Beyond the Checkbook

Beyond the Checkbook

Feb 24-5 I'll be at a Camp Joy Holling attending a retreat with 20 guys from across the diocese talking together about the role of laymen in growing the church. The fact that these are all men is not a sexist thing in any way; this is the annual diocesan men's retreat, which the companion to the better-attended (and better funded) annual diocesan women's retreat. So don't throw rocks at me just yet. Hear me out.

The topic is incredibly interesting to me. I have had several jobs in my life, and really three pretty distinct careers. I was a Respiratory Therapist and worked in hospitals in Wyoming and Nebraska for 7 years. In 1984 I started a home medical equipment company and was a small business owner for a decade. And after selling that business I took a few years off before going to seminary in 2003. Those three careers are different in a whole lot of ways, but there are some connections and constants between them. My time as a business owner taught me a great deal about cash flow, financial statements, sales & marketing, working with employees, and serving customers. When I went to seminary, I thought some of those skills would translate, and I was largely right about that (although there are huge differences between church and corporate life, too).

Anyway, I know we clergy stand to gain a lot by asking our parishioners to share their work experiences with us. All too often we are focused on implementing our vision of the future by asking our members to volunteer their time and give their money but leave their business and life experiences at the door, when what we need to do is look beyond the checkbook, and begin by asking folks what they have learned in their business lives and what has worked in other places, and apply that knowledge to our vision for the church.

It isn't an exact fit -- church and business -- and I am not suggesting we adopt a purely corporate view of the church. What I am saying is that we need to ask folks what their corporate life has taught them that might translate to church life in ways that would help the church grow.

Which presumes two things: 1) that we can be humble enough ask for advice, and; 2) that churches actually want to grow.

Fr. Mark+