A bi-weekly e-mail from George Barna

Church revenues are down in the past 12 months. One reason may well be the decline in the proportion of people who tithe. Based on our latest research, here are some of the highlights from this week’s report.

 · The proportion of Christian adults who tithe has dropped by 62% in the past year.

 · Just 6% of born again households tithed to their church in 2002.

 · Tithing, when it occurs, is generally among Protestants: 5% of adults who attend Protestant churches tithed last year, compared to less than one-tenth of 1% among Catholics.

 · Among the groups most likely to tithe are people over 55, college graduates, evangelicals, Republicans, conservatives, and residents of the South – but there was no segment among which at least 10% tithed.

The entire lowdown on tithing patterns is in this week’s report, now accessible on our website (http://www.barna.org). As always, this report is free.

DEAL OF THE WEEK. You cannot do effective, sustained ministry without funding. But how can you generate the funds you need during these times of declining donor generosity? Some important strategies are revealed in my book, How to Increase Giving in Your Church. While the most effective step is to help your congregants have a biblical worldview, that process takes years to develop. In the interim, this book describes other steps that will facilitate greater financial support without resorting to begging. For a limited time, you can get this book from Barna Research online for just $10.