Vibrant Faith Ministries is an entrepreneurial servant organization (sometimes called para-church.) It seems to me that denominational Christianity (as opposed to emergence Christianity) has a love/hate relationship with organizations like us.
On the one hand, we are seen as an important “outside or creative” voice to congregations and denominational structures. We provide “yeastie” services to a flat loaf of church bread.
On the other hand we are seen by some as opportunists trolling for a contract. Recently a bishop called me a “real hustler”. Not sure what that meant.
Those of us who charge directly for providing ministry services fit into a more “free enterprise” model. Church camps and social services do a modified form of the same thing.
Those who advocate for free consulting and ministry services provided by the denomination/synod/district/judicatory fit a “pooled resources” model.
Actually whether your mindset is more “free enterprise” or “pooled resources”, no ministry services or resources are ever free. The cost is either charged up front (free enterprise), or through the generosity of the offering plate, endowment, or other sources (pooled income) that then filters through the system.
At VFM we live with this tension every day. We are usually received with great enthusiasm for the services and resources we provide AND we sometimes get accused of seeming like an infomercial for the services and resources we provide. I don’t expect this tension to dissipate anytime soon.
My point is not to complain, but to talk about our understandings of church and how, as the culture continues to change, we need to think differently about funding for ministry support and services. It will require a bit of confession of sin on everyone’s part.












