No, but it is a sign that the economy is slowing. As people endure some financial strain from this slowing economy, there will be many opportunities for the church to help people.
You can check ou this story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080701/bs_nm/starbucks_dc_4. One interesting thing to note--Starbucks, despite closing 600 stores, will still be opening 200 new stores. So some stores clearly are not "profitable," and these resources can be used to help start more "profitable" stores.What if we "shut down" or diverted resources from non-profitable (those not reaching any converts) churches to new "profitable" churches (those churches creating converts). Would this be a good or bad thing?
Posts
3 comments:
Already check with mine. It is not closing!!!
jv
JV, your church or your Starbuck's?
Starbucks is purely makeing a business decsion. As far as church goes, it's a "soul" decision. From my experience (which is not too many years) I feel that we do this with "congregations". We hear about it all the time, congregations expand their buildings, congregations downsize their buildings, congregations move their buildings. These are all due to changes in membership, either shrinking or growing, or the desire to grow. But also remember that some "non-profitable" churches remain where they are and their size so that there can still be a presence of God in that place. Is Starbucks closing all of their non-profitable stores, I have to think not...because they need their presence in particular markets. Also, there are hopes to reach "new consumers". I never like talking about church and business in the same conversation, but this is a great question and analogy. Thanks James.
Post a Comment