Argue With the Wind About "Tithing".... The People Have Spoken Church Leadership

Culturally, those under 40 have shifted in their value sets. Fifty years ago, one of the highest virtues was “loyalty,” and people would give faithfully to the church, trusting the institution and the leaders to use the money wisely.

And even if they didn’t agree with a building fund or focus for the corporate finances, they would continue to give simply because they trusted the spiritual hierarchy.
Not anymore.

Today’s believers are not loyal or blindly trusting. One of their highest values is “meaning,” and they will only give to what they see is making a visible difference, or what they perceive will bring them meaning at a personal level. You may argue with this at a philosophical level, but you will not be able to fight it at the street level. 

People, even those inside the church, are exhausted at giving to boxes or buildings whose influence is waning, and they simply won’t give to keep the lights on or pay the staff. They want to help real people with real needs................

In 2013, the Carnival cruise ship The Triumph lost power off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula. The voyage for consumers who had hoped for a beautiful, restful and enjoyable cruise turned into a nightmare as they had to be towed over a week’s time back to Alabama.

The toilets stopped, the air conditioning failed, the food spoiled and the travelers realized that their dream vacation was not worth a penny, let alone the thousands they had spent.

This is a picture of the failing consumer church—large, medium and micro forms. Yes, there will always be churches that seem to be avoiding all these shifts—churches that show growth based on old measurements and who seem to be growing both numerically and financially—but don’t be fooled by these aberrations.

Wise leaders look beyond the occasional success story and instead stare honestly at the undeniable trends. In seasons of economic struggle, what always occurs is a growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots.

As church attendance declines nationally, and as we fail on a global scale to see new disciples made, megachurches and growing churches are tasting what could be the last wave of transfer growth before the reality of the trends hit home...............

Gone are the days when a young man or woman can graduate from Bible school or seminary and find a great church to go work for....... 

As I’ve talked to waves of leaders both young and old, the pain of the church has gotten them close to shipwrecking their souls.

“How do I manage my true faith amidst the lies I’ve seen in the organized church?” How do I live faithfully after Christ without pandering to the consumer whims of the next cruise ship to go down?”

(Is Modern Church Leadership Tilting Toward Bivocational Ministry? Hugh Hater)