We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry
What if the resources your church or organization needs are already there?
Many Christian churches and related institutions in the United States are struggling or, in some cases, facing imminent crisis, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance is down. Funding is harder to come by. People are no longer drawn to traditional church services and programming in the ways that they once were. Often, we feel broke and powerless to do much about it. We settle for doing more with less: Less money. Fewer people. Fewer churches.
But if we reexamine our perceived limits and our assumptions about how resources are supposed to be used, then something remarkable and beautiful comes into view: we aren’t broke at all but have enormous resources at our disposal. Church and missional organizations nationwide own billions of dollars of prime property and investment assets, which, when combined with social enterprise and new expressions of mission, can be put to work for innovation and transformation. And these resources are often available to us right now.
This book is an invitation to envision a different way of putting God’s gifts to work in the world. It draws upon a remarkable story of rebirth at a Presbyterian affiliated campus ministry center at the University of Wisconsin, along with profiles of other creative social enterprises, to describe how church property and investment assets can be put to work for innovation, transformation, and financial sustainability. Theologically rooted but practically minded, it provides guidance and tools for church and nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors of all kinds who are seeking new ways to fund and participate in God’s work in the world.
What People Are Saying about “We Aren’t Broke”
“This is a book the likes of which you have never read before. Mark Elsdon has written a book on money in the church that is both smart and wise. The smart part of his book is that he opens up important specific resources for good money management and investment. The wise part of his book is that he appeals to faith in order to imagine afresh the uses of our resources. Elsdon proposes nothing less than that we “recalibrate our relationship with money” in order not to keep reiterating old practices. This book is a must for any part of the church that fears it lacks adequate resources.
— Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Seminary
“One of our biggest challenges in the church is imagination. In this book, Mark Elsdon reminds us that there is no scarcity of resources, only a scarcity of creativity and courage. He shows us a way forward, even in the midst of a pandemic. If we believe that light shines in darkness, this is an amazing moment for us to shine. If we feel anxious about resources, we need only remind ourselves of what Jesus did with a few struggling fishermen and a few courageous young women... and how he took a kid's lunch to feed the masses.”
— Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and co-founder of Red Letter Christians
“This book packs a wallop—it could not be more timely or more important for congregations today. Elsdon calls churches to reckon with the impact of their finances—not just whether they can make bank—and turns impact investing into something mighty close to a spiritual practice. Given the tectonic shifts in giving and the global hand-wringing over the future of the church, We Aren’t Broke isn’t a moment too soon.”
— Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Seminary
“I’ve long questioned the traditional model of the church’s role in the context of today’s society. I believe innovation has been somewhat lacking in approaches to disrupt systemic issues in our community. However, now more than ever, we are in a moment to change the narrative around this, and we are seeing more and more examples of new and effective models popping up around the world. We Aren’t Broke does an excellent job of digging into these challenging topics and highlighting new ways for the church to utilize its assets and reclaim its position as the transformational agent of change in our communities.”