Joe Manafo is the pastor of the church theStory that I attend.

He just wrote a blog where he talks about money in the new economy.
I enjoyed these lines:

Joe “may we come to terms with that the former infrastructure on which we once depended has just about expired.”

As if no one has noticed that all of these old church buildings are being attended less and less and their utility tax is going up and up. It appears there is a crisis occurring. Fewer people are attending church in huge budget, Sunday use buildings.

Why is this? Is it because less people are committed to the faith or is that more people have figured out that their finances are funding a new pastor here, gardener there, sound system this, new pews that.
People went to church in need of a savoir and it appears the church was in need of wallets. It almost worked.

Today, it appears, people have lost faith in the church and some, instead of digging deep and asking the important questions about their faith, have settled for building up their own empires.

As I float around the Christian sect (just a little longer) I am noticing a change. People are asking those important questions and settling less for the “fluff” that once filled their previous church establishments. Less focus on the programs, sound systems, existence of a building and more focus on community and investment in each other.

This “new” church it appears LOOKS entirely different from the present.

Joe: “may we steward our finances in truly biblical manner.”

Seriously. Meeting needs. And how do you meet a need; by knowing the situation and persons involved.

Joe: “may we give freely, without hesitation as the Spirit give opportunity.”

When we start placing returns of interest into the people and things we invest in, we lose site of the actual intent of assistance in the first place.
Investing in people isn’t about profit return, and most of the time you will invest at a loss. Being afraid to lose and not gain shouldn’t be our worry. Investment in people is messy, long, frustrating, not ethically smart and some times dangerous. I can’t wait!