Church is not a business

1. Church is not a business But there are similarities

2. Both business and church have income and expenses BusinessChurch Income Income Expenses Expenses And for both to survive—let alone grow and thrive—the income must be greater than the expenses.

3. Both have a mission, goal, or vision Either way, both business & church must do something! In Business, it is usually to make a profit. In Church it could be, “Make disciples” or “Proclaim God’s love through Word and Sacrament, committed to a life of witness, fellowship and service, uniting people to his will.”

4. One thing we can all agree on… A business that offers: • Undesirable or outdated products • Few products to choose from • Poor service • Highly priced products Is on its way out of business!

5. Some products are great … but only desirable to a tiny % of population… If you sell denture cream, you can’t sell them to children. If you want to sell trifocals, you can’t sell them to the younger generation. While all ages wear sunglasses, only a minority wear the ones with wrap-around eye shields.

6. How long will a business thrive … If it were building buggies to go behind horses? While the need of transportation is still there, there are other methods to meet that need!

7. What do these pictures tell you? At Noon At Noon 40 tables but only 8 tables are filled. You may wonder what’s wrong with this place (e.g., food (product), service, prices)! How about the one with a lot of people eating and enjoying their meal? Which one do you think feeds the most people?

8. Imagine a room that can feed 400 • But only has 60-80 people attending a meal. What is this telling you?

9. If a restaurant is losing money or not full of people… The manager asks: • What can be done? • Is it our food? • Should we add more types of food? • Is it our service? • Is it our prices or lack of value? • Do customers come in once and never come back? • Why are we not connecting with the community? What can we do to fill this restaurant?

10. To be successful you need: Restaurant • To connect with its community • Offer good products, good food • Good service………………….G • Good price (value) ………...…G • Good location ……………...…G • Good parking …………………G • Acceptable amenities • Mission and goal and then go do it! Church • To connect with its community • Offer good products (small groups, Bible study, Sunday School, Cottage meetings, meet-to-eat, worship style, God’s Word, family, children’s activities, etc.) • Good service (loving interaction with the community & membership) • Good price (value) (the community evaluates their time investedrelative to the food they received: were they fed?) • Good location • Good parking • Acceptable amenities • Mission and goal and then go do it!

11. How about the mission? Proclaim God’s love through Word and Sacrament • Who is to do this? To Whom? Committed to a life of witness • Jesus sent people into all the world. Was Jesus wrong in the Great Commission? • How many people have you invited in the last two weeks?

12. How about the mission? • Committed to a life of witness • Who is to do this? To whom? • Committed to a life of fellowship • Who is to do this? To whom? • Committed to a life of uniting people to his will • Who is supposed to do this and to whom?

13. Some Have Said …. • I invited them, but they never came back. • This is for us … alone. • “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety‑nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 • Keep inviting!

14. Some Have Said …. Those growing, thriving churches are offering just entertainment … we don’t want to be like them. Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” ”Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” Luke 15:3-4

15. Some Have Said …. • Over 90 % of our members only spend one hour a week in church or on the work of the church. Is that commitment? That hour better be pretty good! • Our committees need more help • I am tired and don’t want to anymore • Been there done that … but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

16. Some Have Said …. • We don’t need to fill the church • It is the evangelism committee’s job! Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety‑nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” Luke 15:3-4

17. How about the mission? Jesus sent people out into all the world … was He wrong? "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” -Mark 16:15

18. So how are we doing? Financially? Our Mission Status?

19. So how are we doing? So far this year: • $13,000 loss • By year end $15,000 loss Projections for next year • $15,000 or $16,000 loss • plus $25,000 for part time minister • plus $25,000 for new roof