Incipient Collapse

We predicted the collapse
Of St. David's Church in 2014.
That prediction has been confirmed
By the present financial crisis.

The rector of the church,
For whom we have great affection,
Has written a mournful letter in the
Monthly publication of the church.

In it, he states that the shortfall for
The coming year's budget will be
Made up again from the reserve, and
"cannot be relied on for more than another year."

He proposes inviting a "planning" committee
To outline means to build up the reserve.
That is not planning, it is fund raising, or
"Development" in the parlance of non-profits.

But a church cannot raise funds from donors;
It must rely on the contributions from members.
Therefore the solution lies solely in recruiting
Many new members to the church family.

As we have often stated, the objective of
"Stewardship" as it is colloquialy known is
Not to squeeze more money from the faithful,
But to get more faithful to squeeze money from.

The "perfect storm" discussed heretofore
Militates against attracting new members
In substantial numbers, so long as the church
Continues to follow its obsolete business model.

As we have argued previously, continuing to do
What is failing is not a recipe for future success.
Adding new outreach programs simply stretches
Church resources, while older programs suffer.

If we are to plan the future of St. David's,
We must examine the total environment of our church,
List all available options for growth, sift and discuss,
And determine what we can reasonably pursue.

Thinking Outside the Box

It is an overused, hackneyed expression
But it still has merit in delineating
That solutions to difficult problems
May be found in unfamiliar territory.

If we are to consider what the
Alternatives for St. David's might be,
Then we have to look at possibilities
Outside the present box the church is in.

Otherwise, we are simply considering
How to maneuver whilst encased in
A straitjacket of not our own making
Which binds us ever tighter.

In an earlier post, we stated that
Would lead us either to
Liquidate, merge, or downsize;
None of which are appealing.

To avoid these calamities,
St. David's may have break out
Of the limitations and restraints
Imposed by denomination and diocese.

Alternatives to be considered might be:
A free church, standing alone,
Affiliation with another Anglican province,
Absorption of another Christian entity.

Within the present diocesan structure
St. David's might pursue a niche market,
Conduct services in an informal setting,
Emphasize a particular activity.

Any of which might be seen as
Unique or innovative, and thus aimed
At attracting new members through
Public relations and word of mouth.

The main objective would be to
Serve our local community in ways
Not now associated with Episcopal churches,
And in so doing, achieve a firm base.