A presentation was shared at the 2004 World Conference, exploring Community
of Christ giving trends from 1976 to 2002. To view the entire
presentation with supporting notes, please download the PowerPoint file
(280KB) to your computer.
If you view the presentation in your browser, only the slides (without
supporting notes) will be displayed. Below are the supporting notes for
each slide.
| Slide |
Notes |
Giving Trend Information
Community of Christ
Mission Tithes |
|
| World Ministries Contributors |
Over the 26-year period from 1976 to 2002 the number of
contributors has declined by more than 37,000.
There has been a steady decline since 1982 with no single, major drop
that would appear to be related to a specific event in the church.
Many possible explanations.
Most interesting is the decline within specific age groups. |
| Contributors by Age |
The decline is especially acute among the
young.
In the under-20 category, the contributor numbers have declined by
almost 10,000.
The church has lost almost 14,000 contributors in their 20s and
30s.
Contributors over 40 have continued to comprise the larger
percentage of contributors.
Note: information is only available for those who contribute and
receive receipts. |
World Ministries
Mission Tithes |
Time frame: 1976 to 2002
Contributions peaked in the mid-1980s at a time when the number of
contributors was decreasing.
While there is a downward trend in World Ministries Mission Tithes,
it is less significant than the downward trend in number of
contributors.
Most interesting is the decline in World Ministries Mission Tithes by
specific age groups. |
| Contributions by Age |
The financial foundation for the church
continues to be provided by those 40 and older.
For ages 20 to 39, contributions during 1976 totaled just under $2M,
during 2002 they were just over $0.5M.
For those under 20, contributions during 1976 totaled $182,000 and in
2002 were $29,000.
The challenge for the church as we move into the future is how to
engage those under 40 in the life and financial support of the church. |
| Local and World Contributors |
It is interesting to note that the number of
contributors to local mission tithes was greater than the number of
contributors to World Ministries mission tithes even before the change
in the definition of tithing to include all giving to the church as
tithing. The new definition was presented to the church at the 2002
World Conference.
It is leadership’s hope that membership will sense the call to
share equally with local and world mission, as counseled in Doctrine and
Covenants 162:7d: “Look to the needs of your own congregations, but
also look beyond your walls to the far-flung places where the church
must go…share equally in the outreaching ministries of the church.” |
