Phil Cooke had a post, here, about his predictions for ministries and non-profits over the coming year in light of our current economic climate. I’ll post his observations and my comments.

1) The “easy way out” will be big. Prosperity and gimmick guys will do well. It’s because too many people look for easy answers in a tough economy.

ME–How true this is with the superficial gospel we present in the U.S. Christians have learned to despise the process and the journey of becoming a disciple and want the magic pill that will make all of their problems go away, even though many of those problems were self-imposed. It’s a vicious cycle. True shepherds of God’s people won’t lead the flock astray.

2) The pool will shrink – religious organizations and non-profits are getting fewer in number. If you can survive, there will be less choice for givers in the future, and you may actually emerge stronger than ever.

Me–The pool has been shrinking for some time it just hasn’t been as noticeable. There will be massive hemorrhaging from those churches that ignore the shift that is taking place. The body of Christ is in desperate need of a cleansing. Some ministries will increase due to this surge.

3) Lot’s of re-organization (to no avail). Too many people think “reorganizing” means “progress.” So when times get tough, they have meetings and reorganize things instead of actually being productive.

Me–Usually when this happens, it’s too late. Most organizations won’t confront the brutal facts and take the necessary corrective action. They assume minor tweaks will initiate the sweeping reform they would need in order to survive.

4) Panic will ruin a lot of good organizations. In tough times, too many leaders make decisions they’ll regret later.

Me–Decisions not bathed in prayer, with great counsel and wisdom, will be the downfall of many churches and ministries in our current climate. Those that are prone to be reactionary will pay the price. A proper exegesis of Scripture and culture are necessary.

5) Those without a long-term strategy will fail. If you’ve been simply living from month to month then get set for a shock. The organizations that survive this downturn will be organizations that have been strategically planning for the future.

Me–On this point, I would say we need long term strategy but we need to hear God’s voice even more. I mentioned this in a previous post here and here.