Quit talking about being relevant and offer something that will change/transform people forever.

3. Prepare for an increase in benevolent requests. Maybe you reallocate resources in your 2009 budget? Maybe you take a special offering to fund additional needs from members of your church and community.

One church where I live actually reallocated an additional $40k to benevolence because it recognized that more people would be coming to the church for help, and it was their responsibility to be ready to help.

Do you have a process in place to quickly respond to needs? If not, now is the time to do so. It shouldn't be an act of congress or a dehumanizing experience to request help from the church. Jesus talked a lot about the poor and spent most of his ministry with them. Aren't we supposed to follow his example?

The difference this time and in this moment in our history is that requests for help will be coming from the family we've sat next to in the pew for years as well as the homeless.

This is a time for action. How are you best positioning your church to be salt and light to a world in need. What we interpret as tragedy, God can transform into an opportunity for ministry.

Are you prepared?

Posted by bstroup at 5:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

LifeWay Envelope Service at Missouri Baptist Convention

I'm exhibiting at the Missouri Baptist Convention for the next few days, but you won't find me in my own booth. I'm actually in the Cooperative Program/Stewardship booth for Missouri. Spencer (the State Executive for Stewardship) asked me to come and be present in his booth to talk to pastors about our new Cooperative Program Offering Envelope Series.

So if you're attending also, stop by booth #43 and say "Hi!"

Posted by bstroup at 5:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 16, 2008

$1 billion Cooperative Program milestone

Alabama Baptists have something to be proud of when it comes to their Cooperative Program giving. I think it has a lot to do with their ability to communicate a measurable impact to the person in the pew.

I'm curious if any other State Conventions have experienced similar success.

Posted by bstroup at 5:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 16, 2008

Giving and the Church Member Experience, Law #2

The 2nd Law of the Church Member Experience is People are instinctively self-centered rather than corporately-centered. Even though people gather in faith groups all around the world on - at least - a weekly basis doesn't mean they have a corporate-centered mentality.

Finding an individual role within a larger context is what leads to those formative, relationship-building experiences that creates a sense of ownership and belonging to a corporate entity. And giving is a natural response to feelings of ownership and belonging. In theological words, we might say "communion of the saints."

It is in serving together, living our lives together, praying together, etc. where we become aware that we are not "lone rangers" sent by God to save the world on our own. Rather, a healthy understanding would render a much different perspective. One that might be closer to the notes on the page of a scripted symphony rather than an impromtu guitar solo.

People give money when they realize they are part of a cause, entity, organization that is larger than themselves. The paradox lies in attempting to foster a corporate mentality in our individual, North American culture.

What are you doing in your church to ensure that people see how their part of the local church ministry contributes to the entire church ministry and how their local church contributes to the advancement of the Kingdom in their state, continent and the world?


Previous posts in this series:

Giving and the Church Member Experience, Introduction
Giving and the Church Member Experience, Law #1

Posted by bstroup at 9:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 17, 2008

World Hunger and General Relief funds provide hope

It has been said that the SBC is known more for what it is against rather than what it is for. And in recent history this has proven to be true. Baptist Press recently highlighted that $600,000 in releif efforts in Myanmar and China alone has been funded by gifts of people in the pews of Southern Baptist churches.

Combining the World Hunger and General Relief funds set up through the International Mission Board's Human Needs Ministries, Southern Baptist have found a way to collectively pool money together (over $200 million total) to provide hope for people in the midst of devastating circumstances. And a natural by-product of this activity is our ability to share Christ in places that make little room for the Jesus many of us consider as common as popcorn at the the local movie theatre.

This is a story worth telling.

Posted by bstroup at 1:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 16, 2008

Johnny Hunt talks about the Cooperative Program

I was pleased to read that one of Johnny Hunt's priorities is the Cooperative Program.

In Hunt Elected SBC President, he comments:

Hunt praised efforts at this year's convention to increase the participation of younger generations. Instead of "constantly saying, 'Give to the Cooperative Program,'" he said, "We ought to show the generation coming behind us all that the Cooperative Program is doing." When taking a special offering in his own church, Hunt said he first tells what is happening and then proposes how to respond, whereas in the SBC, "We try to take the offering before we tell the story."

I agree with Johnny. It's time to begin retelling the story. We know that giving is the result of an emotional, inward connection with the cause, person or project that benefits from the donation. We can't just skip to the giving part before we tell people why CP is important.

The problem is my generation is two generations removed from the one's who started CP. And my parents just did it because they heard and saw their parents do it. The story hasn't been consisently told for so long that my generation isn't even at the "what" of CP; we are still at "why."

What are you doing in your church to tell the story?

Posted by bstroup at 1:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 3, 2008

Cooperative Program giving is up

Baptist Press reported yesterday that CP was up nearly 1% compared to last year. The Cooperative Program may be one of the most difinitive inititatives of Southern Baptists. In fact, even with all its faults, it's arguable the most effective denominational ministry and missions funding strategy on the market.

It's easy to take a cheap shot at just about anything. And by no means would anyone say that the system is perfect. But CP allows Southern Baptists the ability to fully fund and sustain the ministry of Christ until his ultimate return. Now that's good stuff.

Posted by bstroup at 8:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 14, 2008

Jerry Mixon on the impact of the Cooperative Program

Jerry W. Mixon is the Director of Stewardship and Cooperative Program for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board.

Jerry and I were talking about the importance of telling and re-telling the story of the Cooperative Program (CP). It may not be perfect, but it's the best thing on the market. The sad reality is that my generation is two generations removed from the founders of CP, and somewhere along the way we stopped telling the story.

Jerry mentioned an article he recently published on the subject. I wanted to share it with you too. It's an interesting exercise to think of CP as a human being--something much more personable and complex than a pie chart.

Thanks Jerry for sharing this with me. I hope you enjoy it too.

IMAGINE

Let's just suppose an 83-year-old man walked into your office and began telling you that through his efforts last year he was a part of engaging 567,413 new believers and 1.2 million church members in discipleship training and that he had a plan to reach the 3.3 billion people who have never heard the gospel. Would you believe him?

I believe you would have a lot of doubts running through your mind because you see him as a senior adult. You might even think he is not only dated, but obsolete. You can see he does not fit with the culture of today. You notice his suit smells of moth balls and appears old, wrinkled, and worn. The wide suit lapels remind you of your grandfather's suit from 1920.

What if he continued to speak, claiming that last year he started 68 Bible-based churches each day. Would you believe him? I think not. Then, what if he added that last year he saw one person saved and baptized worldwide every minute of every day. Could you believe him? It does not appear to you that he is finished so you invite him to be seated. He takes a seat and speaks of a personal ministry in Mississippi on 33 college and university campuses. He boasts also of helping thousands of children and youth be a part of Bible drills all across our state. He said that he had maintained two camps in the state and planned to develop a new state-of-the-art retreat center for youth and adults. After hearing all of this, would you consider him to be as confused as a termite in a yoyo, or just plain nuts?

Then he stands and walks around the room, observing various books you have on display. He states to you that he personally helped support three schools of higher education in Mississippi last year. He also claims that this year in only seven months he helped restore 57 pastors and staff members to ministry after their sudden termination. This assistance furnished financial aid and counseling. He explains this cost was $22,615.60.

I know by now you are thinking this old fellow has lost it. Then he looks you straight in the eye saying, "That is not all I've done. I could go on, but I came by to say thank you. I could not have done this alone. Thank you for supporting my work financially."

Now you are as confused as the man who bought a new boom-a-rang and could not throw his old one away. The old man continues, "You and your church were a part of all I have done. Together we funded over 10,000 missionaries on the mission field all day, every day and night, last year. You see, I could have done some of this alone and you could have done some alone, but together we have made a huge difference in the world. We did it together." You are about to ask him his name when he says, "Pastor, some call me CP, but my name is Cooperative Program. I was born in 1925. I'm 83 years old, but I'm still young. I wanted you to know that God is not through with me."

You lay your Baptist Record aside and pause to reflect on the article you have been reading. You look up and there is no one in the room. You realize you have just been reminded that your church really did help accomplish all these things this past year through the Cooperative Program. You bow your head and voice a prayer to continue your support of ministry and missions through the Cooperative Program.

This article was printed in the Baptist Record on April 10, 2008, Vol. 132, No. 15., Special Cooperative Program Issue No. 16.

Posted by bstroup at 1:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 31, 2008

Church giving translates into ministry

I don't think we talk enough about stories like Churches help ease pain of flood victims. We get so focused on the intricate details of the machine known as Cooperative Program that we (as so many have said before) "fail to see the forest for the tree."

This story demonstrates how church giving enabled local churches, state conventions, and national agencies such as the North American Mission Board to help living, breathing people in need as a result of flooding.

We need to tell more stories like this one. Stories that demonstrate our ability as a denomination to come together and mobilize to make a ministry impact and "be Jesus" to people who have lost everything.

This is the ministry that is funded through local church giving. This is demonstrative of the reality that more money really does mean more ministry.

Every number does have a story. The machine isn't perfect. But it's the best thing on the market.

Posted by bstroup at 1:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 9, 2008

Simple solution to an economic situation

There is a simple solution to resolve the weakening affect of the US dollar overseas and how it's impacting the lives of our SBC missionaries. (Click here it to read yesterday's post.)

1. Tell the story of what's going on. Yesterday was the first time I had heard about the situation. Why is that?

2. Implement a one-time, denomination-wide "fill in the gap" special offering. Should we sit and wait for the next Lottie?

3. Dedicate 100% the money raised from this one-time special offering to go directly to our SBC missionaries to offset the declining value of the US dollar. Imagine how it would feel to be an SBC missionary living abroad who received an unexpected check in the mail along with a note that said "thinking of you."

Of course, why do we have to wait for someone else to act? Why not do it ourselves?

What if SBC churches started a grassroots campaign that educated the people in the pew on the situation and raised the dollars necessary to support the advancement of the Kingdom around the world?

If that happened, I think we would all be surprised at the outcome and outpouring of generosity from people giving to other people to advance the Gospel message and fulfill the Great Commission.

After all, isn't that what it's about anyway?

Posted by bstroup at 8:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 8, 2008

Weak dollar overseas impacts lives of missionaries

I rarely cite the same source two posts in a row. But this one was so compelling that I had to write about it. Again, the source of the post comes from the Think Christian blog. Only, Andy Rau, content administrator for gospelnet.com, writes the post for today.

He highlights an article from USA Today that explains how the decreasing value of the American dollar overseas is impacting the lifestyles of missionaries. The USA today article quotes an SBC missionary who explains that she can't afford to mail items back to the States and even struggles with the ability to purchase milk and bread.

This is a real economic problem. And it bothers me that this isn't being talked about more. While we sit surrounded with the comforts of our lives in the US debating the substance and future of cooperative missions, one of "our own" sits on the frontline in the mission field trying to keep herself alive given the fact that the dollars we send her are not only decreasing in quantity but buying power as well. (Note: This is not a crticisim of the IMB. They are doing a great job. This is about economics and how the value of a dollar is shifting how far a dollar can stretch.)

Our distinction as a denomination has always been our ability to cooperatively work together to support the advancement of the kingdom through missions and ministry both in the US and all over the world. We won't be able to continue to do that if we can't offer the ability of our missionaries to sustain themselves with life's basic necessities.

Does this bother anyone else? Any ideas on how to overcome this economic obstacle to ensure that our missionaries can worry about Kingdom concerns instead of life's baisc necessities?

I'm not interested in political statements. I'm looking for practical solutions to an economic problem.

Posted by bstroup at 10:15 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 13, 2007

Executive Committee conducts CP Survey

Chapman said the purpose of the survey is "to collect data that will provide an empirical baseline of our churches' thoughts, feelings and perceptions about Cooperative Program/stewardship and to give us insights for developing a more focused strategy in the promotion of CP and stewardship across the convention."

LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, is conducting the survey at the request of Chapman, who described it as the most ambitious survey conducted to date by LifeWay.


Read the entire article here.

Posted by bstroup at 8:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 6, 2007

The face of the Cooperative Program

Here is a great story about how the cooperative program has funded a lifetime of ministry.

Posted by bstroup at 1:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 18, 2007

Calvanism, the SBC and the Cooperative Program

I came across this post yesterday. I believe it raises a compelling question that may be more generational than theological. There was a time when churches were comfortable sending money from their offering plates to this big thing called Cooperative Program. Now there are some churches who wish to have more control over how it's used--specifically to fund CP and their own, individual mission efforts.

Is the net result the same? Or have we short-changed a program that has worked well for almost a century?

This leaves us with a need to re-discover CP and how it can continue to be a hallmark of our denomination. I'm not interested in facilitating a political battle. I'm interested in honest dialog.

So what do you think? Do Spencer and Brister have a point?

Posted by bstroup at 1:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 9, 2007

The Mission - A new look at CP

A friend told me about a conversation he had with his Dad when he was about 7 years old. He asked, "Why are we Southern Baptists?" His Dad said, "We're Southern Baptists because of the Cooperative Program. We send missionaries all over the world to tell people about Jesus."

At 7 years old, that was enough information for my friend to feel good about being a Southern Baptist. But he is no longer 7 years old. And again he's asking "Why am I Southern Baptist?"

Part of the challenge of communicating to the postmodern generation (and that includes me) is that you can't assume that we immediately share the same value in the same things. It doesn't mean that we don't. But just because we've [Southern Baptists] been doing something for a long time doesn't provide the substance necessary to justify our [postmoderns] continued participation.

So, before we can answer the question "How?" we must address the question "Why?"

The Cooperative Program (CP) is one of the hallmarks of the Southern Baptist denomination. Unfortuantely, in recent years it has become the subject of much political debate. And the net result is a decline in participation from churches. Further, many church members aren't even sure why their church has a line item for CP.

These are the brutal facts. And the direct result of our inability to "tell the story."

Recently, I've had the opportunity to talk about this with John Kyle. John is part of the Executive Committee of the SBC, and his responsiblity is growing CP. He has a vision for this program that I believe is--in many ways--silenced in the midst of the all the political wars.

When he talks about CP, he talks about "The Mission." CP is not merely an investment fund; it's the vehicle that provides the infrastructure to accomplish the Great Commission both in the US and abroad.

It's real people, touching real people, in real trouble, in the real world.

The Mission is to reach people with the message of Christ. And we do this through missionaries, seminaries, disaster relief, attacking world hunger, etc.

I could bore you with statistics. But we've tried that. It doesn't work. What needs to take place is an honest coversation where we recognize the role CP has played in our history and talk about the role it needs to play in our present and future.

Without that, this dream will pass away with my parents generation. And that would be a tragedy.

Posted by bstroup at 8:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

July 24, 2007

Rediscovering the history of CP

Yes, we need to talk about it. CP has unfortunately become a political tool to beat each other up with. This has left a bad taste for many and has led to an even further disinterest in CP. But I would argue that such a successful program shouldn't be quickly thrown out.

I'm not saying that nothing should change. CP was an invention of the industrial age. Now the challenge is to make it relevant in the postmodern age. And how you do that is simple. Southern Baptists must rediscover why CP was created. In other words, what problems did it solve? What were the circumstances that led to this machine that has effectively impacted Kingdom growth for almost 100 years?

In fact, I would bet that most church leaders and pastors--if asked by their members--would not be able to articulate the reasons why CP was created in the first place. The postmodern generation is waiting to understand "Why?" before we ask "How?"

Read more about the history of CP here.

Posted by bstroup at 11:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack