I think ministries everywhere are facing financial difficulties, and in some ways I think it is good for them. It’s really not about money; it’s about value. The ministry must have its own value proposition, and if it does not, it will be difficult to attract revenue either through donations or through product sales.
In non-profit endeavors, the need for value received should be attached to the work of value delivered. In the church, there is often a disconnect. We prop up the ministry that offers unsatisfactory value by connecting a donation to vulnerability within a persons psyche. We appeal to emotion. We exert social pressure. We exploit good intentions. And worse, we often do so unawares.
Any ministry or nonprofit that is not delivering value will find it more difficult to attract value. I think we need to see through the financial challenges, and understand that sometimes they are more than the result of a “sinful” world. They are perhaps an indication of a problem in our approach.
