December 14, 2009
UPDATE: No longer posting at Do More Ministry
I've been posting to the Do More Ministry blog since July 2007. I can't believe it's been that long. Earlier this year, I wrote, Church Giving Matters. Since it's publication in the Spring, more than 6,100 copies have sold. That has led me to want to focus more specifically on the subject matter in the book and draw a stronger connection between my posts and the book itself.
For many reasons, I can't do this on our corporate blog platform. So, I have moved my blogging efforts to Church Giving Matters (the blog). If you are a subscriber, you will need to update your RSS feed in your feed reader or resubscribe via e-mail to continue to receive automatic updates.
You should know (if you haven't already clicked through the new blog)...I had hoped to have all the design work done on the new blog before this announcement, but I felt it was more important to get a stream of content flowing and work on the design second. So, it's like I've moved into a new house but still need to paint. Your patience in this department is much appreciated. (And I would welcome any feedback you might have.)
I appreciate your loyal readership and look forward to continuing our conversation about church funding on Church Giving Matters.
Posted by bstroup at 8:09 AM | Comments (0)
December 7, 2009
Change is coming
I'm making some changes to DO MORE MINISTRY blog. In order for me to press through these changes efficiently, I need to stop posting for a week or so. Thanks for your understanding.
In the meantime, I'll still be making updates to Twitter and Delicious.
Posted by bstroup at 8:33 AM | Comments (0)
December 4, 2009
Church Funding Friday: Fund your church by giving it away
One Houston area church gave away $20,000 to its members with instructions for them to - in turn - pay it forward. Pay close attention to what the pastor says about halfway through the story. He said that he's already received calls from other people in the community (NOT CHURCH MEMBERS) who want to donate and keep it going.
Maybe a tactic to incorporate into your funding strategy is how to give money away. Sounds strange, doesn't it? But as more and more churches are doing the same thing and seeing outstanding results, the cynics are silenced.
Read the story.
Posted by bstroup at 8:50 AM | Comments (0)
December 3, 2009
3 Del.icio.us links on Thursdays about stewardship and giving
I'm trying something I've never done before.
Every Thursday during the month of December, I'm going to pick three links I've cataloged in my Delicious account during the previous week. (This site houses 100's of links related to stewardship and giving - and the list grows almost daily - that can be easily searched and used for sermon preparation, committee prep, funding strategy, etc.)
Here are my top picks for the week:
1. Top 10 Ways to Screw up Your Year-End Fundraising Campaign
Thoughts: Churches are in the best position to secure funding from the people in the pew. Sadly, churches are often the WORST at doing it. While each of the 10 items listed doesn't have direct application to the life and practice of the church, pay special attention to numbers 2-5.
2. 5 Trends Affecting Your Ministry in 2010
Thoughts: Funding is directly tied to the people in our pews. We need to ensure those of us who are called to the pulpits of churches are also in touch with the shifts of the people in the pew. I teach that giving begins with the worldview of the giver. This article highlights important shifts that church leaders must be mindful of as they develop a ministry strategy.
3. Giving to Receive: What Legacy Will You Leave?
Thoughts: Don't be confused by the title. This article isn't about planned giving. What it's asking the reader to consider is what point is it to collect and not share. The writer argues that we need to think about how we can invest what we do have in others today. How we practice this in our own lives will determine the legacy we leave behind.
I hope this link collection is helpful to you in your ministry. Be sure to visit my delicious account regularly for updates or subscribe via RSS.
And always feel free to send links to anything you think is missing.
Posted by bstroup at 7:46 AM | Comments (0)
December 2, 2009
Pastor expects to end 2009 with $100k+ increase in giving
We first met Blake Pitts from Grace Baptist Church in Seneca, South Carolina earlier this year when we talked to him about his decision to lead his church through a capital campaign in the midst of a recession.
What I love about this story is that Blake broke all "the rules":
1. He isn't old enough.
2. He hasn't been pastor of the church long enough.
3. The economy isn't strong enough.
4. The church isn't big enough.
And I could go on an on...
Even though he could have held back, he chose to follow God's direction. His leadership and faith resulted in a growing spirit of generosity in his church. At the time of our conversation, he projected well over $100k increase in total giving for 2009.
Listen to the podcast to hear the whole story.
Looking for other podcasts about church funding? You can find more here.
Posted by bstroup at 8:12 AM | Comments (0)
December 1, 2009
Church Giving: The rules have changed
I was invited a couple of weeks ago to present to a group of African-American pastors at LifeWay about church giving. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and am grateful to Jay Wells for the invitation. Below is the presentation.
Posted by bstroup at 8:38 AM | Comments (0)