Just for the Money Just Doesn’t Work

At the church I came to pastor at Newport-Mesa, I inherited a preschool. Several years earlier, the church had founded the preschool as a way to make money. By enrolling a bunch of kids, it would be a financial lifeline for the church—not a witnessing outreach or any kind of community ministry, just a money-making scheme. The focus was so much on money that the preschool staff didn't even attend the church. They were simply hired to do the job.

Just for the Money Just Doesn't Work

The school proved to be anything but a moneymaker. Not only was it a zero as a ministry arm, it was less than zero for the church's finances. The preschool was costing a thousand dollars a month more than what the parents were paying in tuition. As a result, we had no money even to operate the church and were constantly falling farther behind.

It fell to me to close the preschool—not one of my more pleasant tasks. But out of that tough choice, I learned another guiding principle: In a church, it is wrong to establish a ministry just to make money. Every ministry must have a missional purpose. This has proven true again and again.

Serve God—use money when necessary.

God knows it takes money to run a ministry, so let Him find the right ways to provide it. Keep your focus on Kingdom purposes.

Sacrifice the Cash Cow

Even churches with successful schools run a risk of becoming dependent upon the school's money, and the income becomes the tail that wags the dog. The church can coast spiritually, because the cash cow feeds the church budget. The tragic consequence is that the congregation is no longer motivated to step out in faith, and the incentive toward sacrificial giving for missions or other ministries is lost. That cash cow can also supplement the pastor's salary, the pastor's wife's salary, the other staff. Eventually the business can feed into all operations of the church and create grave spiritual danger.

Churches must be careful to establish schools, day care centers, or other such ministries only for appropriate purposes:

• Is it evangelistic?
• Does it serve the cause of discipleship?
• Does it become a means of feeding people into the church?

The Lord never said, "I will establish the school, and upon this school I will build my church." He said He would establish the Church. A church is the primary instrument for fulfilling the Great Commission, both locally and around the world. While the Lord may call a church to establish a school, the church must believe the school is part of its mission. Making money is never the right reason for a church to initiate a project or auxiliary program.

Money flows for ministry, not for its own sake.

Churches can legitimately be superb conduits for channeling money into God's plans. Missions giving is perhaps the best example of that. The right perspective, though, is that money should result from putting Kingdom work first.

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