Americans are adjusting their expenditures and cutting back wherever possible to adapt to the economic downturn, which includes for many people reducing donations to churches, according to a new survey.
Over the past three months, one out of every five households (20 percent) has decreased their giving to churches or other religious centers, according to The Barna Group.
Downscale households (30 percent), families struggling with “serious financial debt” (43 percent), those who lost 20 percent or more of their retirement fund value (31 percent), and people who have lost 20 percent or more of the value in their stock portfolio (29 percent) are among the people most likely to cut back on church giving.
Among those who reduced their donations to churches, 19 percent dropped their giving by as much as 20 percent; five percent decreased their funding by 21 to 49 percent; 17 percent reduced their gift by half, and 11 percent cut their support by more than half.
A surprisingly large proportion, 22 percent, stopped their offering to churches altogether.
Upscale households were also surprisingly most likely to have reduced their giving to religious centers (48 percent), followed by people under the age of 25 (47 percent). Hispanics (43 percent), non-born again Christians (40 percent), and sociopolitical moderates (39 percent) were among the list of groups most likely to cut back on church offering.
George Barna, whose company conducted the survey, noted that most churches depend on fourth quarter giving to make up at least one-third of their annual income, but that churches should not expect normal giving patterns this year.
“The giving patterns we’re witnessing suggest that churches, alone, will receive some $3 billion to $5 billion dollars less than expected during this fourth quarter,” Barna commented.
“The average church can expect to see its revenues dip about 4 percent to 6 percent lower than would have been expected without the economic turmoil. We anticipate that other non-profit organizations will be hit even harder."
In response to the economic downturn, many churches across America are giving special talks or counseling on the topic.
The Barna survey found that 35 percent of respondents said their church had offered a special talk about the financial hardship and ways to respond to it.
A similar proportion of people (37 percent) said their church had offered specific opportunities for personal financial counseling.
Meanwhile, slightly more than half of Christian church attendees (52 percent) said their church increased the amount of material assistance to congregants in the past few months, such as food, clothing and other basic needs.
Nearly three-quarters of churchgoers said their church offered special prayer for those struggling financially.
George Barna advises church leaders to “reconfigure their financial models” and plan to spend “more cautiously” over the next two or three quarters.
"Even if a congregation continues to grow numerically, this is not a good time to use dated financial projections and models. People’s attitudes about generosity have been altered, as shown by their immediate donation behavior,” Barna said.
“We anticipate that a greater percentage of church-goers will decrease both their giving levels and frequency over the next year or so. This is a time for church leaders to demonstrate restraint and wisdom in their financial decisions."
The survey is based on telephone interviews with 1,203 adults in the United States, age 18 and older, from Nov. 1 to 5.
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Mark 12: 39 - 44
39And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: 40Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. 41And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Seems Christ didn't tell the woman or anyone else to NOT tithe to the church. Seems he's a bit ticked off about what was happening to the tithe.
God also says that what we have is HIS. We got it from HIM.
He also said he came not to abolish the law, but to fullfil the law.
I'm not saying you necessarily have to give a specific amount of money. However, to not give just because you don't want to?
The tithe may not be new testament, but the principal still applies. I give my tithe and then some and God has always come through for me when I am in a pinch. Sometimes I start to think of all the money I would "save" by not giving 10% of my gross earnings then I remember the jokes on me. I wouldn't be saving anything cause I would be missing out on all the things God makes available to me because of my faithfulness with the tithe. This principle works for non-believers and believers alike. i knew of a non-believer who would religiously drop off his tithe every Sunday because he knew it would allow his business to continue prospering.
pro,
Something or someone, for that matter, is only as worthless as the amount of worth put into it/them. And God says we are worth alot to Him.
"Americans are adjusting their expenditures and cutting back wherever possible to adapt to the economic downturn, which includes for many people reducing donations to churches, according to a new survey."
Religious Americans now have a choice. Use their hard earned money to buy groceries, or give it away to a worthless preacher.
shooter, I agree with you 100%. I do much more than give money. Our servanthood is important as well, afterall we are all members of His body with our different functions.
I have purposed in my heart to give a portion back to God in the form of his local Body to continue the work of the church by the money He blessed us with. I always think of the woman that gave her last coin.
the tithe is NOT new testament. What I give is between me and Jesus and giving isn't always about money
Giving from a willing heart is great. but,i have a question,...how many of my brothers and sisters in CHRIST need much more from the storehouses of attendance than continuing warmed over leftovers?
Jesus says: "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
The standard by which we measure. I, too, thought oh so briefly not to give this past week. And then I knew without a doubt I was going to give. It was because of the fleeting thought I realized I needed to give.
don't judge the church on giving, it is all ecomonic, you can't give what you don't have.
I hope that the church will reform, and stop being the socialistic sop that has evolved. It may be better to give to a hospice than the tasteless salt producer like the main line demoniations.
h, it's unfortunate that so many Christians are like you, they put more faith in those things like money that will pass away rather than in a eternal God who will provide for their every need and has met that most important need of all through the Cross of His Son, Jesus Christ.
mike, although I believe a majprity of our tithe should go to the local church, why not quit your whining and find a Christian ministry that meets your standards for your support and tithe to them!
Why should I give to the church. I see pastors purchasing a house & a luxury car. does that do to the preaching of the gospel. pastors should get a job so they can understand what it is like to run out of money, expose to politics at work & loose a job. BUT no, they have a tithe mentality - god will solve everything, just give 10%. that is why they can praise god & say that 'worry is a sin' bec. money comes in every week.
ID -- I agree with you but I work for a church and I know that first hand giving is down. I found out that my job is being phased out here and so it hard on everyone even those that work at a church. That does not dimish my faith, God has provided me with another job to take the place of the one that I have lost.
I don't see why a depressed economy should affect church giving except for those who have lost a job. For the rest of us, if we have the mind of Christ, it should be a motivator for us to give more generously. Charitable contributions should increase from those who have. We should be more aware of God's blessings, not less. It sounds like we have a lot of folks in our churches who don't trust in God's promises or His faithfulness and who don't have His heart for ministering to others in need.
2 Corinthians 8:12-13
"Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have. Of course, I don't mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality."
Say what you will, but it all BOILS DOWN TO SIN!!!Do we actually believe that God will not avenge the deaths of the innocents? And I won't even delve into homosexuality.
jhs, no, this is what you get when we allow greed to run rampant and greed comes in all shapes and political parties, plus your boy Barney and his democrat pals were in on this whole mess too!!!!
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WITH RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN ECONOMICS.