Are you fiddling while Rome burns? What? That phrase is an idiom that according to thefreedictionary.com means…
“to do nothing or something trivial while knowing that something disastrous is happening. (From a legend that the Roman emperor Nero played the lyre while Rome was burning.)”
Today on my desk is the newly released 2014 Twenty-Fourth Edition of empty tombs, inc. annual report, “The State of Church Giving Through 2012.” Once again, giving to the church is showing a decline! You knew that right? If you read me for any length of time you know I harp on it enough. Giving as a percent of income to the church declined from their last report in 2011 to the new report through 2012 .07%
What does a .07% decline in giving mean? Millions and millions of dollars lost for Kingdom work! What are we doing about it? Mostly if Church leaders are talking about it at all they are simply wringing their hands. Then the tyranny of the urgent pressed in upon them and it is on to the next task forgetting all about inconvenient blog posts like this one or definitive studies like empty tombs. Basically, they are fiddling while Rome burns!
The real question is what are you doing about the decline in giving? Do you have a plan? If not here is the reality, your giving if it is not already, will decline. The rate of decline will increase so fast that unless you are working NOW to offset it you will not be able to recover.
What does that mean? You need to decide now who you can do without on your staff as you will not be able to afford to be fully staffed. What missions can you cut? What ministries can you absolutely do without? Forget about any plans for additions, the funding simply won’t be there. Then as hard as it might seem, what can you do to supplement your income as you too will have to take a pay cut to stay on?
Here is a truth…
If you don’t have a plan to increase giving and givers you are planning on failure! All of the above is your future unless you act now!
StewardshipMan you are just trying to scare me into paying you money! I do like to eat. However, I have given away so much free advice that if you take the time and go through all 800 plus blog posts you can get the help you need. If you don’t have the time for that then join The Stewardship Coach!
Would you spend $59.95 a month if you knew it would increase your giving and keep you fully funded AND staffed? That is what my plan costs. You can cancel at any time.
So, what are you going to do, fiddle or roll up your sleeves and get to work? Take the first step and sign up here https://thestewardshipcoach.org/join-now/
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach