 |
      |
|
|
World Need and Giving Potential
Sometimes the level of need around the world is so overwhelming, it is difficult to believe that the body of Christ has incredible potential to meet many of these needs in Jesus' name.
As described in our research, church member giving
is declining as a portion of income, and is currently around 2.58%. The figure
below shows what could happen if giving went up to an average of 10%.
If Americans who identify with the historically Christian church increased their giving to an average of 10% of
income, there could be an additional $168 billion given to the church.1 If 60% of this amount were made available to expand overseas missions activity, that number would mean an additional $100.6 billion available for overseas missions.
One source estimates that $70-$80 billion would impact the worst of world poverty2 and $5 billion could end most of the 11 million under-5, global, annual child deaths3. Also, $7 billion would be sufficient for global primary education for all children.4
One billion would address the costs of global evangilization, according to one estimate.5
You should be aware, that there could also be $33.5 billion more a year for
domestic outreach.6 And this all on top of our current church activites.
Even if money were available for outreach, you may still wonder if positive
global change is possible. The following graph indicates the progress made in
the areas of child deaths, life expectancy, literacy and unreached people groups over the last several decades. As an aside, demographic experts have noted that birth rates tend to go down when child death rates decline. Experts now believe that child death rates need to be addressed in order to tame world population growth.
According to Joshua Project 2000, there were 225 untargeted people groups as of June, 1999. Untargeted means there is no reported on-site church planting effort and no mission organization has committed itself to church planting in the next two years among this people.
This information should encourage us. Progress is possible. And with the
potential resources that could be available, even greater things can happen. At the same time, it also serves as a warning that we can't take this progress for granted. We can make a difference—if we decide to.
Basis for the Calculations of Potential Giving by Historically Christian Churches in the U.S. in 2005
In chapter seven of The State of Church Giving through 2005, titled "Why and How Much Do Americans Give?" a 2005 figure of total giving to religion was presented in the "Denomination-Based Series Keyed to 1974 Filer Estimate." That figure was $69.5 billion.
In 2005, if giving increased to an average of 10% giving rather than 2.58%, instead of $69.5 billion, an amount of $269.0 billion would have been donated to all religions in the U.S. The difference would have been an additional $199.5 billion (rounded) given to religion in the United States that year.
An analysis based on information in George H. Gallup, Jr., Religion in America [(Princeton, NJ: The Princeton Religion Research Center, 1996), p. 42] resulted in an estimate that 84% of the U.S. population identifies with the historically Christian church‹those communions and traditions, such as Roman Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, Pentecostal, evangelical, and Anabaptist, that profess a commitment to the historic tenets of the faith. This figure of 84% can be applied to the additional $199.5 billion, to calculate the additional $168 billion giving activity of the historically Christian church, had giving been at the 10% level in 2005. This somewhat conservative estimate assumes that the religious giving was given by 100% of the U.S. population. If total religious giving comes only from the 91% of the U.S. population that claims a religious affiliation (see Gallup, p. 35), then the historically Christian component gave 92% of the total (84%/91%). In that case, rather than $168 billion, $183.5 billion of the total potential $199.5 billion additional would have been given by those who identify with the historically Christian church.
2Carol Bellamy, The State of The World's Children 2000 (New York: UNICEF, 2000), p. 37.
3Gareth Jones, et al.;"How Many Child Deaths Can We Prevent This Year?"; The Lancet; http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/p1150140673603138111/full text; p.6 of 7/7/03 2:06PM printout.
4Carol Bellamy, The State of The World's Children 1999 (New York: UNICEF, 1999), p. 85.
5The State of Church Giving through 2005, page 58.
6The State of Church Giving through 2005, pages 56-57.
7Data refer to the most recent year available during the period specified by the column footer.
|
Source for 10.142 million under-5 child deaths in 2005: The State of the World's Children 2007 (New York: UNICEF, 2006), p.105. sowc07_fullreport.pdf http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/docs/sowc07.pdf downloaded & printed 12/28/2006 The 10,142,000 annual child deaths were divided by the number of seconds in the year. "empty tomb" is a registered trademark of empty tomb, inc. ©2007 empty tomb, inc. All rights reserved. For information on citing the copyrighted materials of this site, please see the empty tomb, inc. Trademark and Copyright Information page. The contents of this web site pertaining to the works and name of works of empty tomb, inc., including but not limited to, Christian Family to Family Relationships, Christian Family to Family Dinner, Christian Health Services, Clothing Work, Free Food Work, Furniture Work, Helping Work, Home Maintenance Work, and The National Money for Missions Program (NMMP), Mission Match and Wake the Sleeping Giant are property of empty tomb, inc. Additionally, the Yoking Map, in name or in concept, as well as the faces of the children of the world, may not be used or reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without prior expressed written permission of empty tomb, inc. The opinions and philosophies of the web sites to which this empty tomb site has linked are those of their authors and not necessarily shared by empty tomb, inc. |