How to Save Money and Advance the Ministries of the Church at the Same Time

It’s generally understood that the economy fell into a recession in the final months of 2007, however much of the economy really didn’t feel the brunt of the downturn until the third and fourth quarters of 2008. As labor markets tightened, many churches began to feel the effects; weekly contributions saw a decline, families were forced to move to other parts of the country which created resource gaps, both monetarily and in terms of ministry service.



So, what’s next? The economy will ultimately rebound, but it will not look like it did in 2007 or early 2008. Housing and land prices are not predicted to return to the highs found at the end of the boom for many years. In fact, some say they won’t return to the highs during our lifetime. Consumer spending, gained primarily as a result of consumer debt, drove much of the country’s economic growth over the past twenty years. There’s no reason to sit around and wait on the economy to rebound in order to advance the ministries of the church.


The good news is that the Church has a wealth of resources and talents that go unused. Perhaps one of the best ways to both advance the ministries of the church and save money is align the resources and talents found in the church with the physical and spiritual needs of those in the church. How does one do that? Utilize a tool like ChurchSpot that connects the spiritual gifts, hobbies and talents of the church body with the needs found in the church’s ministries. As a result, the specific talents are utilized to meet the needs of the church and its ministries. A pastor recently mentioned that they spend $7,000 per year on lawn services and an additional $4,000 on snow removal services. As a result of utilizing a tool to match the church’s resources with their needs they were able to find the individuals in the church body who were excited to take on these responsibilities. Those who might not have believed that the church could utilize their talents suddenly were contributing the church and the church effectively found $10,000 to invest in the other ministries of the church. Think creatively about how to advance your ministries and your church’s mission. There are creative things that you can do, even in a recession, to advance the Gospel and mission of your church.


About ChurchSpot: Founded in Indianapolis in 2008, ChurchSpot develops web-based software designed to advance the ministries within the Christian church. For more information on how ChurchSpot works, go to ChurchSpot’s website http://www.churchspot.net/Marketing/How.aspx.