HOUSTON — The level of passion is as high as ever but tidings at St. Johns Downtown church are dropping.

The weakening national economy combined with hurricane damage has the church scrambling to answer tough questions: “What services must we offer? What time schedule works best for the needs of the community we are called to serve,” said Pastor Junita Rasmus.

She runs the church with her husband, Pastor Rudy Rasmus.

“The challenge right now is making sure we have enough resources to meet the needs of a community that doesn’t have any resources,” said Pastor Rasmus just before beginning his Sunday service.

The pastors say their church must cut 20 percent of its staff and quickly reduce operating expenses. St. Johns Downtown has 8,000 members, but according to the pastors, 400 families donate the bulk of the church’s multimillion dollar budget. As financial markets run dry, donor resources are running thin which threatens the church community outreach programs.

The church’s social service arm feeds thousand Houston’s homeless.

“I don’t have a steady job but I come here to go to work,” said Rochell Cunningham, a Homeless Houstonian. “They pick us up from outside and you know maybe (it’s) three or four hours a day (of paying work). It is enough to do something with, but not have a place to stay,” said Mr. Cunningham after eating Sunday dinner at the church’s feeding program.

He is worried as the economy weakens “what little he has” will be taken away. “The food is good,” said Mr. Cunningham as he walked into a cold breeze toward an underpass in downtown Houston.

The Barna Group (www.barna.org), a social research foundation, estimates one in five households is now giving less to churches.

“The challenge for us is to prepare before we see the dramatic effects of what is happening around the country.”

Several churches around Houston have also reported financial troubles, some have shutdown; others are even facing foreclosure, while most houses of worship are wondering what to cut next.