The North American Mission Board gives the following statistics:

Today, half of all first marriages end in divorce.

Families are changing in size and relationships. The family structure is shifting so that intergenerational families will become the norm.

Abortion is now the sixth most common cause of maternal death.

More than 80 percent of all violent juvenile offenders are the products of broken homes.

Forty-two percent of American children are being raised in single parent homes.

More than four out of five kids (82%) have had sexual relations with a member of the opposite sex by the age of 19.

The church, and the church alone, is the only institution that still waves the banner of traditional family morality; however, as wonderful as our message is, we are not doing a good enough job of getting that message out.  We must pray for God’s wisdom in this area of ministry.

The family is the cornerstone of our society.  Todd Rhoades, on his website, “Insight,” lists these issues as the top 10 which today’s families face:

1. Anti-Christian culture;
2. Divorce;
3. Busyness;
4. Absent father figure;
5. Lack of discipline;
6. Financial pressures;
7. Lack of communication;
8. Negative media influences;
9. Balance of work and family;
10. Materialism.

The devil is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  When the light of truth is shined on his activity, he loses his effectiveness.  The truth is, God has the answer for all of these issues.

I would venture to say that the majority of churches take their last year’s budget and go category by category, determining whether to add to, or take from, that particular category or line item.  It has also been my experience that many department leaders within churches have the mentality that they’d better spend any monies allocated to them, because if they don’t, they fear they will not receive the allocation next year.

Would it not be a better method to begin with a clean slate and ask each department leader to submit a written report of estimated needs for the budget committee to consider?  Would it not be better to calculate last years income, factor in an estimated adjustment percentage based on growth or other changing conditions, put evangelism, missions, staff salaries and benefits right up front as a beginning point?  Would it not be wise to look at each budget request in the light of how productive it has been in the past?  If you owned 10 stores and 9 of them were making money, but one was constantly losing money, what would you do?

We must be good stewards of the Lord’s money; and, when it is given, it becomes His.  Most churches need to spend a great deal more than they do on advertising and events that will reach lost people.  Every church ought to have a really good sign, for example.  I like the signs that have electronic scrolling messages.  Every church ought to have some attractive events where members are encouraged to bring their unchurched friends, and where the gospel will be presented in clear, understandable way.  We need to clean off the budget slate and get some money in there for evangelism.

Before entering the ministry, I had a boss in the business world that often say to me: “Son, there’s only 100 pennies in a dollar.  You want your share, I want mine, and if this company continues to operate, they are going to get theirs!”  He was telling me that the money had to be spent wisely, if we were to have the future we wanted.

In Southern Baptist churches, it is said that on average each individual brings $22.20 per week.  When you add it all up, you’ve got the income of the church.  Decisions have to be made as to how it is going to be dispersed.  George Barna research group says, “The average church in America allocates about 5 percent of its budget for evangelism, but approximately 30 percent for buildings and maintenance.”  After that comes staff and personnel salaries and expenses, expenditures for the various departments, etc.  But, 5% for evangelism?  Most of us would agree that evangelism is our chief purpose, and nothing reflects how little we plan for it than does our budgets.

There are only 100 pennies in a dollar.  God help us to take a fresh look at how we divide them up.

The tel-evangelists have so soured people on the subject of money, that many church leaders completely shy away from the subject.  In an article I recently read, Ed Young said, “Jesus talked about money more than almost anything else. In fact, He talked about money more than prayer, heaven or hell. And, as church leaders, we must follow his example. You won’t learn about tithing from your accountant. The financial gurus don’t understand God’s economy. The only place you can truly learn about the supernatural blessings of God associated with biblical money management is in the church. “  Now, isn’t that the truth?