There may be a better response to tough economic times.
by Clayton Brumby
Editor's note: The following fictional piece provides some timely reminders for all of us in the midst of the current economic crisis.
As an older pastor, Shawn Minor had seen this before, or had he? Was this economic downturn different? It certainly didn't feel like other "corrections" in the market he'd been through from time to time. This was more like hitting the wall.
And he saw it on the faces of his older members—the fear as their savings and pension accounts shrank. Six trillion dollars is a lot of money to simply evaporate even for an economy as large as America's. But he hadn't been ready for his last board meeting. So much doom and gloom—so much pessimism, especially regarding the church's financial prospects. All systems stop. "It's time to hunker down … circle the wagons … until this blows over." These and other comments haunted him. The thoughts were so defeatist. Was this the way Jesus wanted them to be thinking? Fear … doom … annihilation?
His church wasn't large. If a few families moved because of their jobs, it would have an impact. Yet the church also was growing. He must stay positive and faithful to what he thought God wanted them to do and be—he must. But he couldn't help feeling a little alone in his vision. Was he being naïve? Economics was not his strong suit. If anyone could help him sort that out, Jim McManus could. Jim was a business consultant, a visionary, and thankfully, a new board member. Shawn liked the fact that he was no-nonsense all the way. But Jim had missed the last board meeting, and knowing the economic climate for what it was, Shawn wondered how he was doing. Lunch was his chance to find out.
"Sorry I missed being there Tuesday," Jim said, as he came up to the booth and slid in. "I don't imagine, from the way you look, it was much fun."
"It wasn't a party," Shawn chuckled morbidly, as he shook his head. "And if my lay leadership is this pessimistic, how is the congregation going to keep their heads up?"
The waitress interrupted their comments for a moment, getting their drink orders and giving them menus. "I'll be right back, fellas."
Jim thought for a moment, and then said, "I wish I'd been there, Pastor. I knew this conversation about the economy was going to come up sooner than later." He then smiled to himself, shaking his head and added, "But if they are responding this way, they're looking at it all wrong. This is a golden opportunity for this church—absolutely golden! And if we miss it, it will be because we are gutless. It will be because we have no real vision for what Christ has called us to."
"I wish I had your business sense," Shawn responded, hoping Jim could give him some good, clear reasons to stay with him.
"It's not business sense, Shawn. Do you believe God has called this church to be here?" The pastor nodded his answer. "Then what are we afraid of?" Jim followed.
"I'll admit, things are serious," he continued. "I think we do need to be careful. An economy like this doesn't give people a lot of room for error. But the opportunities are massive!"
The pastor gave him a glance that asked for him to elaborate, so he continued. "In every economic downturn like this, the country loses a number of businesses large and small. Those companies generally don't believe in themselves enough to survive, and you can tell that right off in their approach to marketing and advertising. They 'circle the wagons;' they 'turtle-up.' They fail to position themselves as part of the solution to the realities people are facing. It seems they just hope to hang on long enough to get through it, which is the last thing they need to do.
"The other side of the coin, however, is that, as those companies fail, others that do believe in themselves—that see themselves as part of the solution and market themselves aggressively as a result—end up with the customers who used to patronize those businesses that fold. So the companies with vision, with confidence in their role in the marketplace, and who therefore increase their marketing accordingly, not only survive, they thrive. 'So it's an economic downturn—so what?!' They've just decided not to participate!"
Shawn looked a little lost. Again, he wasn't a businessman, and he wasn't thinking in terms of economics and products and marketing; he was thinking in terms of ministry. "But how does that apply to us as a church?"
"I'm sorry," Jim said sheepishly. "I get lost in my own professional specialty. Here's how it applies: From what I can gather, there are about 300,000 churches in this country. Many, for whatever reason, are always struggling to survive. Maybe their mindset is so narrow, they can't relate to anyone else. Others seem to be marginal 'bless me' clubs that are just interested in maintaining the status quo—keeping the lights on and the parking lot paved. They have little concern for the unchurched community around them, for reaching out. I think a lot of these churches are going to disappear in the next two or three years, and that might be a good thing for the Body of Christ; it could use a good pruning. And where do those people go who no longer have a church to go to?"
Shawn thought for a moment as the idea dawned on him. "They go to a church where people have a healthy vision of what God has called them to, and who are determined to faithfully walk out implementing that vision."
"Exactly," Jim agreed. "So I suggest we 'seize the day.' I suggest we don't give into fear, that we remain faithful to the One who called us; that we remain obedient. We pray. We stop worrying about protecting ourselves. We stop this insanity of 'circling the wagons.' We look beyond ourselves to a hurting world that needs us; a world very motivated to ask important questions now; a world of people who are beginning to base their lives on something more than their company pension and their next tee time. And we get the word out that even though we live in the same world our unchurched neighbors do, and we struggle with the same things they do, that we have some answers. In fact, we have the Answer."
Copyright © 2008 by the author
Ron
THE BOOMER BLOGGER
by Clayton Brumby
Editor's note: The following fictional piece provides some timely reminders for all of us in the midst of the current economic crisis.
As an older pastor, Shawn Minor had seen this before, or had he? Was this economic downturn different? It certainly didn't feel like other "corrections" in the market he'd been through from time to time. This was more like hitting the wall.
And he saw it on the faces of his older members—the fear as their savings and pension accounts shrank. Six trillion dollars is a lot of money to simply evaporate even for an economy as large as America's. But he hadn't been ready for his last board meeting. So much doom and gloom—so much pessimism, especially regarding the church's financial prospects. All systems stop. "It's time to hunker down … circle the wagons … until this blows over." These and other comments haunted him. The thoughts were so defeatist. Was this the way Jesus wanted them to be thinking? Fear … doom … annihilation?
His church wasn't large. If a few families moved because of their jobs, it would have an impact. Yet the church also was growing. He must stay positive and faithful to what he thought God wanted them to do and be—he must. But he couldn't help feeling a little alone in his vision. Was he being naïve? Economics was not his strong suit. If anyone could help him sort that out, Jim McManus could. Jim was a business consultant, a visionary, and thankfully, a new board member. Shawn liked the fact that he was no-nonsense all the way. But Jim had missed the last board meeting, and knowing the economic climate for what it was, Shawn wondered how he was doing. Lunch was his chance to find out.
"Sorry I missed being there Tuesday," Jim said, as he came up to the booth and slid in. "I don't imagine, from the way you look, it was much fun."
"It wasn't a party," Shawn chuckled morbidly, as he shook his head. "And if my lay leadership is this pessimistic, how is the congregation going to keep their heads up?"
The waitress interrupted their comments for a moment, getting their drink orders and giving them menus. "I'll be right back, fellas."
Jim thought for a moment, and then said, "I wish I'd been there, Pastor. I knew this conversation about the economy was going to come up sooner than later." He then smiled to himself, shaking his head and added, "But if they are responding this way, they're looking at it all wrong. This is a golden opportunity for this church—absolutely golden! And if we miss it, it will be because we are gutless. It will be because we have no real vision for what Christ has called us to."
"I wish I had your business sense," Shawn responded, hoping Jim could give him some good, clear reasons to stay with him.
"It's not business sense, Shawn. Do you believe God has called this church to be here?" The pastor nodded his answer. "Then what are we afraid of?" Jim followed.
"I'll admit, things are serious," he continued. "I think we do need to be careful. An economy like this doesn't give people a lot of room for error. But the opportunities are massive!"
The pastor gave him a glance that asked for him to elaborate, so he continued. "In every economic downturn like this, the country loses a number of businesses large and small. Those companies generally don't believe in themselves enough to survive, and you can tell that right off in their approach to marketing and advertising. They 'circle the wagons;' they 'turtle-up.' They fail to position themselves as part of the solution to the realities people are facing. It seems they just hope to hang on long enough to get through it, which is the last thing they need to do.
"The other side of the coin, however, is that, as those companies fail, others that do believe in themselves—that see themselves as part of the solution and market themselves aggressively as a result—end up with the customers who used to patronize those businesses that fold. So the companies with vision, with confidence in their role in the marketplace, and who therefore increase their marketing accordingly, not only survive, they thrive. 'So it's an economic downturn—so what?!' They've just decided not to participate!"
Shawn looked a little lost. Again, he wasn't a businessman, and he wasn't thinking in terms of economics and products and marketing; he was thinking in terms of ministry. "But how does that apply to us as a church?"
"I'm sorry," Jim said sheepishly. "I get lost in my own professional specialty. Here's how it applies: From what I can gather, there are about 300,000 churches in this country. Many, for whatever reason, are always struggling to survive. Maybe their mindset is so narrow, they can't relate to anyone else. Others seem to be marginal 'bless me' clubs that are just interested in maintaining the status quo—keeping the lights on and the parking lot paved. They have little concern for the unchurched community around them, for reaching out. I think a lot of these churches are going to disappear in the next two or three years, and that might be a good thing for the Body of Christ; it could use a good pruning. And where do those people go who no longer have a church to go to?"
Shawn thought for a moment as the idea dawned on him. "They go to a church where people have a healthy vision of what God has called them to, and who are determined to faithfully walk out implementing that vision."
"Exactly," Jim agreed. "So I suggest we 'seize the day.' I suggest we don't give into fear, that we remain faithful to the One who called us; that we remain obedient. We pray. We stop worrying about protecting ourselves. We stop this insanity of 'circling the wagons.' We look beyond ourselves to a hurting world that needs us; a world very motivated to ask important questions now; a world of people who are beginning to base their lives on something more than their company pension and their next tee time. And we get the word out that even though we live in the same world our unchurched neighbors do, and we struggle with the same things they do, that we have some answers. In fact, we have the Answer."
Copyright © 2008 by the author
Ron
THE BOOMER BLOGGER
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