It's 'T' Time!:
Churches Can't Continue to
Want More, and Give Less

One of the most successful stewardship campaigns I ever experienced was a non-event. There was no theme, no witnessing, no begging, no “thermometer of giving,” going up week after week, and no every-member canvass.

There was only one letter from the vestry sent to every member. There wasn’t even a pledge card attached, or in the pew next to the hymnals. The letter outlined the needs of the church for those three “Ts” – time, talent, and treasure – and then pointed out that what you gave to each of them was between you and God. That’s all. No follow-up phone calls, no follow-up letters. The giving that year was substantial. It covered all expenses and all necessary human resources. I imagine that happened because the people of God were responsible only to God.

In the 1950s and 1960s, mainline churches experienced a surge in growth. The post-war economy was in full bloom, and suburban sprawl began. From 1946 to 1964, a baby boom spurred the buying and building of new and larger homes. Churches flourished, and in order to accommodate burgeoning attendance during this period, new churches were built, and smaller churches were expanded.  Churches thrived. The needs for time, treasure, and talent were spread among many people, and were met without a second thought.

But things have changed. Today, many older communities are not growing but are stable. Many churches that were built to accommodate growth are now experiencing a decline in attendance, both for Christian education and worship services. At some point, closing some of the churches has been, or is being, looked at seriously. Many churches face difficult decisions regarding the use of endowment funds and stewardship in general.

Traditionally, we tend to view time, talent, and treasure as separate entities. But this is a changing world. There is no longer the vast body of available volunteers called “housewives” that the church has had for centuries. About sixty percent of all women are now in the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. This means they are not as available to volunteer any significant amount of time. Furthermore, those who opt to stay at home and raise a family are facing pressures that weren’t even considered sixty to seventy years ago. Today’s moms are chauffeurs, coaches, den leaders, school aids, mentors, and a myriad of other things for their children and families. In addition, many are “sandwich” parents, taking care of their young family as well as their elderly parents. They don’t have time to volunteer at church, if they are even attending one.

When a source of volunteer resources is not available, for whatever reason, people often pay money to obtain those services. Two-income families usually utilize cleaning services, daycare to care for their children, home food delivery, or they frequently eat out. Dad may be a genius of a handyman. Still, his 60-hour-plus workweek, soccer games and practices, and limited quality time with the family may dictate that he hire a handyman or a lawn care company to keep up with home maintenance.

At the same time that volunteerism is declining, churches are facing the prospect of supporting physical plants that may be too large for worship and parish halls that are too large for the loyal few who attend coffee hour on Sunday. And while empty most of the time, they still have to pay to light and heat these facilities. Parents today want bright, airy, cheerful classrooms for their children, not in traditional, crypt-like undercrofts, dank, empty rectories, or partitioned-off parish halls. Offices are cramped into inadequate quarters, lacking sufficient space for copiers, computers, scanners, and both volunteers and staff. Communication costs have skyrocketed, and staff salaries have also increased significantly.

Churches are facing the need for increased treasure for expenditures on outdated, aging plants and equipment. All of this is happening in a troubled economy where many have lost thousands of dollars in savings and investments. Endowment funds have lost considerable value during this economy of instability. Some people have reduced, or even stopped, their financial support commitments (pledges). Others are unable to meet their obligations, and many who did not initially commit but were faithful to a plate offering are not giving as much. Much of our resources are diminished. You could say this is a scary time.

We are facing an increased need for time and talent in this declining pool of volunteers. Families with children are also looking to churches for parish life activities that involve the whole family. However, a great many of our volunteers are well over the age of retirement and want to take a break. Often they say, “Been there, done that,” or claim they are too old. However, when younger people are asked, they frequently struggle to commit their time and talent. It isn’t that they don’t want to, they can’t. So what do we do?

If time and talent aren’t available, then perhaps churches will need to pay for services that were once considered volunteer jobs. Many do it now with nursery staff, sextons, and parish administrators, as well as secretaries, although it has been a long time since the sexton and secretary were volunteer positions. Directors of Sunday school and youth group leaders are now routinely paid staff. Churches could even consider paying for someone to lead the Altar Guild, the ushers, be the vestry clerk or treasurer, or pay the entire choir. Perhaps we may even have to hire money counters in the future, or hire the Senior or Junior wardens. What do we do then?

The choices are clear:

• We decrease our contributions of time and talent and increase our treasure contributions so we can hire help.
• We increase our contributions of time and talent so we don’t have to hire help.
• We plan on closing the church.

Churches can’t keep wanting more while giving less. Most churches can’t maintain current levels without more of something. When no one wants to lead the Altar Guild, should we cease having communion? When no one wants to count money, should we stop counting our offerings? When no one wants to lead or teach Christian formation, should we stop educating our children and adults? In some churches, they have discontinued coffee hour and cookies because no one wants to do the work or spend the money. Ongoing maintenance and landscaping needs fall to the bottom of the list of necessary expenditures due to a lack of leadership, volunteers, and funds.

In a Spirit-led community, perhaps these are signs of our time, signaling the need for re-examination. Reflection, reassigning priorities, and focusing on what feeds our souls and spirit. Perhaps coffee hours are no longer as necessary, but Christian education for children and adults is a necessity.

What you give, whether it is time, talent, or treasure, truly is between you and God. Whether churches survive, grow, or die is up to you. What does it mean to you to be the body of Christ in your community and out in the world? What is God saying to us? What is God calling us to be? What is God calling your church to be?

The answers are between each of us and God. The future of every church is in our hearts, our hands, and yes, our pocketbooks.