The Church Works ... But Not Alone!

In every community I have visited where there are signs of new economic life, a great pattern is emerging. I have seen the Church taking leadership roles in developing various nonprofit groups in the community. Boy Scouts, Chambers of Commerce, Farmers' Unions, Goodwill stores, 4-H and many others are the result of congregational action.

This works!

__/__ Not-for-profit groups

Community groups, including the Church itself, directly participate in building effective economic streams wherever appropriate. These groups work to provide a better life for the people of the community. Housing programs, media packages and personal service programs wherein the moneys provided are added to by the labor and other support of the Church. The congregation(s) may develop an industry, providing income for workers. It may spin these new industries off as independents, then start others. Or the congregation may continue to operate them. In either case, these become part of the total economic package of the community.

Little is spoken in the Bible of the distinction between profit and non-profit enterprises. Except for the work of the temple organization which covered the whole of the nation geographically, little non-profit work can be inferred.

Yet faithful persons of many varying communities have developed not-for-profit schemes that have delivered great good to the world. The evidence seems to say that faithfulness leads to the kind of attitude and organization that eventuates in missional non-profit entities.

There is a long history of faith communities taking active roles in developing both social service streams and for-profit industries. Most American faith groups have investments in industry in some form sometimes these investments are used for pension and insurance purposes. At other times mission efforts are covered by these holdings.

Others have been more direct. Many have established housing projects, treatment centers, craft projects and even direct for-profit industries. Usually these latter are eventually spun off or sold. Their major importance, though, is as seed for additional labor projects in the community. The work of organizing these industries is a part of the mission of the Church. The Church has money, organization, education, systems, prestige and marketing skills that can be used in industry.

Questions on which to evaluate your community and congregation

Does the Church, or other non-profit groups, continually search for ways to build the economy? What systems have been established to add to the economy of the local community? Is the Church a drain on community finances, or a benefit to these finances?

Examples of work which may benefit your community:

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