The Depression Proof Church

Iran is being supported by Communist China and Putin’s Russia to push rapidly ahead with development of nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them. Countries in Europe and the mid-east are within range of such medium-range missiles. So the price of gasoline rises around the world.

America is impacted as well. “Hackers” from belligerent nations and terrorist groups are continually hammering our computer systems, from national intelligence and defense, to banking, finance, and energy, while our president is radically downsizing our military and defenses.

Thousands of trained and dedicated terrorists are moving freely about America, while a great percentage of Americans continue to focus their politics on visceral issues that impact their carnal appetites and touch them somewhere between their knees and their navels.

Our politicians are fixated on the next election. Our churches are mainly focused on business as usual and sustaining existing institutions. Even those who are aware of the dangers won’t risk their own positions by speaking out boldly. Many of those who were once anti-establishment have now burrowed down into the woodwork. “The Depression Proof Church” deals extensively with this crisis.

Ironically the U.S. Government considers the risks from war and terrorism to be so great that they provide all sorts of emergency preparedness information on government websites.

Many books, including “You Can Triumph Over Terror,” supply a great deal of practical information. It’s not written for people who are prepared to crawl through swamps or eat snakes. It’s an emergency preparedness manual for the rest of us.

Make certain you always have extra food and bottled water on hand, LED lamps and batteries, first aid supplies, blankets, and seasonal clothing. You should have, for example, at least two gallons of water for each member of your household for each day the electricity might be off.

An ice storm, tornado, hurricane, or forest fire may pose a life threatening situation. Apart from that, we have sworn enemies who have effectively demonstrated that their threats are not empty.

Be prepared!

©2012, Frank Becker.  

“In a day of ‘how to’ manuals on church growth and effectiveness, to find a writer who tells the truth…is a breath of fresh air.

“Frank Becker in this book, ‘The Depression Proof Church: The Biblical Answer to the Church in Crisis,’ has clearly enunciated the one essential, namely, a return to the church of the New Testament.”

We have to recover the New Testament Pattern for churchmanship!”

This course provides Biblical answers to the Church in crisis. This course exposes the frustrations, summarizes the symptoms, reveals the causes and details how a return to Biblical principles and practices will build up individual believers and revitalize the Church.”

(3) Revelation Message Bible College is offering the same course to undergraduates.

(4) And Dr. John Q. Kenzy, who was a close associate of the late David Wilkerson—and first served as President of the Teen Challenge Institute of Missions and, for 40 years Youth Challenge International Bible Institute, wrote:

The Holy Bible reveals many things we must do to be ready.

We must be careful of our commitments, character, and deeds.

We must establish our principles and practices based on the Word of God.

Check carefully our interpretations of the Scriptures, especially checking them against early beliefs and practices.

Be not lead astray by our passions or the hypocrisy of modernists who water down the Word for their own advantages.

This book, “The Depression Proof Church,” deals extensively with these issues, and is available as an e-book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple at a reasonable price. But, if you can’t afford it, email me, and I will try to get it to you at no cost.

God bless you richly!

Frank Becker

Economy of Scale

Mega-churches, or “Super Churches” initially seemed to enjoy great advantages, such as the potential to gather large groups of any age for fellowship, music, and special events. They have impressive and often luxurious facilities. And they can generally afford specialized professional staffs.

They are said to enjoy an “economy of scale” because the multitude of those in attendance are not required to give as much per person to support impressive facilities and the programs. But if you attend one of the meetings during which they are raising millions for a new building, you may wonder whether there really is any economy of scale. 

The mega-church staff consists of highly trained specialists in such areas as church growth, advertising, management, and even psychology. The most significant opportunities for service they provide may include greeting people, parking cars, caring for children, receiving offerings, or ministering in music. The sole outreach appears to be via impersonal TV and radio. 

Mega-churches increase their attendance at the expense of small and medium-sized churches, rather than by reaching the lost. This is the “redistribution” of the true wealth of the Church, its people. The rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. Its proponents bounce from church to church, but many are lost along the way.

Mega-churches offer many programs that have few biblical benefits. The facilities, the number in attendance, and the income may be impressive, but these are not the true measure of success. A church should not be judged by the number of people that pass in and out of its doors, but by the percentage who are assimilated into the body, who are helped to discover and develop their gifts, and who are provided with meaningful opportunities to exercise those gifts.

A successful church is a church of any size where the people demonstrate a love for God, and a subsequent commitment of their lives and service to others. It is, of necessity, a growing church. It attracts people. And the people it attracts strive to emulate those who have gone before them. Paul exhorted us, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”¹⁹⁵

Christian leaders should continually strive to provide training and opportunities to every participant, regardless of age, intellect, or experience. Such training should be an integral part of every program. They should help their disciples prepare for the work to which they are called. If God has not yet revealed a purpose, then they should introduce them to various ministries and provide an opportunity for them to get their feet wet. Every believer must be continually challenged to do all that they can in whatever circumstance they find themselves, being assured that God will take them where they need to be. 

From “The Depression Proof Church: The Biblical Answer to the Church in Crisis,” page ©2011, Frank Becker.