Churches: Building a business or building the Kingdom?
In two video interviews about Hope Builders homeless camps, since destroyed by the City of Des Moines, a homeless advocate says:
“Most of the religious community operates out of the business model…”
“…business model vs. spiritual model… assumes limited resources vs. unlimited… It’s all about faith. It’s all belief. It’s all about trust. The churches, or the city, or the government — nobody seems to have any money, but we’re finding it because like I say, we operate out of the spiritual model, and God gives us what we need.”
“… maybe if [the churches] turned their thermostats down 5 degrees and give us half of what they save…”
I love his heart! What he says echoes Robert Luptons’s words about preserving the Church’s property vs. using it to serve people.
Ask yourselves, churches: Are you building a business or building the Kingdom of God? Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The whole world is His! (Psalm 50:9-12) The Church has limitless resources. It’s about faith! Let’s start operating in it… (Yes, I’m speaking to me, too.)
December 17th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Sometimes we plan based on what we know we can achieve — business model. That seems to make sense, logically. But that does not require faith. God shows up when we go beyond that and set out to do what He wills us to do, but what we cannot do ourselves, what is impossible for us — spiritual model. By faith… (Hebrews 11) That’s what I take from this — limited resources vs. unlimited resources. Not putting boundaries around ministry.
I think that too often in ministry, we say that we can’t do something because of money. One of my friends says, “Where God brings the vision, He brings the provision.” I strongly believe that and I believe the Bible teaches that. I’ve experienced it. That’s the spiritual model.
In the video, David (who I quoted) is specifically speaking about ministry to the homeless poor. As the economy worsens, help for the homeless and poor is decreasing. “There’s no money,” is a familiar refrain. (We hear it here, too.) But David is pointing out that God has limitless resources. He calls us to serve the poor. What He has called us to do, He will equip us to do. He makes a way.
God tells us that when we return what is His to Him, that He will “pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” There are also more than 300 verses in the Bible about caring for the poor. We are told to give. We are told to care for the poor. He will provide. Limitless resources. Live by faith. Spiritual model. “We don’t have the money,” doesn’t fit. That’s what I hear David saying.
Does the Bible call us to plan and work hard? Yes, but I don’t think that’s the worldly business model that David is making the comparison against. Those are my thoughts. I’d love to hear him speak more about it.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Is there such a dichotomy between the business and spiritual model. It seems apparent through scripture that God expects wisdom in our dealings. Proverbs talks frequently that we are to be frugal and yet the idea of faith is also throughout scripture. Faith, planning and hard work seem to go hand in hand in New Testament times. Frugality and good business planning includes reaching out and taking steps of faith. Are the ideas of business planning opposed to the idea of abundance in God?