50/50
Early on, the people of LifeBridge made the commitment to give away 50% of whatever was given to us. We knew such a bold step would define us, we just didn’t realize how much! Here’s what we’ve found:
What We Give Up
Quite frankly, you’ll have to make some sacrifices to be a part of LifeBridge. When a church gives away half of its offerings, there’s not a whole lot left to live off of.
Worship is powerful, but simple — without the “sizzle” and “pop” you can get at a lot of churches. We don’t have full time staff running a myriad of programs for all the different demographic groups. Most of what we have is started and run by faithful volunteers. There will be a lot of times throughout the year when we have to say “No” to things we’d really like to have for ourselves because we’ve chosen to spend our money and our time on serving others. We are, by necessity and by choice, a simple church.
What We Gain
BUT, the positive side of spending so little on ourselves and our own ministry, is that it frees up a LOT of resources that can be invested “out there” in the world. When we come upon needs and opportunities in our daily lives, we have the resources as a church to respond with the love and care of Christ.
To a world that has grown cynical of a church that they feel is always trying to “get into their pocket”, we are able to show the outrageous generosity shown by Jesus as he loved and cared for those around him. We unabashedly ask people to give up some of the comforts we may be used to, so that we are better able to reach a lost and hurting world. As a result, we have been able to make a significant impact on many lives.