Apr
8
2011

Finance Fridays: Economic Implications of the First Quarter

An article by Jeremy Moore Comments

This is a continuation of quarterly economic update on the Evangelical Christian Credit Union Blog. I’d recommend starting there for more context and detail on what I am about to share.

Now that you’re back…

So what do Consumer Confidence, Unemployment, Real Estate prices, Housing Starts, and Inflation have to do with your ministry?

A lot.

In order for ministries to be effective, we don’t need rising consumer confidence, stable energy prices, or low unemployment. What we need are answers to the questions that are created by uncertainty and discomfort. The answers to these questions are fundamentally the same for all churches, but may express themselves differently from one to the next. The important thing is that these are real issues that people in your church are dealing with…today!

By setting a good example of stewardship, conservation, and adaptability to a changing financial reality, your ministry can be a beacon not only to your congregation but to your community as a whole. While keeping an eye on general economic conditions and the financial implications for your members, and ultimately your church budget, is important… it’s not nearly as important as ensuring that you remain focused on the mission of the church: reaching and caring for a lost and dying world.

The world around us depends on economic indicators to provide a false sense of security. Those of us in the church know where true security comes from and the time has come to minister to and care for those clinging to the economy for their security. They are hurting now more than ever, just look at the economic indicators…

How has our current economic environment changed the way YOU do ministry?

Jeremy Moore was born in Germany to Missionary Parents and grew up in a Pastor’s home. He is married to the love of his life, Erika. He has two boys, Alexander and Benjamin. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Business and Theology from Lee University. He has done graduate and post graduate work at Auburn University, Northwestern University, and Colorado State University. His background as a Merrill Lynch Certified Financial Manager (CFM) and years as Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking at one of the largest Banks in the nation, have given him the base of knowledge which he uses to now exclusively serve non-profits. He specializes in short and long term asset management and acquisition planning and execution, as well as creation and implementation of ministry strategy. He uses his relationships with hundreds of ministry leaders to discover and disseminate best practices in the areas of church and non-profit growth and management.