What Is Your Church Worth?

Dear Crosswalkers,

The title of this week's email message is provocative: "What is your church worth?" There are so many ways to consider this, but a recent study attempts to answer that question in purely financial terms. According to a 2009 survey, on average, every year one inner-city church contributed $476,663.24 to the local economy! That's based on research by University of Pennsylvania professor Ram Cnaan, who in fact considers himself nonreligious. His 2011 survey is even more revealing! It concluded that one church alone, First Baptist Church in Philadelphia, contributed over $6,000,000 a year to the local economy! This is more than ten times the church's annual budget!  How is this calculated? Well, based on Cnaan's research, some of First Baptist's financial contributions include:

• Volunteer hours worked: $94,770 (weekly hours x 52 weeks x $20.25)
• Reduced crime rate: a reduction of $64,416 (crimes within neighborhood compared with surrounding neighborhoods x $2,210)
• Getting people off drugs and alcohol: $78,750 ($15,750 per person helped)
• Building enhancements/Capital campaign: $60,000 (estimates that half of expenses are spent locally)
• Helping people gain employment: $725,000 ($14,500 per arranged employment)
• Suicide prevention: $58,800 ($19,600 per person saved through clergy intervention)
• Divorces prevented: $22,500 ($900 per couple)
• K-12 School: $3,489,926 (# of students x $9,666)

I'm not sure Crosswalk quite measures up to this inner city church's standard, but I know the impact we have on people's lives, our community service projects, the ministry of Sunnyvale Christian School, our counseling, our missions investments and more is of significant value to our community and our world. More importantly, it is precious to our Heavenly Father. Ultimately, our worth as a church is determined by the Lord who called us into being. What does he say?

Isaiah 49:16 - "See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands..."

Jeremiah 31:3 - ...“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."

Ephesians 3:10-11 - God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 5:25 -...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

The conclusion is simple:  WE ARE OF GREAT VALUE TO OUR GOD AND TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR WORLD!  THERE IS NO GREATER WAY YOU CAN INVEST YOUR TIME AND RESOURCES THAN IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

This Lord's Day we will begin a new series of studies on the Gospel of Mark entitled "Simply Jesus.' The purpose of this series is to lead us in a time of corporate Bible study on the centrality of our faith - Jesus the Lord. Scholars have long known that Mark was the first Gospel written, and there is a strong tradition in the church that Mark records the memories of the apostle Peter. In fact there is much internal evidence that Mark is, in fact, the preaching and teaching and remembrances of Simon Peter. This Sunday we will introduce the theme of the Gospel, and be encouraged by the Biblical truth that God delights in preparing people for something new. I believe right now God is in the process, whether you realize it or not, of preparing you for some new chapter in your life. This time of preparation is exciting. I hope to see you Sunday!!

Love in the Lord,

Pastor John