Church economics are changing fast. Here’s how to adapt.

Does your congregation need a mindset shift in how it thinks about funding ministry? It’s time for a broader understanding that looks at more than tithes and offerings.

The Foundation wants to help you convene healthy, productive conversations on your church’s financial future. That’s why we invite you and your team to a two-day intensive workshop led by WNCC’s own Bonnie Burkett.

The course is inspired by the book The Coming Revolution in Church Economics: Why Tithes and Offerings Are No Longer Enough, and What You Can Do About It. Author Mark DeYmaz writes that our entire understanding of funding and sustainability must change.

Think about your church buildings and land as having the capacity to be multi-purpose. Using that approach, you can leverage your physical spaces, partner with entrepreneurs, and create multiple streams of income. It’s all part of what DeYmaz calls “disruptive innovation.”

Generational giving patterns are changing — and conversations around money and property should change, too. With your church’s income and expenses in mind, you’ll be invited to re-imagine the resources you already have, and “mine the gold” already under your care.

Once the table is set, follow-up with organizations like Wesley Community Development Corporation may be the next natural step for churches who are ready to take a comprehensive look at the future. Wesley CDC, a United Methodist-affiliated, nonprofit real estate firm, partners with faith-based organizations on the repurposing and redevelopment of church property.

Who: Interested churches are encouraged to send three lay persons, perhaps including a trustee chair, finance chair, lay leader and/or council person. Clergy, please share this invitation with your leadership teams.

The Foundation is pleased to underwrite programming costs. Each participant will receive a free copy of the book as well as a custom workbook designed by Bonnie. The only cost is $20 per person to cover lunch on Saturday.

When:

Schedule for each training weekend:

• Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sunday, 1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Choose from the following three weekends:

• April 13 – 14 (Huntersville – United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina)
• June 8 – 9 (Sylva First UMC)

About the facilitator: Bonnie Burkett went into HR consulting after a 45-year career with State Farm, where she worked with churches of all sizes and demographics.

Now retired, Bonnie’s passion is to help congregations take a fresh look at their assets and consider ways to match ministry with community needs. The idea, she says, is simple: Generate money for ministry with what you already have.

Bonnie is active at Guilford College UMC in Greensboro, and her past leadership roles include Director of Lay Servant Training for the Northern Piedmont District; Transformation Journey Guide, Team Leader; Conference Staff Parrish Committee; and Endowment Committee Chair.

Register today: Please click here to visit the online registration page.

About the photo: The Portico includes a neighborhood cafe, a historic chapel, spaces to meet and work, and an event space for the public. It is a community of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa.