Archives for August 10, 2022

In this devotion, Duane Neugebauer ’71 M.Div. shares his hope in the judgement of God. Read today’s God Pause.

Grace Pomroy and her research team are researching alternative funding models for congregations, and they would appreciate your help!

Congregations across the country are realizing that the Sunday morning offering may not be enough to sustain their mission. For nearly two years, Grace has been worked with seminary students in her Funding Forward course to learn from congregations and faith-based nonprofits that are finding and experimenting with more economically sustainable models for ministry that are deeply connected with God’s mission for their organization. These models include specific tools like repurposing church property, social enterprise, grants, and more. While the tools and finalized models can spark creativity, congregational leaders often wonder what process they might use to discern God’s mission, which tools to try, and how they might get other congregational leaders on board. 

Grace is building upon her prior learnings by researching the process ministry leaders have used to discern and implement these models so other leaders can follow in their footsteps. The first part of the research project is a survey of 200 congregations who have implemented and/or are experimenting with an alternative financial model. She’d appreciate your help in identifying any congregations that you believe might qualify for the survey. The congregations she’s looking for are United States or Canada based and fit into one or both of the categories below:

1. Experimenting with and/or using at least one income source outside of tithes and offerings that is aligned with their mission. This new income source or combination of income sources should comprise at least 10% of the ministry’s budget. These income sources might include, but are not limited to:
   • Repurposing or selling ministry property
   • Generating consistent income through space rental 
   • Receiving grants from the government, nonprofits, or foundations outside of the congregation’s denomination or judicatory
   • Using crowdfunding or other traditional fundraising methods to raise monetary support from outside of the congregation’s membership
   • Receiving corporate sponsorships
   • Repurposing endowment funds for ministry, not just to balance the budget
2. Experimenting with and/or implementing a method of reducing the congregation’s budget. These reduction methods might include, but are not limited to:
   • Utilizing creative staffing models like shifting from a full time minister to a bivocational or part-time minister
   • Selling ministry property or sharing ministry property with another congregation

BONUS: I’m especially interested in ministries who have shifted their economic model in the past 10 years.

She would be grateful for any and all suggestions you can offer. Please use this Google Form to share your ministry site suggestions by Friday August 26. Fill out one form for each site suggestion. If you have more than five sites you would like to suggest, please email Grace Pomroy at gpomroy001@luthersem.edu and she can find a more expedient way for you to share your suggestions. Have questions or know of someone else Grace should be in touch with about this topic? Please email her at gpomroy001@luthersem.edu.

P.S. – Curious to learn more about funding forward and see examples of the types of ministries I’m looking for? Check out this article!

Looking for another course to round out your fall schedule?

Grace Pomroy is teaching Money and Mission of the Church (CL4560_X3_50) this fall, and there are seven seats left! The course is being offered to MDivX cohort 3, however Grace is happy to have traditional students fill up the remaining seats. This is the only time this course will be offered during this academic year. For those M.Div. students out there, this course will satisfy the leadership elective requirement. Curious to learn more? Email Grace at gpomroy001@luthersem.edu.

Here’s the course description:
Financial stewardship is essential to the life and mission of both congregations and wider church. This course includes a study of biblical texts related to giving and stewardship of resources, the meaning of money, one’s own attitudes regarding money and stewardship, theological under-girdings for financial stewardship, the importance of pastoral leadership in a congregation’s stewardship, analysis of stewardship programs, engagement with church leaders, and discussion of practical application to contemporary congregational life and preaching.