I ’ve mentioned a few times that churches need to be more “missional” and that raises the question, “what is the difference between a church and a mission?"That’s a great question because it comes down to a fundamental and necessary ingredient of ministry (which includes both a church and a mission) and that ingredient is sustainable revenue.
The fuel for ministry is revenue and every ministry is funded in one of three ways: donations, fees-for-service, and a combination of the two. Examples are obvious. Your local church receives donations, often called tithes and offerings. Your neighborhood nonprofit daycare charges tuition and fees. Finally, the local college does both.
The local church is to be self-funding. This is a Biblical model and it’s not only part of our responsibility (1 Cor 16:2) as believers but a part of our worship and an integral part of Kingdom growth. In a church, the recipients of the ministry provide the funding for the ministry. A Mission, on the other hand, is not self-funding, and the funds are usually provided, at least in part by another source. The recipients of the ministry of a mission (an inner-city mission to the homeless, for example) do not provide 100% of the funding for their ministry.
Often, new churches, whether they are independent church plants, a part of a denomination or a satellite campus, will need some funding assistance the first few years. Ultimately, however, it will be incumbent for the local church to become financially self-sustaining and more so that it can contribute to other ministry and mission opportunities.
