Count trees, not koalas: What's the future of the church?
Koala and kangaroo spotting delighted my family when we spent two glorious years living in Australia.
On a trip in Victoria, we saw a small grove of eucalyptus trees full of koalas. Did that mean the koalas were doing really well? Sadly, no. It meant that the koala habitat was shrinking. The koalas crowded onto the remaining eucalyptus trees.
Fewer donors giving more
I’ve blogged about the “fewer donors giving more” trend before. The amount of money donated to charity in Canada continues to rise while the number of donors declines. If giving is represented by koalas and donors are eucalyptus trees, fewer trees are supporting more koalas. It’s not sustainable, and in Canada the median age of donors continues to increase.
Religious donors give the most, to charities of all kinds. Fewer religious people means less money for the entire charitable sector - fewer trees supporting the koalas.
Stats on religion
New data about the religious landscape in Canada (dare I call it our habitat?) came out this week. John Longhurst’s article on religion trends in Canada https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/stats-on-religion-in-canada-not-surprising-for-scholars-575731492.html confirmed that fewer people identify as religious these days. And this was pre-pandemic data. The habitat for charitable giving is endangered.
His longer blog http://onfaithcanada.blogspot.com/ included thoughts on post-pandemic religion from a variety of scholars. In bouncing these ideas around with peers, some thoughts:
people who left church during the pandemic likely aren’t coming back
clergy are exhausted
some churches have reinvented themselves and are thriving
There’s no going back to how things were. However, I think we are yet to see the full effects of the pandemic on the church.
Count trees and not koalas
In all of this, a reminder to count trees and not koalas. Look at how many people give, rather than the total amount given. Don’t be content with meeting the budget.
How many people are giving to the church? Are they actively engaged with the church? Saying thank-you (for financial gifts, volunteer effort, prayer support) provides an excellent way of checking in with church members! Bonus: a grateful phone call also offers a pastoral care opportunity, and nurtures relationships. Good stewardship all around.
I realize this advice doesn’t line up with the “clergy are exhausted” observation. Who can help in a ministry of grateful connection?
“Mrs. Garcia, how are you?…I want to thank you for your faithful giving to the church…I miss getting to chat with you on Sundays…I wanted to tell you how you help our local church…. the food bank…and our denomination’s relief efforts in Haiti…. How can we pray for you?…Bless you!”
Change is possible
Churches, at their best, are more adaptable than koala bears which can only live in eucalyptus trees. In our rapidly changing context, churches have made years worth of technological changes in weeks. Christians believe in creation, salvation and resurrection. Do we believe that God can help God’s people reimagine the church?