Money is not our problem

Whenever I hear someone in the Church tell me "they can't afford to give abroad", it gives me a clue they're unaware of the big picture.

America is the wealthiest community of Christians in the history of Christendom. The total income of American churchgoers is $5.2 trillion. American Christians, who make up about 5% of the Church worldwide, control about half of global Christian wealth (Stearns, 96).

Only 5% of American households tithe. “Born again” Christians in America is at 9%. Evangelical Christians are at 24%.
The average giving of American church members in 2005 was 2.58% of their income. Giving during the Great Depression was at 3.3%, 27% more than we gave in 2005. Only 2% of that goes to overseas missions of any kind, whether evangelistic or to assist the poor. The other 98% stays right here, within our churches and communities.

The bottom line is that the commitment that American Christians, the wealthiest Christians in all history, are making to the world is just about 2% of 2% - actually about five ten-thousandths of our income. That amounts to about six pennies per person per day that we give through our churches to the rest of the world.

Sobering, I know.