Donations Up–Except at Church

Are people in the pew pinching their pennies? Across the country, congregations and denominations are recording year-over-year declines in giving. For some it’s reached panic time. What’s going on? Have general economic conditions made people stingier? Apparently not. National statistics show that overall charitable giving has actually increased in recent years. And donations are expected to increase […]

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A Murky Forecast for the ‘Religion Industry’

The dire headlines in the recent market research report caught my eye. “The industry exhibits stagnant participation.” “Industry value added is projected to decline.” What is this troubled industry? It’s the nation’s religious organizations. The business world’s chronicler of major industry trends, IBISWorld, decided to study and document the state of the religion “industry.” This […]

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The Upside of Church Decline

Just as we received more bad news about church health in America, the analysts have found a positive spin. The Association of Religion Data Archives released the latest downward data in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, citing “stark evidence of the aging and shrinking of many congregations.” But the organization’s news release carried the headline: […]

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Dubious Things Churches Spend Money On

“Oh, we couldn’t afford that.” “We’re not a rich church.” “That doesn’t fit our budget.” It’s true that many churches have struggles meeting their ministries’ financial demands. But oftentimes truly productive, transformative ministry opportunities arise—only to be dashed by the money excuse. What’s worse, some of the dollars that are currently being spent have little […]

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