# 10 Tsunamis Impacting Ministries

## Metadata
- Author: [[Daniel Cook]]
- Full Title: 10 Tsunamis Impacting Ministries
- Category: #books
## Highlights
- Over and over again I have found the need to get out of the world I live in so that I can really listen and understand what God is telling me. ([Location 100](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=100))
- A good friend of mine by the name of Stan Toler said that we cannot let the church in our country quit being fishers of people and become merely keepers of aquariums. He went on to warn churches against going into the business of stealing fish from other churches’ aquariums, and there-in forgetting the divine call to the disciples on the lake so many years ago. ([Location 118](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=118))
- A single wave can create chaos; a series of successive ones will forever change the social and economic landscape of the United States as we know it today. ([Location 129](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=129))
- In the world of meteorology, a “perfect storm” occurs when there is a confluence of two or more different atmospheric-related events. The intensity of the resultant storm can be devastating. ([Location 130](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=130))
- Another “perfect storm” is developing that will forever impact our world. The confluence of the current economic crisis with the demographic changes associated with the transition from one generation to another will dramatically change the non-profit landscape and require significant and immediate change if organizations are to thrive in the pursuit of their mission initiatives. ([Location 132](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=132))
- Unfortunately, the tsunamis are already hitting our ministries. Will our ministries be ready to withstand the impact of the storms? Some ministries are more prepared for the storm than others. While some will survive, it is my opinion that the vast majority will be detrimentally impacted and the waves will forever change the evangelical movement in the United States. ([Location 145](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=145))
- 1. The Tsunami of Generational Transition - In 2012 the baby boomers represented close to 70% of all of the income in the United States and supported churches to the tune of 90% or more in their giving. In 2018, from a pure demographic perspective, this group will be mid way through its retirement and will command no more than 20% of the total income in the United States. Meanwhile, the income of millennials will increase to well over 50%. Some 60 trillion dollars will be transferred from one generation to another in the next 30 years. As it falls into the hands of the millennial generation, it will be redirected in accordance with their values. ([Location 150](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=150))
- 2. The Tsunami of the Millennial Generation - The millennial generation (the analysis within this book assumes this to be those born from 1972 - 1998) is poised to assume leadership roles in society, business, and government. These predominantly “right-brain” thinkers will bring with them their ideas, values, and perspectives and will redefine commerce, organizations, and politics for the first half of this century. This is the same group that is leaving the church in record numbers - some estimates show as few as 15% remain with 3 - 5% attending on… ([Location 156](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=156))
- 3. The Tsunami of Decline in Christian Education - Some of the greatest losses in the last decade have come in the area of private education. Tuition dependence, millennial parents not agreeing with Christian education, and reduced family income have resulted in catastrophic drops in enrollment and double-digit losses causing private school closures. Many of the value based educational alternatives… ([Location 162](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=162))
- 4. The Tsunami of Chronic Anxiety - Anxiety is paralyzing each of our ministries, today perhaps more than ever. Whether we are stuck in trying to figure out how to react to the recent Supreme Court ruling on homosexual marriage or simply stuck in old ways of being, ministries today are hesitant, fearful, and more focused on their “what has been” rather than “what could be.” We need to get out of our own heads, so that we can remember our calling to serve others and the one who calls us. As we consider our place… ([Location 167](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=167))
- 5. The Tsunami of Non-Profit Competition - Social needs have spawned a significant increase in the number of registered non-profits and increased competitiveness of the charitable dollar. This phenomenon combined with the overall reduction in per capita giving spells danger for organizations dependent on contributions to maintain operational viability.… ([Location 172](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=172))
- 6. The Tsunami of Economy and Tax Reform - After a long period of minimal inflation, an unusually long recession, and even slower recovery, inflation will eventually be essential to build vibrancy into a stagnant economy. Increased costs will add an increased financial burden to individuals and organizations who are seeking to add stability and predictability to cash flow. Meanwhile, the massive debt incurred by governments creates inevitable increases in federal, state, and local taxes further reducing the expendable income generally devoted for giving, investment, and purchasing. Expect a long recovery from the worst financial crisis in 70 years. Ministries… ([Location 177](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=177))
- 7. The Tsunami of Narcissism - The underlying narcissistic culture has made it practically impossible for many individuals and organizations to see beyond their own needs in order to join together in community to resolve some of society’… ([Location 183](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=183))
- 8. The Tsunami of Segregation - Many years ago Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is “the most segregated hour in America.” While there are still many racial divides in our nation, there is now a growing division between those of different ages. With less involvement of the younger generation in ministries across the country, our churches are finding new ways to experience and tolerate segregation. This is not the ingenuity one hopes for in a… ([Location 187](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=187))
- 9. The Tsunami of Following the World - The “nones” (people who have no religious affiliation) are the largest growth sector in our society today (studies show that one in five Americans reports no religious affiliation). The world is clearly impacting these people far more than our ministries. If we continue to lose more of our young people, the… ([Location 192](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=192))
- 10. The Tsunami of a Declining America - The underlying attitude emerging out of the worldwide economic crisis is uncertainty. The fear that the last shoe has yet to be dropped (there is more bad news to come) has created apprehension that has provoked a new financial conservatism that will… ([Location 196](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=196))
- The baby boomers may well give a new meaning to retirement and are probably not going to go into the sunset the same way their parents and grandparents spent their “golden years.” They are re-defining aging with different styles of retirement, much more activity, and finding new meanings to their lives. ([Location 221](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=221))
- The generational transition has three areas of study that we will investigate: -Wealth Transfer -Effects of reduced giving to the church -Learnings from the past generation ([Location 237](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=237))
- The next 20 years will see the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the entire world, from one generation to the next. ([Location 242](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=242))
- There are two distinct groups of baby boomers. The first were the entrepreneurs born from 1946 -1955. They tended to be business owners that were very conservative and had the greatest amount of wealth based on their large incomes. It logically follows that as they retire, the impact on giving will be substantial. The majority will be of retirement age by 2016 leaving a void that is unimaginable. In all, there will be 75 million baby boomers going into retirement and passing on. ([Location 247](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=247))
- In 2010, baby boomers accounted for 70% of all income being earned in the United States. They also gave over 90% of the total $98.6 billion given by individuals given that year to religious 501C(3)’s. ([Location 251](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=251))
- By the year 2018 a major shift will have occurred that will dramatically impact non-profits. It is estimated that 20% of all income in the United States will be earned by baby boomers, 25% by those representing Generation X, and 55% by millennials! Millenials in January of 2015 for the first time represent over 50% of the employed workforce. ([Location 255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=255))
- It is my forecast that financial sustainability will become a common word among our non-profits and an essential part of future financial stewardship among evangelical ministries. ([Location 277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=277))
- Tithing as a percentage of income by members of U.S. Protestant churches is down to 2.38%, its lowest level since the great depression (1929), ([Location 279](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=279))
- Each year churches are less able to use their offerings for service, mission, or outreach since they must keep a greater share of those donations for their own internal needs. ([Location 281](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=281))
- As ministries become less visible, less people outside the church know about them, thus placing more stumbling blocks to their growth. Once this happens, ministries must rely even more heavily on their current attendees for financial support. It is a vicious cycle with no visible alternatives. ([Location 282](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=282))
- The problem churches face regarding tithing begins internally; meanwhile organizations that are thriving during this economic time are those that have an external purpose such as providing drinking water, shoes for kids, or working towards the elimination of a disease. ([Location 287](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=287))
- organizations that are doing the best in this economic time are those that have ministries with a tactile purpose or a cause. ([Location 289](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=289))
- It is clear that the demographic transition from baby boomers who financially support churches to millennials who don’t even attend them is by far the larger issue and will only become more significant. ([Location 295](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=295))
- Put another way, American churches are spending more on themselves and less on beyond-the-church charities. ([Location 297](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=297))
- When money becomes the key to our happiness, we inevitably live in fear of losing it, which makes us paranoid and suspicious. ([Location 307](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=307))
- When possessions become our god, we become materialistic, thinking enough is never enough, which makes us greedy. ([Location 315](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=315))
- When power and influence drive us, we become self-serving and strong-willed, which makes us arrogant. ([Location 322](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=322))
- With wealth and fame comes power which may possibly be the worst of the three. ([Location 324](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=324))
- When it is all about fame, we become competitive so that others will not upstage us, which makes us envious. ([Location 328](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=328))
- Once we realize that we can do nothing without God, we are able to experience humility, a gratifying faith, and an understanding of what is truly worthwhile in our world. God, as author of all created things, shows us that we cannot take credit for a success that He has orchestrated, nor can we share the glory of the limelight from the sun He spoke into being. ([Location 330](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=330))
- What does all of this mean? The secret of living may be closely related to the secret of joy: Both must revolve around the centrality of Jesus Christ. In other words, the pursuit of happiness is the cultivation of a Christ-centered, Christ-controlled life. When Christ becomes our central focus, contentment replaces our anxiety and we lose our fears as well as insecurities. ([Location 336](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=336))
- Givers in your ministry are asking themselves, “Why should I give to my church?” In this day and age, the church has to put itself in a position to be deserving of the gifts of its people. It is not enough to just say, “We’re the church.” You cannot just expect givers to keep filling the annual budget bucket. You have to make the case that a gift here is a worthy investment. If you can’t show it, another group will fill this void. ([Location 341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=341))
- Perhaps the greatest obstacle for establishing consistent givers is the lack of bold, visionary leadership - leadership that not only inspires people to give, but demonstrates a level of sacrificial giving themselves. Moreover, this leadership needs to be unafraid to talk about money. We can’t expect people will just “know” they should give money to the church, we need to have an open and constant discussion about it. We also have to make it easier to give money with such solutions as online giving and text tithing. ([Location 345](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=345))
- While visionary leadership is critical, one of the primary factors impacting current church giving is attendance frequency. Each generation has decreased in attendance with a corresponding decrease in giving. ([Location 349](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=349))
- Each generation responds to different motivators, boomers are more likely to respond to messages incorporating how the church is helping to provide for the basic needs of the poor. Generation X is primarily motivated to give in order to make their community better. Millennials respond to the message of helping make the world a better place. ([Location 358](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=358))
- While millennials are cause givers, they do not see the cause of Jesus Christ as a cause. ([Location 363](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=363))
- Millennials will care more about those that are not in the church than the church itself while the majority of our churches are focused in an opposite direction on those that are in the church. This inward focus will become a larger and larger problem for our churches and ministries. ([Location 364](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=364))
- One of the old fashioned mentalities that all ministries need to work on is doing better with offering gratitude for the gifts they receive. Even though the money is going for God’s work and maybe should be considered a selfless act, a nice note or recognition can go a long way. Gratitude ([Location 367](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=367))
- Millennials are generally considered to be the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. There is real confusion on what age they became at the millennium. While all generations have impacted the evangelical movement in the United States, millennials may well be creating the largest changes to the practice of Christianity in the last 50 - 100 years. ([Location 393](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=393))
- While the age group varies slightly depending on which study you review, we are going to focus on those born from 1972-1998. ([Location 397](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=397))
- When you study which age groups are going to church services today it is clear that we are having trouble attracting those 17 - 43 years old. ([Location 403](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=403))
- One thing is for sure, this group is a generation of impatient, experiential learners, digital natives, and multitaskers, who love the flat, networked world. They are the most connected generation of all time. ([Location 406](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=406))
- The millennials are sometimes called the “Trophy Generation” or “Trophy Kids,” terms that reflect the trend in “competitive sports.” They have been taught that participation is frequently enough for a reward. The baseball was not thrown to them, it was placed on a stand and “hit” during their T-ball games. Many of their games often ended up with no winner or loser. ([Location 410](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=410))
- They played in little leagues where the score wasn’t kept and where everyone was a winner and everyone got a trophy just for showing up. ([Location 413](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=413))
- This whole upbringing is becoming a problem in corporate environments as well as our churches. ([Location 419](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=419))
- Millennials switch jobs frequently because of their ability and desire to change, take chances, and expect more and more from the employer. We used to have great expectations from our employees, now the employees have great expectations of their employer. ([Location 421](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=421))
- Regular attendance to this group is far different than what regular means to the baby boomers. Once per month may be considered regular, and not always attending the same ministry. They switch churches frequently and generally do not belong to or join a church. Becoming a member of a church is a totally foreign concept that may remind them of their concept of cults. ([Location 424](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=424))
- This group is closer to their parents than the previous generation and asks advice of their parents for even small decisions. While they may or may not take the advice, they are curious about how their parents see the world. ([Location 428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=428))
- Millennials want to stay with their parents and do not leave easily. ([Location 430](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=430))
- The millennials were the first group to see divorce, foster care programs, and child abuse cases in larger and larger numbers. ([Location 431](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=431))
- A survey was done to determine what brands of products millennials are buying. Apple, Nike, and TOMS were the top three favorite brands, in that order. ([Location 442](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=442))
- The top brands choice reflects this generation’s tech-mindedness, with three of the top five brands in the tech category: Apple, Samsung, and Google. ([Location 444](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=444))
- Innovative was a word that came up again and again with these brands: One 24-year-old female chose Apple because they are “constantly innovative.” ([Location 448](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=448))
- In the same survey, respondents were asked to choose the aspects that makes them want to buy from a brand. 66% told us they chose to buy from brands that have a positive message, and 54% chose to buy from brands that make them feel good about themselves. ([Location 449](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=449))
- Why are the buying habits of millennial’s important to this discussion? You guessed it, they look at our ministries just like they look at other things they “buy.” Technology is important. Being ethical is important. Buildings and systems in the building that are environmentally friendly are important. If you do not pay attention to those things, you may be called hypocritical. ([Location 452](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=452))
- The number one trait of millennials is that they are the most connected group of all time and expect connectivity with everyone and everything 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ([Location 456](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=456))
- While they say they are the most informed, most are not involved in political events, daily news, and issues that they perceive do not impact them. ([Location 459](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=459))
- They are incredibly well informed on the issues they care about or at least can become well informed with a quick turn to the internet. ([Location 462](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=462))
- What is the vision of your church and how does it incorporate the great commission, reaching the lost, and caring for the poor? 2. Are we playing offense or defense? 3. Does our budget reflect outreach or in reach? 4. What would you do to make your ministry more relevant? 5. Are we being the best stewards of all of the resources God has given our ministry? (buildings, budget, gifted people, etc.) 6. What is the number one issue in our church that needs attention? 7. How do we look compared to the description of the church in Acts? 8. What is the spiritual maturity of your church members? ([Location 2561](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=2561))
- 9. If three years from now our church had changed to an offensive church - a dangerous church - what things would we have had to put in place to make that happen? 10. If someone where looking from the outside at your church would they see a people desperate for the Spirit of God? We have all been invited to be world changing, Kingdom building ministries. Architects work on blueprints (although they have not been blue for over 40 years). Ministries need a blueprint - a plan - a direction that is all about Kingdom building and all about changing our world. ([Location 2570](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016APSV86&location=2570))