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October 30, 2009
You can't be right with God and wrong about money
For the past several months, my family has been attending Long Hollow Baptist Church. There are many reasons why we believe God may be leading us to call Long Hollow our next church home. For me, one reason is the senior pastor, David Landrith.
I have been honored to get to know David from a distance via social media and in person. One of the things I enjoy most about David is that he is honest. He recently posted I apologize as he prepared his readers for a new series on money that began October 18. When I read this, all our conversation about ministry and money ran through my mind. I was very proud of his courage and conviction.
I wish more pastors would realize that while they may find it easier to talk about things like "faith, hope, and love" or even "sin and salvation" the conversation of money needs to be injected with the Word of God. There are so many competing messages that are influencing Christians in ways that are paralyzing our ability to be the Church as God originally intended.
I hope to hear David's message from more pulpits: You can't be right with God and wrong about money.
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October 29, 2009
Should churches raise their expectations of member giving?
The new author (Greg Fox) of Donor Power Blog (formerly penned by Jeff Brooks) posted "DONOR" A Title Earned ... Not Given as a passionate appeal to organizations to reconsider what qualifies a donor to be a donor.
Here is his criteria for someone to be able to "rightfully" claim to be a donor:
What comes to mind is the stream of conversation surrounding an increased level of expectation surrounding the expectations of church membership. I want to limit the scope of that conversation directly related to funding.
While I believe there is room to increase the giving expectations of those who sit in the pews, I'm not ready to discount anyone who is willing to contribute to funding the work of the Kingdom. What I do think there is room for is to segment a church's membership and begin to strategically move people toward a more Biblical practice of money management and stewardship.
Some will object to this idea saying that what a person gives is between the individual and God. I can certainly see where that objective comes from, but I think that perspective is dead wrong. Money is a spiritual issue, an outward sign of an inward commitment. Therefore, it fall under the "jurisdiction" of those charged with facilitating the spiritual growth of Christians, specifically pastors and church leaders.
Whatever your position is on the subject, I know we can agree that raising the expectations of church members in the area of giving, stewardship, and generosity, is part of the transformational process Paul so clearly articulated in Romans 12:1-2. If the church leader doesn't talk about money and raise the expectation of Christians to match a Biblical orientation toward money, then we have failed in our role as spiritual leaders.
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October 28, 2009
When will giving recover?
I wish I knew the answer. I think Giving USAs findings are fascinating (and worth the cost of the report) but maybe because I'm a nerd (easy!) and love reading about statistics and research related to philanthropic giving. No doubt, this is the question on everyone's mind.
Here are five things that I hope DON'T change once giving is back to 2007 (or pre-recession levels):
1. The rise in strategic behavior surrounding how we fund our churches.
2. The challenge that if the Church were to practice generosity, we could ELIMINATE the tragedy of poverty, hunger, orphans, etc.
3. The shift in focus among churches from program-driven to missional in orientation.
4. A growing curiosity in the subjects of stewardship and generosity.
5. The drive to converge the profession of Christ follower with the practice of following Christ, especially related to the subject of money.
One last thought:
(Note: The purpose of Giving USAs research is to answer a very specific question, so I understand that the following thoughts exceed the scope of the research.)
I can't help but pause in concern over the fact that we are measuring back to 2007 levels. As someone who wrestles with a "holy discontent" about many things, I hope we are never satisfied with a benchmark established in the past. Rather, I hope we use that as a way (when reached) to celebrate God's faithfulness in difficult times and pause to consider the endless possibilities of what He has planned for us next. May we never stop striving to do more ministry.
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October 27, 2009
4 observations from Blackbaud's Q3 2009 online giving trends
I have my eye on online giving trends for two reasons:
1. It's the fastest growing giving platform of choice for many who donate to charitable causes.
2. The means by which we exchange cash in general commerce singificantly impacts the way we exchange cash (or donate to) charitable organizations (i.e. churches).
Here are a few interesting observations from BlackBaud's release 2009 online giving trends (current through Q3):
1. Significant growth in money given via online channels means every church should implement an online giving option for its membership.
Blackbaud: "Online revenue in the third quarter of 2009 was up 41% compared to the same time period in 2008."
Analysis: Stop ignoring online giving as a viable means for people to support your church. AND stop thinking that just because you introduce online giving then you're giving will automatically increase. The same "cultivation" principles still apply. Nevertheless, this medium or platform for giving is here to stay.
2. Just because online giving is not as established as traditional methods of giving doesn't mean it should be discounted as a viable platform for contribution to your cause or organization.
Blackbaud: "Our research suggests that the majority of nonprofit organizations are still in a growth phase for online giving, compared to well established offline channels, and the impact of the recession is largely masked."
Analysis: Don't expect online giving to be the "magic bullet" that solves all your church funding issues. Many people in your church will continue to give via offering envelopes and other more established giving platforms for at least the near future. Expect more of the same while anticipating what's coming. I'm sure people used this objection to cars when the "majority" still used a horse and buggy.
3. Sustainability means we must uncover multiple avenues that provide a foundation for growth in transactional giving to hedge against an unanticipated change in any one type of giving transaction or platform.
Blackbaud: "Online transactions are still growing at 56% year-over-year and this volume growth overcomes any declines in gift amounts. The emerging trend in the data is that a nonprofit's online fundraising mix might influence their year-over-year results."
Analysis: Two things are important in any giving transaction analysis: total amount given and frequency of gift. If online donors give less per transaction but at a higher frequency than offline donors, the organization is still better off to spend the time (and money) it will take to cultivate this group of donors.
4. Year-over-year growth matters. (A LOT!) The performance of online giving on a whole should provide enough evidence that online giving must be a part of your church's funding strategy.
Blackbaud: "The analysis looked at a sub-group of 1,274 nonprofits to compare their online fundraising results for the first six months of 2008 to the same period of 2009. These nonprofits had a 22.13% year-over-year growth in online revenue."
Analysis: In a time when most churches are satisfied to break-even between operational expenses and funding, any giving mechanism that yields growth in consecutive years should indicate opportunity to cultivate a currently non-supporting segment of your church's membership and perhaps increase the overall giving capacity of other, established donors who aren't contributing at maximum capacity. (Hint: Growth is good.)
I hope you take the time to read the entire analysis from Blackbaud (that means clicking through the ancillary links too). Online giving is here to stay. The conversation in your next staff meeting should NOT be "are we going to implement online giving?" but "when will we?"
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October 26, 2009
The difference between "stewardship" and "generosity"
The Church rightfully owns the word "stewardship," and the Church rightfully owns the word "generosity." BUT I think many Christians (a.k.a people who should know better) have little understanding of the difference between the two.
Let me give you a hint: THEY DON'T MEAN THE SAME THING!
(I guess this reaction is what my English teacher was talking about when she used to get frustrated and say, "just because it sounds right to the ear doesn't mean it IS right grammatically.)
Stewardship is a Lordship issue. It has been stolen from the Christian's vocabulary and practice by just about everyone else. Passing the Plate calls the average American Christian's posture to church giving "discretionary obligation" (i.e. "I'll decide how much of God's money to give Him.) Further, The Bible (Jesus had "a few" things to say on the subject), money, and the Horatio Alger American myth presents a point of tension that the Church has yet to deal with strategically.
We, as Americans, pride ourselves in our ability to make something of ourselves. And when we do, we take all the glory. This is inherently inconsistent with a Biblical worldview of money and success, yet it is woven into the fabric of American Christianity.
Therefore:
1. We must address stewardship before we can even begin the conversation of generosity.
2. We must practice the Gospel we profess - that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of our lives - before we can begin to think about being generous.
Those who misunderstand stewardship will also misunderstand generosity. We must practice stewardship BEFORE we can be generous. We must exhibit a rule of life that says all that we have, are, and will ever become is God's and has been given to us in the form of assets to be managed for the Kingdom. Only then can we begin the conversation of generosity.
The trend and conversation that believes "generosity" is the new, improved, and "cooler" version of the "old" word stewardship is flawed.
Perhaps the strongest evidence of our lack of stewardship understanding and practice is our inability to be self-sustaining as individuals and churches in the midst of uncertain (really any) economic times.
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October 23, 2009
A Week of Videos: Generosity Revolution Project
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October 22, 2009
A Week of Videos: Generosity - pass it on
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October 21, 2009
A Week of Videos: Generosity
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October 20, 2009
A week of Videos: Doing Life Generously
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October 19, 2009
A Week of Videos: My Generosity Story
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October 16, 2009
Survey Says ... The Annual Campaign
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October 15, 2009
Pastor's Podcast: A remarkable story about an "impossible" capital campaign
I had the chance to catch up with Alan Wildes and Blake Pitts who have an amazing story to tell.
What business does a brand new (at church less than SEVEN MONTHS and is only 29 years-old) pastor have in leading a young congregation through a major building campaign? Well...for most people, the answer is...
NONE!
BUT Blake believe called was calling him in this direction, so he followed God's direction. And what usually happens when God shows up in the midst of impossible situations? Yep...you guessed it...
only GOD-EXPLAINED things.
This young pastor led a young church with the help of Alan through an amazing campaign that contains all the hallmarks of a faith journey. You'll have to listen to the podcast to hear the rest of the story.
Related Posts:
Listen to other Pastor's Podcasts.
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October 14, 2009
Would you tithe if it came with a 90-day money back guarantee?
A friend recently brought me a sample of a card that he received in church last Sunday. Here is the basic copy:
God's Guarantee
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test me now in this," says the Lord of Hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." (Malachi 3:10)
Belief: Believing that God owns everything and I am His manager, I, out of a heart of love and respect for God's blessing, so willingly, not under law but grace, give back to God 10% as a testimony of my faith in His provisional care of my life.
Conditions: Please note: Your part comes first.
1. You sign God's guarantee and give 10% of your income for a period of 90 days.
2. Each time you receive your paycheck, you take the first 10% out for the Lord and bring it to [your church].
Guarantee:
1. If at the end of 90 days, you feel your decision was a mistake, or that is created a financial crisis, or you did not receive a blessings, the money you gave will be given back promptly at your request.
2. That's all there is to it. Remember, this is not the pastor's nor this church's guarantee, IT'S GODS.
Money back guarantees are a proven technique when it comes to direct sales. (That's why you have all that stuff you just couldn't live without in your garage or basement. The guy on TV said you could get your money back if you didn't like it.)
I think there is an edge to an offer like this, though. If nothing else, it will create conversation. It will affirm those who are tithing and just might inspire those on the cusp of making the decision to give for the first time or give at a higher level. (I'm not convinced this is for the person who has no context for stewardship, giving, or generosity.)
BUT I like it!
Would your church do this? Has it already? What was the outcome? (Since most of you respond on Facebook, I'll be looking for your responses there.)
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October 13, 2009
NEW! Pastor's Podcast: Ministry to High-Capacity Givers
I recently had the chance to sit down with Jim Sheppard and Patrick Johnson (two church funding G-I-A-N-T-S) to talk about ministry to high-capacity givers. Not only are high-capacity givers able to fund exceptionally large amounts of ministry at one time, they are often the most overlooked congregational segment by church staff.
WHY are high-capacity givers overlooked within the context of church? I believe there are two main reasons:
1. Pastors are sometimes intimidated by people with money.
2. We assume that people with money have no problems.
As a result, pastor's often undervalue the ministry opportunity with those God has blessed with the ability to give away large amounts of money because we think people with money don't have any problems and certainly don't need pastoral attention, right?
WRONG!
High-capacity givers give for the same reasons small-capacity givers do ... in response to an emotional connection with a cause, person, or organization they know, like, and trust. It is an outward, measurable response, to an inward commitment grounded in interpersonal relationships.
Since I believe cultivating the ENTIRE church's giving capacity (this includes high-capacity givers) is an essential part of any church's comprehensive funding plan, I think you'll find this podcast worth your time.
Related Posts:
Listen to other Pastor's Podcasts.
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October 12, 2009
Church Solutions Magazine features my article "Beyond the Offering Plate"
What started as a simple Friday afternoon blog post about multiple funding options for churches has turned into a full-fledged print article that Church Solutions published in the November issue.
Read the electronic version.
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October 9, 2009
An honest question about tithing
![Preview Document[1].gif](http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/domoreministry/Preview%20Document%5B1%5D.gif)
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October 8, 2009
Church gives away a FREE house
Church Giving Away Free House on Oct. 11
I'll never forget something I heard growing up: "No one will ever care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Could generosity and stewardship not only be disciplines that ensure our hearts are not captivated by anyone or anything other that Jesus, the Christ, BUT ALSO provide measurable acts of ministry that demonstrate our lives, our priorities, our personal economy is different or an alternative to consider? Could our generosity build (and fund) a bridge to a lost world?
My guess is that what this church will do on Free House Sunday will expand the reach of its ministry beyond the walls of the church building and open the hearts and minds of the community to the message of hope entrusted to it.
Is your church reaching out with confidence in the Gospel and the faithfulness of the Creator, or are you postured to protect what you have, fearing for your own survival? The latter was never God's intention, and it NEVER (ever!) leads to fully funded budgets and long-term sustainable ministry.
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October 7, 2009
What should churches know about online giving?
Online giving continues to grow reminds churches that the conversation about online giving needs to begin NOW. I'm encouraged by the number of churches of all shapes and sizes that are coming to grips that technology and the acceptance of technology is changing the way we exchange funds in banking, commerce, and charitable giving.
Here are a few notable items from the article:
1. Online giving increased by 39 percent from 2007 to 2008. While it's still a small amount of donors and overall amount given when compared to total charitable giving in 2008, this channel is growing so fast that it can't be ignored or discarded by church leaders when considering mediums through which people can financially contribute to their organization.
2. Online gifts are typically higher than offline gifts. There are many reasons for this, especially when you consider the frequency of gift is typically less online when compared to traditional "offline" gifts. Many online gifts come as a result of or in response to a national tragedy. Often times, people are more generous when faced with devastating circumstances, even when they, themselves, are not affected.
3. Online givers are younger. (No surprise there.) What is interesting is that online givers typically represent a new giver. What that tells us that our ability to expand our giving capacity is linked to the variety of platforms that make it easy for everyone to give via their platform preference. Remember, it's not about YOU; it's about THEM.
4. Here is the bad news: online givers are typically harder to retain. Some research indicates that online givers utilize traditional "offline" methods and mediums to give the subsequent gifts. I think this has to do more with direct mail follow up than anything else. As the number of online gift transactions increase, we'll see a more stable giving base transition to electronic based transactions. (Personally, I'd like to see online gifts via credit cards compared to online gifts via bank transactions. My guess is that donors who make donations via bank draft are more consistent than credit card donors. I could be wrong, but the research would be interesting, no doubt.)
Online giving is not a "magic bullet." BUT it is an important medium by which a growing population of people who sit in the pews of our churches are choosing. It's a conversation worth having. (Of course, you can voluntarily have the conversation now or wait and be forced to later. Your choice.)
Read more about online giving.
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October 6, 2009
Scott Hodge (@scotthodge) talks about ministry funding ...
OK. Not exactly. But what Scott does share is an encouraging message for leaders.
Ministry funding is on the hearts and minds of every pastor as we enter the 4th quarter of 2009. Scott encourages us to keep our mind focused on being obedient and ... in the words of his father ... "stay close to Jesus."
It's a good word. There is no room for worry or fear in God's economy. We must believe - without reservation - that the ministry God has called us to accomplish will also be fully funded. It's our job as church leaders to cultivate the resources that He has already provided for us in the people in the pew ... resources of time, talent, and treasure.
BUT all that we need has ALREADY been provided.
Pray. Trust. Follow. Obey. BUT don't be afraid. God will provide all that we need if we stay close and follow Him.
I hope this encourages you as much as it encouraged me.
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October 5, 2009
Successful Year-End Appeals
I was reading through last week's edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy when I came across some "keys to success for year-end appeals" that I think are worth noting. In fact, I tweeted five of these these keys yesterday:
Successful Year-End Appeals: Be as gracious when donors say NO as when they say YES. (Chron. Of Phil.)//Remember, it's about building trust.
about 22 hours ago from UberTwitter
A few thoughts: I've never met anyone that likes to hear the word "no." Sometimes a no means no (forever) and sometimes it means no (not now). They key is to focus on building the relationship to the point in which you have the trust with the donor or church member where you can make the ask. Nearly every "horror" story I've heard was the result of a premature ask, well before the "asker" had earned the right to ask. If you react poorly to the word no, then you will eliminate the next opportunity. So it's always wise to keep the door of opportunity open.
Successful Year-End Appeals: Start seeking big gifts now, since such donations often take 18 months from start to finish. (Chron. Of Phil.)
about 22 hours ago from UberTwitter
A few thoughts: Because relationships take time, it's important to build time into our funding expectations. That means cultivating gifts has to be a proactive process, not a reactive response to a budget/operational crisis. Stop relying on last minute conversations to bridge the funding gap. This is necessary at times but shouldn't become systematic in our approach to church funding.
Successful Year-End Appeals: Focus on people who didn't give in 2008 Donors are hard to get back after 2 years of not giving (Chron Of Phil)
about 22 hours ago from UberTwitter
A few thoughts: Giving is an outward sign of an inward commitment. It's important to follow giving trends in our churches. Uncovering great variations in giving from year to year could uncover an individual or family ministry opportunity that might otherwise have been buried by fake smiles and canned responses. Money doesn't lie. People do.
Successful Year-End Appeals: Be concrete. Don't rely on charity's [or church's] reputation. (Chron. Of Phil.)
about 22 hours ago from UberTwitter
A few thoughts: It's always important to tell the story. People forget. Most people only touch our churches for once a week for 60 minutes. There is a lot that is going to happen in the coming week, and that's if they attend your church faithfully every week. Always go back to the basics. Every church leader should start with vision, define core values, identify strategic goals, and outline action steps. Not only does this reacquaint the faithful with the specific ministry objectives of the church, it provides the basis for measurement to determine if the work the person in the pew is funding is actually accomplishing what you told them it would.
Successful Year-End Appeals: Emphasize the good a gift will achieve, not bad things that will happen if donors don't give. (Chron. Of Phil.)
about 22 hours ago from UberTwitter
A few thoughts: People want to know their money counts. Tell them what you're going to do with it. Articulate what measurable acts of ministry you hope to fund and what you believe will be the intended results. Setting expectations and fulfilling those expectations helps build trust....
And that bring us back to the top....
Number ONE...
key to year-end appeals...
R-E-L-A-T-I-O-N-S-H-I-P-S!
We all have a lot to do between now and the end of the year. Don't overlook the opportunity you have to lay the groundwork necessary to fully fund your budget in the coming year.
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October 1, 2009
Great story, weak "ask"
Watch the video. Then, read my commentary below.
This church did a wonderful job articulating its rich history, mission, and measurable acts of ministry. The intention of the video was to help the church bridge the funding gap between the $20k they had raised to date and the $160k needed to purchase a nearby lot. Further, the church defined exactly how it would use this money and gave high-level detail on the multiplying impact a facility expansion and relocation would have on its ability to meet the ministry needs of the community in which it exists.
BUT ... all its work was lost on a weak "ask."
1. There was no online giving option. For people like me, I want instant satisfaction. I don't write checkes (unless I have to). So for me to give to this cause, that means I have to write down a physical address, locate my checkbook, write the check, find an envelope, buy a stamp (not a regularly stocked item at my house), and then drop the envelope in my home mailbox or by the post office which is not conveniently located to my house. Too many obstacles to bother when I should have been able to go to a Web site or click through and donate immediately.
2. There was no date given when the funds needed to be available. In 4 minutes and 40 seconds, less than 30 seconds was given to actually telling people how and when to respond. Direct Marketers know that one of the best "buying" motivators is the fear of loss. Give a date! If you miss that date, then you're gift won't count. In my mind I'm thinking, "I want my gift to count, so I need to give NOW to make sure I don't forget."
3. Make it do-able for me, the little guy. All I know at the end of this video is that they need $140k more than they have right now to buy the land. That's a big sum of money for me. Will my $100 or $50 or $20 even make a difference? That deflates my willingness to believe I can help in this situation. During the ask, suggest gift sizes that are right-sized for everyone. (Wikipedia raised $2M the last three weeks of December 2009 over 50k donors. That's an average gift size of $40.) Don't underestimate the power of what I call "compound giving," that is when a lot of people give a little.
4. Ask me to post it on my social networking sites. Make it easy for me to add it to Facebook or Twitter or whatever platform you use. Don't just rely on what YouTube offers or for me to "figure it out." Tell me you need ME to spread the word. Empower the lowest common denominator to become your "development staff."
I don't want you to think I'm just beating up on this church. I think they did a good job, but I think they'll only get a fraction of what they could have raised by improving just a few of things outlined above.
Don't be afraid to "make the ask." (If you are afraid, maybe you don't really believe in the cause or organization you are asking for in the first place.)
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