Fortress Press

As religious participation shifts in the United States, the economic model for churches is changing rapidly and significantly. In this moment of massive change and incredible opportunity, Grace Pomroy provides both inspiration and practical guidance for churches and denominations. Her research and insights are both appropriately realistic and deeply hopeful. This book is an essential read for church leaders who are finding their way forward.

It is refreshing to see a book that operates from an abundance mentality. Grace Duddy Pomroy's Funding Forward inspires readers to reimagine how God is calling them to be innovative stewards of resources that go beyond traditional congregation functions.

Facing the narrative of declining attendance, aging congregations, and budget shortfalls, in Funding Forward Grace Pomroy offers a transformative roadmap for congregations seeking to align with God's mission, revitalize community connections, and achieve sustainable ministry practices. This insightful guide navigates readers through the funding-forward process, equipping them with practical tools and strategies to discern their purpose, engage with their neighborhood, and embrace economic sustainability. With keen attention to leadership challenges and potential pitfalls, this book empowers ministries to embark on a journey of renewal and growth. A must-read for any congregation ready to embark on a path of purposeful transformation.

Dire predictions for the future of congregations abound. Grace Pomroy describes a different, more hopeful pathway forward--one that grows from the congregation's mission, builds on its strengths, and serves its community. This is a book that provides pastors and lay leaders in every context with practical suggestions for faithfully and creatively funding the congregation into the future.

The pandemic brought questions of alternative funding models and unused assets to the front of many clergy's minds. Funding Forward comprehensively addresses such issues and offers research, models, and examples of churches who have embraced both what God is calling them to do and innovative ways to fund that mission. While this isn't a path for all churches, every leadership team should read this book and consider this challenge of creating a sustainable model for ministry.

Congregations are in uncharted waters right now, and their clergy have not been equipped to navigate them. Grace Pomeroy doesn't provide a life preserver, but more of a map for faith communities facing the challenges of dwindling numbers of people and dollars. She reframes the narrative from one of decline to one brimming with possibility and hope, and not through magical thinking. Rather, the myriad stories presented here are drawn from Pomeroy's research in real congregations who are creatively developing mission strategies that are contextual, faithful, and effective. Readers will find case studies with which they identify and action plans that resonate with their own situations. In surveying the assets in community and congregation to reimagine their future, church leaders can certainly count this book as an asset in that journey.

Finally! A book with practical applications that those of us out in the field can use to share our church space with the community we are grounded in! Grace Pomroy has given us a dynamic, thorough resource to use when we, as leaders in rural areas, are dreaming big and developing community engagement opportunities. By giving examples of how ministry can be community-minded and forward-moving, Pomroy has opened my eyes, and the eyes of congregations, to new and inventive ways to be church in the world. This book is a must-read for all congregations looking at the future and wanting to be creative with their current and future funding.

Funding Forward invites leaders to reflect on the ways money follows mission with such an approachable and grace-filled approach. From the wisdom that comes from both her research and years of practical experience, Pomroy offers congregations an on-ramp to discerning their future. Pomroy does not prescribe a one-size-fits-all plan, but readers will gain the tools to take first steps and the encouragement to continue on the journey.

The North American church faces critical decisions about how it will engage in mission in light of an uncertain economic future and increasingly precarious financial model. Funding Forward provides the church with a blueprint to ask critically important questions about mission and purpose that anchor church leaders as they seek to remain faithful to their calling. The straightforward process, practical tools, and vivid examples that Pomroy offers spur the reader's imagination and lay a foundation for the church to direct its attention toward a future filled with hope.