Do More Ministry: June 2009 Archives

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June 30, 2009

Multiple funding options for churches

I recently posted about multiple funding options for churches. This seemed to touch on a sensitive area for some (and confused others). Some of you have shared with me what you're church is doing to fund the ministry of your church outside of total dependence upon weekly giving. Excellent! I love hearing ideas. Some of you have also shared your objections and concerns that funding outside of tithes and offerings may be outside of God's design. I respect that too.

The bottom line is this (yes, punn intended): More Money. More Ministry. No Money. No Ministry. As church members increase their expectations of churches and as churches race to compete with the attention-grabbing messages and work from the traditional non-profit world, churches are facing competition that I'm convinced some church leaders don't even realize exists. If churches are going to meet the growing demands of ministry, the funding has to also increase.

There are two troubling things with weekly tithes and offerings: One, the assumption that the tithe is reserved for the local church alone no longer exists. Two, the attendance patterns of members is less frequent than it has been in years past. The combination of these two elements decreases the chances that weekly giving will fully fund the ministry budget of your church.

There is no magic combination of funding options for every church. Each funding plan should be contextualized to fit the ministry demands of the church and the community in which it exists. That being said, there are a few elements that should be present within every congregation's funding plan in addition to weekly giving: major gift development, special fund-raising initiatives/campaigns, estate tithing/foundations, donor base cultivation (or what I sometimes call compound giving).

Some of the most creative options that I've seen are: hosting ongoing community events that cultivate givers among non-church members (and maybe even non-Christians), leasing space in a local strip mall to help members who find themselves unemployed start their own business and in turn any proceeds from things like rent, etc. the church reap's from the success of the new business is invested back into the church, and establishing each new ministry with seed money for a defined period of time with the intent that the new ministry must become self-funding.

How are you creatively meeting the funding demands of the ministry your church has been called to do?

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June 29, 2009

Follow up to additional sources of income for churches...tomorrow

Apparently, last Friday's post grabbed the attention of more than a few church leaders. There was a lot of chatter on the subject between Twitter, my cell phone, my Google Talk account, Facebook, e-mail, etc.

I will expand more tomorrow on other revenue streams that churches should be considering as part of their overall funding strategy. I thought I'd point to a few posts today that I feel are relevant to this conversation:

Contributions down? Time to innovate
Decline in church giving could force innovation
The paradox of church giving in a struggling economy
Get strategic about church giving
9 steps to survival in a challenging economy

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June 26, 2009

Should churches rely on one stream of income?

NationalChristianPoll.com recently released Church Budget Priorities Survey Executive Report. Page 3 begins exploring "Church Income and Operating Budget."

"33% of all churches say all (100%) of their principal sources of income are from tithes and offerings."

I immediately began shaking my head. Why would an organization dedicated to such an important task willingly place themselves in such a risky position as to rely completely on the weekly tithes and offerings of those in attendance? (Notice I didn't say membership. The regularity of member attendance is shifting. Gone are the days when you can expect even your "best" members to be present every week.)

No one builds a sustainable business on one good customer. Why? Because circumstances change. Executive Management changes. Competitors change. There are numerous reasons why it's better to spread your business income over multiple clients instead of one. You shouldn't need an MBA to know that. It's obvious.

That being the case, I'm absolutely amazed at the lack of concern many church leaders have when it comes to funding the churches they lead. Any leader who derives his income from the generous giving of church members ought to consider multiple streams of income to, at the very least, ensure he is able to feed his family, pay his bills, and survive in the midst of any change in church giving habits. Any leader who understands that others who benefit from social ministries such as food or clothing ministries, addication support services, etc. out to seek out multiple streams of income to ensure those who deeply depend on the church for help aren't left to fend for themselves in the event the church "runs out of money." (Can you imagine how difficult it would be to tell a hungry family - face to face - that the church doesn't have money to stock the food pantry any more?)

As the demand for more complex ministry solutions increases, more money will be required to fund the ministries that will meet those needs. There comes a point in the lifecycle of every organization when it becomes fiscally responsible to add additional streams of revenue to support the growing ministry of the church.

How much ministry is left on the table simply because we limit our ministry capacity to one source of revenue?

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June 25, 2009

Guest Post: The Silent Middle - Bring the givers together

I recently attended the Downhill@Dawn half marathon event held at LifeWay's Ridgecrest Conference Center this month - not as a runner, but as an observer and supporter. (I don't even run when chased.)

About 100 runners attended the event, some who had participated in races for years, and some who had just begun running and were amazed they even crossed the finish line. There were people from all walks of life at the event, but the one thing they had in common was running. They were either avid lovers of running or just beginning to fall in love with the sport itself. Races and training were the topic of many conversations. And no matter how much pain they experienced, almost every person expressed joy over being able to finish the race.

I left that event excited about running. These people made it look so fun and rewarding, just by sharing their personal experiences with running with me. They were so inspiring! And on the way home, I thought, "Wouldn't it be awesome to have a weekend at Ridgecrest completely devoted to giving?"

Can't you see it? People who have been giving for years and people who are just starting to catch the giving bug coming together to talk about challenges with giving and the amazing rewards of seeing lives changed through faithful generosity. Christians inspired by someone who quietly helped a neighbor who was had lost his job but had a family to feed. Stories about lives in Africa changed because of someone in Texas who was compelled to give to an international ministry. Testimonies of churches who were growing because their church members were practicing good stewardship and were giving more to outreach in spite of drops in income.

Givers brainstorming new ways to give time, talent, and treasures to glorify God and expand His Kingdom. Encouragement shared around the room for those who are hurt by the current economic crisis but still feel God's call to give while trusting Him to provide. Bibles open as people study God's word to fuel that spirit of selflessness and giving in honor of how God has given to us.

I gotta tell you, I absolutely love the idea. I would be the first to sign up. Not because I'm a super giver, but because giving is contagious, and I want to catch the bug. I want to be with others who love giving, too. And it doesn't have to be at Ridgecrest. What if pastors or stewardship leaders did this in their communities or churches?

Wouldn't it be awesome?

Jenny Wingard is passionate about God, local church ministry, and giving. She can be reached via Twitter or e-mail.

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June 24, 2009

More of what I heard at the SBC Convention 2009

Another day at the Convention means another round of interesting conversation wtih people in and around my booth.

1. One individual stood in front of the booth for several minutes while he read the display. After a minute or two, I asked if he had any questions. He responded, "No. Thanks. But can you tell me more about your children's offering envelopes?"
2. A kind individual approached me and said, "I understand you've written a book called Church Giving Matters. What's it about?"
3. Frustrated, one person told me they tried four yo-yos (our free give-a-way) and none of them worked. I walked over to the booth and successfully yo-yo'd each one. This person then asked, "Do you mind if I get another to see if I can find one that works?"
4. Another enthusiastic individual exclaimed, "Wow! I can't believe you're giving away free yo-yos. How much are they?"
5. One pastor declared they already purchased offering envelopes through LifeWay. I thanked him for his business. He retorted, "Why? We buy them from [competitor]."
6. "I want to reorder the same offering envelopes I used last year. Can I get them at the same price?" I inquired, "I don't know. What, specifically, did you purchase and about how much did you pay?" Without missing a beat he said, "I don't remember."
7. "What is the monthly fee for your online giving service?" I smiled and said, "No charge to churches for whom we are their primary offering envelope provider." He said, "We do purchase our offering envelopes through you. That being the case, how much does it cost per month?"

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June 23, 2009

Signing copies of Church Giving Matters at SBC Convention

For those attending the SBC Convention, I will be signing copies of Church Giving Matters in the CrossBooks Publishing booth at 1:00 p.m. today. If you're not familiar with the book, please take a few minutes to read a preview.

The LifeWay Convention Store sold out yesterday. For those still looking to get their hands on one, stop by the Executive Committee booth this morning. They have a limited number of complimentary copies available for pastors.

Also, be sure to ask about a complimentary copy of Ashley Clayton's new book too. (He and I will be signing books at the same time.)

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June 22, 2009

What I expected to hear at the SBC Convention 2009

One of the things I love about exhibiting at conventions is interacting with people. Anyone who has ever exhibited at a tradeshow has encountered personalities and conversations that are strange yet humorous. Today proved to be no different. I thought I'd share a few of the most striking statements people made to me today.

(Keep in mind that I'm standing in front of a display that that clearly displays LifeWay Envelope Service along with information about some of our most popular tools such as offering envelope mailing programs, online giving, and the Cooperative Program offering envelope series.)

1. "So, do you sell offering envelopes?"
2. "I have a question about your online giving service. How do people give online?"
3. "We buy a lot from LifeWay. I'm sure we buy from you too." I asked, "What type of offering envelopes do you use?" The individual responded, "Oh, we don't use offering envelopes."
4. "We don't use offering envelopes, but we probably should. Actually, we don't have a giving plan at all." I responded, "Would you be interested in exploring how we might be able to help?" The pastor fired back, "Not really. Thanks."
5. I was introduced by an exisiting customer to another pastor as an individual from LifeWay who helps churches establish sustainable giving models. While shaking my hand the pastor asked, "What do you do for LifeWay?"
6. "Can you tell me how much your service is?" I inquired, "Help me better understand what you're looking for." The prospect quickly responded, "I don't know. I just want to know how much it costs."
7. Just a few feet away, I watched as one individual carefully studied some of the literature at the booth. She was flipping through each page and looking up and down at the display and then the brochures. She had a puzzled look on her face, so I politely asked if she had a question I could help her answer. She said, "No. I just wanted a free yo-yo. Thanks."

I love people. Don't you?

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June 19, 2009

This has absolutely nothing to do with stewardship

Just wanted to share a great story of persistence, prayer, and God's blessing.

Sangl family, we are praying for and celebrating with you!

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June 18, 2009

Guest Post: The Silent Middle - Planting seeds

With times being economically lean right now, it seems home gardens are on the rise. More Americans are inspired to get their hands dirty as they plant seeds in their backyards with the hopes of growing fresh food and saving money.

I often tell my husband that we are also in a season of planting seeds - not physically, but financially. Even though we have limited resources at the moment, we seem to have unlimited ways in which we would like to spend our money. I'm sure many in "The Silent Middle" can relate. Even though you may be free from consumer debt and credit card payments, your car could use new brakes or your house could have more insulation. Your local furniture store is having a sale and you'd really like a new coffee table. And that long weekend at the beach really seems to be calling your name.

None of these ways to spend money are necessarily bad, but considering where we are economically, what is the best way to spend our paychecks, for those who still have them? My husband and I are trying to spend money by planting seeds. We continue to invest in our retirement fund, trusting God as we plant seeds for our future. Instead of buying a new coffee table, we chose instead to put that money in savings, planting seeds of savings in case an emergency comes up.

My husband has his own business and opportunities seem to appear every week that might be good investments. Praying through each opportunity, we select a few to invest in, planting seeds in businesses that may temporarily reduce some of our cash flow, but God-willing, will result in future income.

But we don't just want to plant seeds for our future here on earth. We in "The Silent Middle" need to plant seeds for our eternal future - through giving. Giving may not necessarily provide more income right now or enable us to retire, but giving does plant seeds for God's glory as we use the resources He has entrusted to us to further His name and help those in need.

With so many people hurting, right now is an incredible opportunity to plant seeds of love through giving. And here's a news flash - even if you save all of your pennies and one day have what seems like unlimited resources, there will always be unlimited ways to spend those resources. Go ahead and start learning today how to intentionally choose to plant seeds with your spending and giving. The fruit that will result will be greater than you ever imagined.

Jenny Wingard is passionate about God, local church ministry, and giving. She can be reached via Twitter or e-mail.

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June 16, 2009

Your members can hit the mute button ... if they want to

I'm an advocate for the local church. I believe that it is the fundamental building block God designed to carry forward the earthly ministry of Christ until His ultimate return. Bottom line, the church can't fail because there is no plan B. This is why I am so passionate about helping churches achieve fully funded budgets and long-term sustainable ministries.

A subject I have not been silent on is the fact that the assumptions about the person in the pew are changing. It's not longer within the authority of the church to compel its membership to fund the ministry of the church. (I'd rather not get into a theological debate. My focus is not on what "should" be but was "is.") Today, the church finds itself in a position of making an appeal as to why their church's ministry is the best place for every available dollar of the person in the pew.

The risk in poor donor development strategy (overwhelming your membership with giving opportunities, fund-raisers, etc.) is that there is a gluttony of information directed at the member. When you are making the heads of even your best, most committmed members spin from all the newsletters, e-mails, events, etc., you've gone too far. And just like other sources of information, the people in your pews are empowered to hit the mute button and turn you off. (Be warned! Once this happens, it's difficult to overcome.)

Donors are figuring out how to shut you up features a video from Charity Navigator, an online non-profit watchdog designed to be an advocate for the donor in the sometimes predatory culture of non-profit development work. This video explains how to limit donor exposure so that donors can support the causes and organizations they believe in while not setting the donor up for a flood of appeals.

It's won't be long before a version of Charity Navigator exists for churches. What if the next video that comes out is how to turn your church on mute? If that was possible, how many in your congregation would push that button just to shut you up?

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June 15, 2009

If you do something stupid, say so

When we talk about fund and donor development, one word always rises to the top: trust. People not only have to believe in the cause or organization you represent, they also have to trust you.

This morning, I clicked on a link to add more followers on my Twitter account. (This was a poor decision because social media is about relationships and buy-in not stale mass media techniques and measurements.) Instantly, I was presented with people who were willing to follow me. What I didn't know was that the program instantly sent out a tweet using my account. Not a smart decision on my part. It didn't read like my tweets, and it didn't sound like me. I broke trust with those who have voluntarily said they want to follow what I'm tweeting about.

When I realized what had happened, I immediately closed that ancillary Twitter account and deleted the tweet from my feed. But my followers already had read it and were confused, judging by the responses I received almost instantly. (This is how I figured it all out.)

It was a good reminder that when you do something stupid, say so. It won't erase what's already been done, but it will at least remind those who do trust you that you. Leaders are human so are those who give. People respect honesty and appreciate it when you listen to their feedback. (What's the point of social media anyway if you're not willing to listen?--Perhaps another post for another time.)

If you've seen a decline in your giving, take a moment for self-reflection. Could you - intentionally or unintentionally - have broken the trust with those you depend upon to faithfully give of their time, talent, and treasures.

As the pastor or church leader, the people in your pews trust you. It's absolutely vital that you protect the integrity of that trust at all cost. It has been said once or twice before that confession is good for the soul. Confession is also a good practice to build and maintain the trust of your donor base.

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June 12, 2009

Two articles about giving you need to read

Online Giving Increases Despite Drops in Overall Giving is an important reminder that while online giving is still a new medium through which churches can collect tithes and offerings, it is a rapidly growing medium that you should be talking about today.

Parsing Giving USA's Numbers: a Calamity or a Relief? highlights the reality that two messages are being sent. One tells us that the entire philanthropic world is spinning off its axis while another tells us that things are OK. Neither one is completely right. What's important to pay attention to is the church you are responsible for leading. If you're not fully funding your ministry budget, it's time to ask the hard questions. (And please...please...please don't wait until disaster strikes before you start strategically thinking about building a sustainable funding plan for your church's ministry.)

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June 11, 2009

Guest Post: The Silent Middle - Giving out of gratefulness

A financial crisis never comes at a "good time," but for me personally, the downturn in the economy occurred during a new season of life. Last August, I became a newlywed for the first time at 33 years old, the same weekend that I was laid off from my job. Talk about a lot of change at once!

So the day after my husband Joel and I came back from our honeymoon, we sat down and wrote out a monthly budget (a challenge of its own after handling my finances on my own for years, but that's a story for another time). We knew we had to trust God to provide, and through the following months, we were humbled to see God work in our financial lives.

By God's grace I was able to pick up some contract work with my previous employer while Joel, who owns his own business, continued to work at home. By Christmas, we were debt free except for our mortgage. And in January God provided another job at my former company without a cut in pay from my previous position.

We are completely humbled by God's faithfulness these past nine months of marriage. Money has been a little tight, but my new favorite saying is, "We haven't missed a bill and we haven't missed a meal!" It is God has given us the ability to earn an income. He has given us the opportunity to pay down debt and save some for the future. And out of grateful hearts, we want to give, and we aren't alone. Many in the Silent Middle are humbled by the fact that they have jobs or are out of the bondages of debt or have seen God meet or exceed their monthly budgets.

We in the Silent Middle want to give. We want to help others. We want to honor God by being generous. Pastors and stewardship leaders, we ask for your support and help. Teach us what God's word says about giving. Equip us with the knowledge we need to give effectively so that out of heart of gratefulness, others will also see the glory of God.

Jenny Wingard is passionate about God, local church ministry, and giving. She can be reached via Twitter or e-mail.

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June 10, 2009

What to do while waiting for the next BIG church giver

Church leaders sometimes find themselves in a trap of looking for the next BIG church giver. You know, the one family who will wipe away all your worries about money and funding your ministry budget. The problem is that unless you are in an extremely small house church, one family typically isn't going to be able to wipe every funding worry away.

If you waiting patiently for the next BIG church giver to walk through the doors of your church, perhaps you should consider thinking smaller. No, I'm not talking about reducing the size or scope of the vision God has given you for the church you lead. I'm talking about reconsidering the power of many people giving a little.

For example, say you're looking to raise $40k for a special ministry project. You've been unable to secure the funding through a small group of generally large, faithful donors within your congregation, what next? Have you considered raising funds through a special monthly subscription?

Consider this: If you could find 84 people to commit to $20/month for 24 months or $480 total, you would have essentially raised $40,320.

Wikipedia raised $2 million dollars in the final three weeks of December 2008. (Yes, right in the middle of the "dip" that is now generally being accepted as a recession.) 50,000 members of their community responded with a total of $2 million. That's an average donation of $40/person.

Sometimes when the big dollars don't appear, think smaller.

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June 9, 2009

This church raised $2 million in two days ... can yours?

Thanks to Patrick Johnson and Generous News for asking an important question: when churches are raising exceptional amounts of money to accomplish measurable acts of ministry, how can we claim that the recession is harming the church's ability to fulfill the Great Commission?

I would go further to suggest that perhaps what the real problem is that we, as church leaders, aren't providing compelling stories of ministry that are inspiring the people in our pews to contribute and fund the ministry of our churches.

People give to causes and organizations that they:

1. connect with via personal values and beliefs
2. are lead by people they know, like, and trust
3. offer them a chance to accomplish something measurable they couldn't do on their own

It's time to change the conversation from "What do we have to cut to survive?" to "What does God want us to do next?"

Get brave. Go big. Or go home!

The church is the fundamental building block God designed and empowered to carry forward the earthly ministry of Christ until His ultimate return. If we don't believe that, then find another line of work. The people in our pews are giving their money, time, and talents somewhere. My fear is that we are letting blessings God intended for our churches bleed out to other organizations and causes simply because we, as church leaders, aren't thinking big enough.

God did not call church leaders to be preservationists. God called church leaders to compel all people to join in the work of the Kingdom. What are you doing today to inspire the people who occupy your pews to participate in and fund the work of the Kingdom in your community?

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June 8, 2009

The most effective way to increase giving in your church

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently published New Study Looks at Traits of Donors Who Give the Most.

The last paragraph of the article reads:

"A key point we are making is that fund raising via your recruiters is perhaps more like community organizing than traditional direct marketing and fund raising," he writes. "You are not taking an order ... you are empowering and enabling others to take orders for you."

As social media is changing the balance of power from the institution to the individual, I think a shift in fund raising is also taking place. Institutions (i.e. the church) need to begin thinking about how they can facilitate and empower their existing donor base to multiply its fund raising efforts. This may very well be the most effective way to increase total giving.

Do you agree?

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June 4, 2009

Guest Post: The Silent Middle - A letter to pastors

Dear Pastor and Stewardship Leader,

You don't need a major headline to know that times are really tough, and money is extremely tight. You can see that in your church budget, and your church members also see it in their own personal monthly budgets.

God commands us (especially you) in 1 Timothy to "Instruct those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth...Instruct them to do good, be rich in good works, be generous and willing to share."

I don't know about you, but I don't feel rich. When I have to consciously think about every spending decision I make, as I watch my 401(k) drop and as our household income decreases 60% from last year, I don't feel rich at all.

But I am really. God has graciously provided for every need for my family. And out of a heart of gratitude for God's grace and provision, I want to be generous.

Help me. I don't have money for a private foundation, and I don't have a personal financial advisor to turn to for giving questions. But I want to learn more about being generous.

What does the Bible say about giving? What are other people in my income bracket doing to help others? How do I know if a ministry is financially sound and would be a good investment in the Kingdom? How can I be an even better steward of my resources so that I can give more?

"Instruct those who are rich" to do good, be rich in good works, generous and willing to share. Start with me.

Sincerely,

The Silent Middle

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June 3, 2009

An appeal from "The Silent Middle"

I'm really excited about this new series that Jenny Wingard will be writing for the Do More Ministry blog. Jenny and I met recently to talk about her interest in giving more, beyond her tithe, but not certain how to go about doing that. She wants to be an informed giver, ensuring every dollar she contributes makes a difference, but she is frustrated because no one is available to show her the way.

What Jenny articulated is the mantra of what has been termed The Silent Middle. In the world of Generosity, those in debt have lots of options and get lots of attention. In the same way, those at the top - with lots of money to give - receive very special attention and have unlimited options. But what about the crowd of every day, ordinary givers? What about those individual, couples, and families who aren't struggling with debt but also aren't in the super-wealthy category? Where can they turn for advice?

I've asked Jenny to share her heart over the next several weeks to raise some important questions and help us explore the frustrations of this overlooked and undervalued group of people.

I wonder how many dollars from this crowd never make it into the offering plates of our churches because church leaders are too busy to cultivate this giving base. If more money means more ministry, then church leaders have a responsibility to fund the work of the Kingdom in every possible way.

Tomorrow signals the beginning of a weekly post from The Silent Middle.

June 2, 2009

It should ALWAYS be about the donor

People don't give to your organization because you told them to do so. In fact, their giving has NOTHING to do with YOU. Your donors (or "members" in a church context) give to your organization/cause (or church) because they are inspired by the work you do; it speaks to who they are, how they want to change the world, and what legacy they want to leave behind.

Want to inspire giving? Stop talking about yourself and how great you are. Focus on the donor, that is the person in the pew.

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June 1, 2009

"Church Giving Matters" strikes balance between money and ministry

I'm excited to tell you that my first book, Church Giving Matters, was released last Friday. Currently, it's only available through the CrossBooks Bookstore. It will be available through Amazon and other online retailers in about 2-3 weeks. It should appear in retail stores in a couple of months.

(If you're attending the SBC Convention later this month, it will be available at the Convention LifeWay Christian Store.)

This book captures and compiles my conversations with pastors and church leaders across the country related to money and ministry and is the product of more than two years of concentrated effort to help churches fully fund the ministry God has placed on their hearts. The ever-increasing complexity of local church ministry is demanding more money while the rules of funding ministry are changing. It's the responsibility of the pastor to strategically evaluate and implement a plan to ensure the funding exists to fulfill the ministry God has placed on his heart.

I covet your prayers as the ideas I've been working out on this blog are now available in book format with hopes that those who don't read blogs might also benefit from the collaborative and collective effort to empower church leaders to generate more money for more ministry.

(Special pricing for bulk orders and for non-profit organizations is available. Call 1.866.879.0502 or e-mail Matt Monroe for more information.)

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