Subscribe to the NetworkThe Opportunities Of Ministering During Tight Times
If your church is anything like mine, the status of our economy has impacted your church’s and your junior high ministry’s financial situation. Perhaps you’ve had your budget cut (if you were lucky enough to have one to start with!), or maybe your ministry is being affected by the financial stress the families in your church are experiencing. Or maybe, like it is for us….it’s a combination of both! To be certain, ministering in these tight times provides some unique challenges. But, there are also some unique opportunities that come our way when funds begin to run dry. Here are a few things I’ve thought about as we plan for our Fall. I’d love to hear your input as well.
- Focus on quality not quantity. Doing fewer activities and outings gives our ministry the opportunity and energy to pour extra time, energy and attention into the events we offer making them of higher quality than they have been in the past.
- In tough times, attendance usually goes up and people are usually more receptive to the gospel. We’ve noticed a spike in attendance during this recession. We all know that crisis (remember what happened right after 911) causes to think about spiritual things. To be fair, most of our junior highers aren’t coming to church or thinking about God more because of the recession, but they have probably overheard their parents conversations.
- When funds go down, creativity goes up! When your ministry budget is cut and when families are trying to cut back, it forces a leader to think outside the box and come up with creative ways to minister. If you embrace this, it can be a wonderful opportunity to do something new.
- Tight times provide you the opportunity to “kill” something you otherwise couldn’t. Sacred cows, the expensive retreat, etc. Very few people will argue with the “We are ending XXXXXXX to help be better stewards during these tight times.”
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