Local church pastors, church planters, and nonprofit organizational leaders are beginning to recognize that tithes and offerings alone are no longer enough to provide for the needs of their ministries, enable them to pursue opportunities, and sustain long-term impact. Growing financial burdens on the middle class, documented decline in religious contributions, shifting generational attitudes toward giving, and changing demographics are having a negative impact on church budgets. Given the possibilities of local churches losing the ability to solicit tax-deductible gifts, being forced to pay property taxes and federal income taxes, or all of the above, the time to pivot is now. Our entire understanding of ministry sustainability must change. What's needed is disruptive innovation in church economics.
For churches to not only survive but thrive financially in the future, leaders must understand why, what, and how they can leverage assets, bless communities, empower entrepreneurs, and create multiple streams of income to effectively fund their mission.
