Do More Ministry

November 20, 2009

Push the limits of church funding: Break the Silence

Read this:

"Money has demonically usurped the role in modern society which the Holy Spirit is to have in the Church" - Thomas Merton

Wow! Wonder how that happened?

When the church is silent on the subject of money and funding, the Christian has no alternative lens to compare what others are saying.

(Yes, the church is responsible to talk about money. Period. There is nothing to argue about.)

Start TALKING. Get LOUD.

If we remain silent, the end result is this:

Money God intended to fund the work of the Kingdom...

will find its way to other organizations...doing good things...lead by good people.

BUT it won't go to fund the work of the Church. Don't believe me? Just ask a few people you know if they split their tithe between the church and other organizations.

You'll be surprised at their response. And they see nothing wrong with it.

Why? (Really, why should we be surprised?) Because we've been SILENT.

H-E-L-L-O. Problem. Major Problem.

What will you say...this weekend...at your next gathering...to break the silence about money, stewardship, and generosity?

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November 19, 2009

Push the limits of church funding: Survival Mode Off

Survival Mode...now that is a great strategy for funding. NOT!

Here is the problem with survival mode. In the NPO world (that includes churches) we place a high degree of value on efficiency which means we do as much as we can on as little as possible.

There is NOTHING inherently wrong with that. It's always important to ensure our expenses are in line with our revenue.

What IS inherently built into that mode is a LACK OF investing. Investing involes risk. Risk sometimes leads to REWARD...

and sometimes it leads to the "F" word...F-A-I-L-U-R-E.

For-profit companies believe in RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT. They know that have to build in a system of failing if they are ever going to SUCCEED.

When churches decide to slip into survival mode...they STOP innovating...being creative...looking for new opportunities...new ventures. And they simply exist.

Wonder why you're having trouble finding leaders who are passionate about what your church is doing? (Are you passionate about what your church is doing?)

Maybe you've flipped the switch (even unintentionally) to survival mode.

Let me give you a hint: TURN IT OFF. Right now...And after you've turned it off...

BREAK IT OFF so you never have that option again.

There is nothing that will kill a church's ability to fund its ministry than operating in survival mode.

Rule #1...(It doesn't really matter what Rule number it is.)...People don't want to fund an organization that is only interested in self-preservation.

Better...people WON'T fund self-preservation.

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November 18, 2009

Push the limits of church funding: Get beyond small thinking

After spending nearly a MONTH in the field talking to pastors in various part of the country talking about church funding, I'm convinced that FAR TOO MANY are thinking...

small....

instead of T-H-I-N-K-I-N-G B-I-G!

We say we are people of THE WORD. Our Bible is full of the impossible:

Abraham and Sarah are too old to have a son.
David is too small to fight Goliath. (Later, he's too young and ordinary to be King.)
Paul is an unlikely champion of the faith.

(There's more. I promise. Read it for yourself.)

Yet these stories fade when we are asked to believe the impossible. When we are asked to believe that God can fully fund (and over fund) our ministry budgets WITHOUT REGARDS for the American or World economy.

So what do we do? We SEAL OUR FATE by professing a big God and live as if He is small. We...

Worry. Fret. Pace. Sweat. Wonder. (All over the WRONG STUFF!!)

Where will the money come from? And when that happens we take our focus off of vision...direction...purpose...context...(the core necessities of funding)

AND we allow ourselves to be trapped by what we can see. We fight over how we will split the dollar instead of believing that God has intended MORE for us.

We can only DO MORE MINISTRY when we practice our profession in a BIG GOD.

NEWS FLASH...NOT EVERY CHURCH IS STRUGGLING.

Some churches are posting ridiculous gains in overall giving...and investing in more ministry than they ever have. I heard from one pastor recently who is nearly $100k over in receipts to date!

Get beyond small thinking. And you'll find a VERY B-I-G G-O-D who is able to help YOU...

DO MORE MINISTRY!

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November 4, 2009

"Multiple funding options" on the mind of church leaders

What began as a blog post included in the "Guest Post" section of Church Solutions turned into an article ("Beyond the Offering Plate") in the November issue, and will now be featured again as the "top clicked through" content for "Guest Post" features in the December print edition.

A special thanks to the readers is in order!

I may have found the subject matter for book #2. It seems that others are looking for ways "outside" the often fickle funding that comes from the offering plate to support the growing complexity of local church ministry.

I'm grateful for the opportunity the editors at Church Solutions and the readership have given me. It confirms that I'm not just some crazy guy "crying out in the wilderness" eating weird food and wearing funny clothes like John the Baptist. (OK. So maybe I am.)

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November 3, 2009

Allen Walworth presents on funding ministry in tough times

Allen Walworth presented to Cornerstone Knowledge Network (a group of church leaders and people who support church leaders) on the subject of funding ministry in the midst of tough economic times. Great material. Great message. I wanted to share it with you. I hope you leave as hopeful as I was knowing that God is NOT bound by our present economic condition.

Here is his presentation in slides.

Here is the audio version of his presentation.

Enjoy!

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November 2, 2009

3 steps to increasing your church's giving capacity

We spend a great deal of time pointing to the faithful giving of the few and trying to convince those who will never give to "think about" giving. Neither one of those objectives is off base. In fact, they are necessary. What does get overlooked is the largest population among the people in our pews who ARE NOT giving at their maximum capacity.

Why not?
1. One segment is in so much debt they can't see straight.
2. One segment is out of debt but doesn't have a habit of giving.
3. One segment has a habit of giving but not tithing.
4. One segment is faithfully tithing but has never been challenged to be generous.

We need to spend more time unlocking the giving potential of the people already present in our pews. So what are three steps to increasing your church's giving capacity:

1. Know your giving data.

Sorry. There is no way around this one. You are going to have to look at numbers and segment your population and quantify the giving habits of your membership. The information that lies in the numbers will tell you more than can imagine. Pay close attention to one, three, and five year trends. You have to establish a baseline before you can begin to measure progress.

2. Implement a plan.

There is nothing new about this step. Define what steps you will take as church leaders to cultivate encourage the practice of stewardship and cultivate a culture of generosity in your church. No plan = More of the same. (And if you're satisfied with where you and your church are today, you should save your church the trouble and fire yourself!) Those churches who consistently realize fully funded ministry budgets are also insanely specific about how they teach and encourage faithful giving.

3. Measure the results.

You will need to establish a few metrics to use as a measuring stick to determine whether or not your plan is having a sustained impact on the giving habits of your church membership. Metrics are different for every church and should be tied to the overall vision and focus of the church. Measuring progress (quantitatively) is so important because you can't manage what you don't measure.

Bottom line, increasing the giving capacity is a year-round effort, doesn't "just happen," and is vitally important to your church's ability to fulfill the unique vision and purpose God intended.

Get to work! We have a Kingdom to fund and build!

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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:

• Are among the 15% who give 85% of the revenue


• Contribute 10% or more of their annual household income to only a few select charities


• Demonstrated a sustained pattern of giving over three or more consecutive years


• Give and who also advocate for your organization, or


• Have a personal relationship to the charity

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 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 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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September 29, 2009

Top 7 technology tools that help me be efficient

We are all very busy people. I have found 7 tools that I'm convinced help me stay on top of things whether I'm in the office or not, whether I'm traveling or not, whether it's the work week or the weekend. If any of these 7 tools went away, I would notice.

1. Google Voice

Why I like this: One number rings multiple phones; transcribed voice mails; archive all messages and phone activity; conference calls on the fly; call recording; listen to voice mails while they occur and jump in if needed; use to send/receive text messages too; customized voice mail messages

2. Tweet Deck

Why I like this: Monitor key words and phrases being used; create groups to better track conversation; auto URL shortener; monitor Facebook and Twitter accounts; does this all on the same screen

3. Blackberry

Why I like this: A computer on the go; I can do just about everything I can do on a laptop with my Blackberry; I can't imagine life without one

4. Google Analytics

Why I like this: Tells me top content based on reader activity; reader analysis; how the reader found my blog (organically, referral, etc.); reveals unknown referral sources; measures one week of activity against the next and allows me to measure any time period to determine what's working and what's not; identifies key words people are using to find the blog; report is e-mailed to me weekly

5. iGoogle

Why I like this: Customized to what I like; gives me a dashboard and easy access to what I generally use (e.g. Google Reader, etc.) on one screen; let's me have a virtual post-it note pad; houses a collection of hyperlinks that make it easy for me to get to different sites

6. Google Apps

Why I like this: If you haven't discovered Google Apps, you will; The integration of gmail, calendar, DOCS, etc. is priceless; Docs is so robust that you should Google it and see it for yourself; Plus, I can access all this from any computer with internet access, no more "network" access needed.

7. Google Alerts

Why I like this: E-mails me at a frequency I design and in a way I determine best the results of key words and phrases that I want to monitor; I find a tremendous amount of information and content this way

Notice that 5 of the top 7 tools I list above are related to Google. They have done a great job at making technology accessible to me as a "regular guy," not a computer genius, and they have developed programs with the intention of making it easier for me to do my job.

What I didn't list were top tools I use to make it efficient for OTHERS to discover more about what I do and determine if I might be able to help them. That's a completely different set of tools. I'll save that list for another post.

Technology - for me at least - is less about adopting the latest options and gadgets as it is about helping me be better and more efficient doing what I do.

How are you using technology to improve your job efficiency?

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September 25, 2009

Google's SideWiki will force church leaders to listen

This is the last straw.

Social Media has changed the way individuals engage with organizations and the way organizations engage with individuals. There are still a few organizations who believe that they still control the conversation. Even if you had a hint of hope that this was true ...

GIVE IT UP!
IT'S OVER!
Wave the white flag of surrender!

Google's SideWiki gives anyone ... ANYONE the ability to comment on any Web page and the entire WORLD can read it.

It gets better ....

You CAN'T do ANYTHING to stop it.

This applies to churches too. I wonder what people will write on the SideWiki of your church's home page?

It's over. The only thing for the church/organization to do is ...

L-I-S-T-E-N!

(Not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe we talk too much anyway.)

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September 24, 2009

Georgia Baptist Pastor's Conference: 5 steps to funding a sustainable ministry

I'm leading two breakout sessions today for Georgia Baptist Pastor's at the State Convention Office. I thought I'd share with you the PowerPoint presentation I'm using.

I hope you find this helpful!

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September 21, 2009

The Future of Church Giving

I really appreciated Jason's post this morning, "Musings on the Future of Fundraising." I think he really drives home the point that it's the responsibility of organizational leader (NOT SOMEONE ELSE) to begin planning how the organization will connect and communicate with its core constituency as the means by which we interact with each other is rapidly changing.

There are only two things driving this change:
1. Technology
2. The acceptance of that technology

The rate of change in both catagories is happening so fast it is almost discouraging at time. BUT this is the work we have been given to do. We lead organizations and are responsible for ensuring the organization or cause's effectiveness and sustainabiliity for the present AND the future.

What are you doing TODAY to learn about new technology? What conversations are you and your core leadership staff having TODAY to plan for the shift that is already in motion?

No one knows exactly what this is going to look like when it's all said and done (if there is even a point in which we will be able to declare "said and done"). The difference - for the church at least - is that we can't rest in historical "slowness" of the church to adopt technology. The people in the pew are demanding it.

Are you choking your church's ministry impact because you refuse to learn and adopt new mediums of communication? If you are, then you are paving the way for an under-funded ministry that will be crippled today and perhaps paralyzed very soon.

The future is now. What are YOU doing about it TODAY?

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September 17, 2009

4 key elements to include in your year-end appeal letter

If you've made the decision to mail an end of the year appeal, you're not alone. The struggle is less in the decision to do so as it is in deciding the content of that letter. Here are 4 key elements to keep in mind as you sit down to compose what many churches are looking to at the end of 2009 to bridge the gap between operational budget needs and actual giving year to date:

1. Be honest. There is nothing worse in the mind of the person in the pew than when the person in the pulpit refuses to be honest about "what is." If you're behind budget, then you need to be talking about it. Not negatively. Don't tell everyone how bad they are (or worse how disobedient they are). The pulpit you preach from is not a bully pulpit. Rather, honest conversation is liberating and allows you to clearly define where you are now, where you are going, and what it is going to take to get there.

2. Tell them what you want them to do. This is important. I love watching those TV infomercials when they are advertising some new "must have" product that will clean my house in 3 seconds or less. My favorite part is when they come to the end and say something like, "and if you call now, you'll receive 5 more absolutely free." Do you know why they say that? Because it generates action. People, especially those already hooked by the ad and the must-have product, now have an unbelievable reason to not think about it but act. (Note: Action is the goal.)

3. Include specific dates. When you define what you want the person to do, it's also a good idea to include dates. Dates and deadlines motivate us to accomplish the goal. Most people aren't disciplined enough to do this on their own. Make it easy for them to do what you're asking them to do.

4. Make it easy for them to respond. There is a reason why so many different payments methods exist. Every person has their own preference. It's not the church's place to decide the method a person uses to contribute. So when you make your end of the year appeal, be sure to list the different ways such as online giving, include a postage-paid reply envelope in letter, or encourage them to bring it with them Sunday.

The end of the year appeal letter is a very effective way to bridge the gap between budget needs and funding. It's also a way to maximize a giving increase. Keep pressing on through December 31.

People who run marathons say that the real race begins at mile 20. That's what separates those who are prepared and those who aren't. The same is true for churches. Don't loose sight of the goal of reaching a fully funded ministry budget. And whatever you do, don't give up.

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September 16, 2009

Google's Fast Flip and church giving

Google has done it again. Reading the news will NEVER be the same again.

Fast Flip allows me to flip through, not one magazine or newspaper, but hundreds. I can browse by "most viewed," "headlines," etc. And I can actually flip through and see a thumbnail image and title of the article without having to leave the main page UNTIL I see something I want to view.

It struck me how easy it was to access content from HUNDREDS of sources in literally seconds.

Only moments later did it occur to me that this platform and design represents what an electronic version of how people choose the organizations or causes they want to invest their time, talent, and treasures in might look like. Each of these news sources (just like churches) thinks they are superior than the others.

The difference is that I (the reader or the person in the pew) get to choose, not the organization (or church). And what makes me choose one article (one church) over another, one new source (or ministry) over another ... content. The title hints at the substance of the article. And if the substance is less than the title suggests, I simply keep scrolling.

What I really want is great content. Substance that matches my expectations.

When it comes to church giving, the reality is that the people in the pew have a seemingly unlimited number of options to choose from to donate their time, talent, and treasures. What separates one cause or organization from the rest?

Content.

S-U-B-S-T-A-N-C-E!

Does the content or substance of the ministry in which your church invests stand out and inspire people to contribute?

If not, you have some work to do. (And, of course, I'd be happy to help.)

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September 15, 2009

People are people. Not an ATM.

People are people.

They are not VENDING MACHINES ... They are not SLOT MACHINES.

If we have the right code, they don't just "do" what WE want them to do.

I'm consistently amazed at the disconnect we have in "church speak" between the words "community" and "giving." We talk A LOT about creating community and fostering an environment where "everyone knows your name."

BUT when it comes to giving, we absolutely LOSE our people skills.

Community stimulates giving.

OK. I'll admit. There are times when people give even when they don't have a clear connection with the organization or cause. BUT in the life of the church we need sustained (a.k.a. faithful) giving in order to fully fund our ministry budgets. That means we need to find the connection between our practice of community and giving within the life of the church.

Church who are successful at ASSIMILATION are also likely to be successful at MAXIMIZING the giving capacity of its membership. People give as an outward sign of an inward commitment. If a person isn't involved, they AREN'T committed. And they probably won't be giving either.

Managing the relationship between each individual member and the church is as important as managing the operational expenses of the organization.

Poor relationship investing = poor (perhaps NO) giving habits
Excellent relationship investing = sustained (perhaps GENEROUS) giving

People are people. Not an ATM. If all you want it an ATM, find a bank ...
And be sure to ask for an EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION.
You'll need it.

If you can't manage relationships, your church won't survive. Period.

Related Posts:
Stewardship and Assimilation are closely linked
Giving and the Church Member Experience, Conclusion
Research connects church giving and attendance

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September 14, 2009

Don't Stop Believin'

It takes guts to lead.

I had the opportunity to talk with someone this morning for about an hour who is asking some tough questions about expanding their ministry beyond what it is today. He is asking questions that will lead to an even greater impact. And he is banking the beginning of his working career on the belief that this is exactly the work God has given him to do.

Ministry leadership is hard. There are a lot of other things you could be doing right now. You could probably be more successful and make more money, but something keeps drawing you back to the work you have been given to do. And even when it seems impossible, the goal still seems possible.

That resolve is what it takes to lead.
That conviction is what you'll need when you sit across from someone and ask them to financially contribute to your ministry.
That stubbornness is what it takes to bring the dream God has given you into reality.

Don't believe others when they tell you it can't be done.
Don't listen to unwarranted criticism and sideline coaching.
And please ... please ... Don't Stop Believin'

Enjoy the song. Yes, it is intentionally "over the top." But we really do need people who believe like a child that IT - whatever "it" is - can be done. After all, Jesus held children in high esteem. Maybe he was onto something.

I'm proud of you!

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September 11, 2009

Watch "Fat Thinking" by @jim_sheppard from #thenines

If you don't know who Jim Sheppard is, you should. He is one of the leading voices on money and ministry today. He leads this really innovative organization called Generis. I have a great deal of respect for Jim. When he speaks, I listen. That's why I wanted you to see his 8 minutes and 16 second presentation called "Fat Thinking."

Close your office door. Take your phone off the hook. Put your cell phone on "off" mode. Turn up your speakers. And take notes. You'll be glad you did.

Transcript:

Hello. My name is Jim Sheppard. I am from Atlanta and I work with the consulting firm, Generis.

It's late afternoon here in my office. Everyone has gone, so I thought I'd get out the Flip and talk about what's on my mind.

My passion is generosity. Specifically, generosity among believers that funds the God-given vision of a ministry. Connected to that, I have a passion for seeing ministry resources utilized effectively.

With that in mind, I'd like to talk about the current reality, financially speaking.

Think back with me to a time about 2 years ago. The DJIA was almost 14,000. And for almost 20 years before that the stock market, with only a couple of brief pauses, had been on an incredible roll starting at around 2,000. Times were good. Money was plenty. For many young church leaders, it would have been hard to remember a time when money was not plentiful.
- The result: Churches roll out all kinds of projects and get them funded
- Did not have to be as discerning

I call that "fat thinking". Just a way of referring to the free wheeling attitudes that seem to prevail when money is plentiful.

Fast forward. The past 12 months in particular have been different. Beginning in September 2008, the economy went on a downhill slide the likes of which many of us have never seen. Most of us were taught that our nest egg would be in two places: our retirement account and our home. In past times of economic chaos, one or the other might have been affected. In this cycle, both have been affected.

The result has been a real paradigm shift for a lot of people, especially our church members.

With this in mind, the tendency is to think there is not any money available for our projects. Not the case. In almost all cases, the money is there, we just have to be more diligent in finding it.

In the fat thinking era, a church could roll out almost any project or initiative and get it funded. In the leaner current environment, our thinking must be much clearer and we must be more discerning if we are to find the funding.

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google said this in his 2008 Founders Letter: "Nonetheless, I am optimistic about the future, because I believe scarcity breeds clarity: it focuses minds, forcing people to think creatively and rise to the challenge." It's the reason Toyota tries to carry zero inventory - when you're operating without a safety net, you better operate correctly.

You see, here's what happens. Many times, it is hard to say "No" to a seemingly virtuous ministry project or initiative, even when it fits the ministry vision.

But here's what scarcity does for us. It clarifies everything --- our thinking, priorities and identity. In an way that almost nothing else can, it brings us a focus that we would not have as long as we are engaged in fat thinking. Think of it another way. This may be a time of challenge, but more importantly, it is a time of clarification. It can be a good thing for us.

The time will come again when money is plentiful. The ministries that thrive in the lean economic environment will be incredibly well positioned to leverage that time for great success.

Susan Cramm, writing in the Harvard Business Review on April 30 this year said it another way: With the cash crunch, focus is coming back in style. A lot of people are hoping for a future -- both professionally and personally -- that will be, "pared down, more natural, more stable, less full of enervating overstimulation, of what Walker Percy calls the "trivial magic" of modern times." There are many who believe that these "bad times" will bring a kind of satisfying scarcity. That companies (and families) will start focusing on what's most important by stripping the "nice but not necessary" out of their daily existence.

One leader shared recently that he is hoping to use financial constraints to act as a surrogate for strategy to force decisions about what should -- and should not -- be done.

Another leader expressed relief that tight funding had resulted in canceling initiatives that were the "right projects being done in the wrong way."

So here's an important lesson. Use this time of challenge as an opportunity to clarify what is really important about your ministry. Let there be a time of focus that will open up for you and your leaders a new Holy Spirit driven perspective that would cause you to perhaps discontinue some things you are doing in order that you might focus more resources on something that is really important.

Think of it in these terms. In the current environment, to assure full funding of the important things, consider these factors:
- Urgent
Needs to be done ASAP
Significant penalty to momentum if we wait
- Compelling
The case gets your attention.
Wow! We really need that.
- Properly ALIGNED to everything else
Vibrantly connected to the vision & mission of the church

Lastly, consider the cost. Luke 14:28. Luke 14:28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"

Planning and strategy are not mutually exclusive of your faith and the voice of God in directing your ministry. They walk hand in hand.

I hope this is helpful for you.

Go rock your world and make a difference --- for Christ's sake.

God bless you!

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September 10, 2009

Donor Power Blog (@jeffbrooks) comments on post about offering envelopes

I recently posted about the "cool factor" of offering envelopes. I was honored when Jeff Brooks wrote Why trying to be cool is self-defeating which centered around this particular post. Jeff's Donor Power Blog is one of my "must-reads" and is a well-respected and well-known source of all things related to fund-raising.

Thanks Jeff!

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September 9, 2009

Read this BEFORE you spend another church budget dollar

Your Congregation is More Likely to Exist Ten Years from Now if More Than 30 Percent of Budget is Focused on Programs and missions

Read more.

We tell the people in the pew that how they use their money is indicative of what's important to them. The same is true for churches too. How we, as church leaders, decide to spend our budget dollars reflects what we believe to be the most important Kindgom investments.

Maybe it's time to review our "investment portfolio" to ensure we are yielding the highest eternal dividends.

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September 2, 2009

A note of thanks

I received this e-mail from a church I worked with recently:

"Thank you so much for giving of yourself to help us with our stewardship drive. We were looking at it as if to say, 'Here we go again. Hope we raise enough money. Got any ideas?' Now, after reading your book, proposal, and being with you in person, there is excitement in the air. We are encouraged to go forward in a positive way. Many, many thanks."

First, I'm grateful that I was able to be a catalyst for forward momentum with this group of church leaders. Words fail to describe the energy of this group by end of our time together. I fully expect them to meet and exceed their goals. I think they will realize that passion and excitement add a dimension to a campaign that is sometimes called an "x" factor. It's hard to measure, but you know when it's present and when it's missing.

Second, it reminded me how underutilized a "thank you" can be in affirming the act of giving in the giver. After the ask has been made and the gift given - whether that be time, talent, and/or treasure - the final act should be for the church leader to say "thank you."

This can be done on multiple levels and in multiple ways. Most of the time a phone call, e-mail, or even - dare I suggest such an archaic act - a hand-written note is all that's necessary to acknowledge and affirm those who have freely given of what God has given them.

More than one people-management expert has said, "People perform to the level they are incented to perform to." I believe this is true. I also believe that people perform again and again and again when, in the midst of the reward earned for their efforts, a simple note of thanks is made.

Sustainable funding means not just a one time effort but an ongoing support that fuels and accelerates the ministry of your church. Perhaps the easiest, and arguably the best, fuel to propel the ministry of your church forward is to show gratitude or thanks for all that the people in the pew have done.

Don't forget to offer a note of thanks to God and to those who make it possible for you to have a church to lead.

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August 24, 2009

Offering envelopes aren't cool ... so what?

I recently read The Uncool Offering Envelope and thought Kevin's "cool" chart was pretty interesting. In the chart, churches who used offering envelopes were at the bottom. (Wow! That's shocking!)

I know. I know. I lead a business unit at LifeWay related to offering envelopes. BUT I'm not offended. In fact, I welcome Kevin's thoughts. For the sake of discussion, I do feel the need to point out that his thoughts (not him, this is NOT a personal attack) represent an uninformed constituency that has little experience and training in funding non-profits.

So when I read the that the "cool factor" is a reason NOT to use offering envelopes ... I'm confused. When did "cool" become a requirement ... for anything ... everything ... in church?

Is it "cool" to cut the grass each week?
Is it "cool" to deal with security systems, liability, and insurance?
Is it "cool" to manage the financial and accounting functions?
Is it "cool" to make sure Sunday School literature is available?
Is it "cool" to recruit and train volunteers?
Is it "cool" to prospect for new members?
Is it "cool" to manage the details of any ministry program?
Is it "cool" to make sure the church van has the oil changed and is serviced regularly?

(I think you get my point.)

No. OF COURSE NOT. It's boring. It's mundane.

But all of these realities are present in almost every ministry, church, etc. I work with. And if no one took care of these details ... no MINISTRY would take place.

Here is what is cool. More than $300 BILLION in charitable giving dollars was given in 2008.

So who are the organizations that benefit from this generosity?

World Vision
Samartian's Purse
Bread for the World
(To name a few.)

Are they cool? Yes. Is the work they're doing important? ABSOLUTELY!

And what does every letter from World Vision and Samaritan's Purse include ... oh yeah ... an envelope!

Why? BECAUSE IT WORKS. It's the single most EFFECTIVE (non-human) response tool EVER employed to raise money.

Tell World Vision the envelope isn't cool and they'll say ...

I don't care about COOL. I care about FUNDING!

I can't pay staff with COOL.
I can't build programs with COOL.
I can't develop leaders with COOL.
I can't recruit volunteers with COOL.

Of that $300+ BILLION in total charitable giving dollars in 2008 ... $100+ Billion was given to religious organizations, that is houses of worship ... more commonly known as ... CHURCHES.

And do you know what the most popular tool churches use to fund their budgets is? Yep ... you guessed it: Offering Envelopes!

(Note: For those of you into online giving, an an increasing number of the churches we serve are using online giving options. I'm all for it. But you should know only 9% of all charitable giving contributions in 2008 were given using these electronic channels. And those 9% only gave 11% of the $300+ Billion. Growing medium? Yes. Highest producing channel? No ... at least not yet.)

MINISTRY COSTS MONEY ... and LOTS of it! And most people still choose traditional (yes, I know that's a four-letter word for some who believe in "cool") methods of financial support such as cash and checks to underwrite the ministry of the churches and organizations they believe in.

Yes, every church needs to decide whether or not offering envelopes are right for them. But only careful evaluation and consideration will tell whether or not offering envelopes should be a part of the systematic giving strategy of your church's funding plan.

But please ... PLEASE ... don't make your decision based on whether or not the offering envelope is ... well ... cool!

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August 21, 2009

Why I do what I do

Have you ever thought about WHY you do what you do?

Is it because you couldn't find anything else to do?
Is it because you let somebody else tell you how you should spend your days?

If you answered YES to either of those questions, then STOP RIGHT NOW.

LEAVE.

GO do something ELSE that ignites the very core of who you are.

If the reason you do what you do is anything less than BECAUSE YOU CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD DO RIGHT NOW, then it's time for a change!

I call myself the CHIEF BROKER OF OPPORTUNITY.
I help churches fund their budgets.
I help pastors and church leaders do what seminary failed to prepare them to do ... manage the pressure of dollars in the plate and people in the pew.

What's really strange is that I stumbled into this world.

BUT it keeps getting bigger and BIGGER!

I met with a church yesterday that should be thriving, but it's not. It's struggling due to some things it can control and - like all of us - things it can't control. I listened. We discussed. I left the meeting not sure the direction to take BUT I COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM and the challenge before us.

Then it hit me.
An idea came to me that I thought might work.
I made a phone call.
It was well received.
So the work began.

I woke up early this morning ... 4 AM ... and wrote a proposal for this church to consider.

THEY LOVED IT!

Not because it was all about ME but because it was ALL ABOUT THEM ... even better ... the end result was FULL of POSSIBILITY!

And they said ....

YES!
LET'S DO IT!
WE'RE IN!

Don't we all love it when we put ourselves out there and someone else says that's EXACTLY what I was looking for but couldn't find. OF COURSE!

I help pastors and church leaders be successful balancing ministry and money. But MONEY is not the end result ... it's the vehicle that God provides to fund the ministry HE has called the CHURCH to accomplish, a unique purpose that only the CHURCH is designed to fulfill.

I do what I do because I believe ...

the CHURCH CAN'T FAIL. There is no PLAN B.

The thought of playing a role in the Church realizing its God given potential is what gets me up early and keeps me up late. It's what causes me to take on the challenge, even when it seems impossible.

I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. So I keep going. Why? BECAUSE I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE I WOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW if I wasn't doing what I do!

Why do you do what you do?

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August 12, 2009

4 articles on money and ministry you should read

1. Charity industry gets some needed scrutiny

2. How to Get Donors to Resume Their Support

3. "Money Follows Ministry:" Why It's a Myth

4. Slump Strains Church Finances as Need Grows

Find more than 200 media links related to ministry and money on delicious.com/domoreministry.

Posted by bstroup at 7:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 11, 2009

Guest Post: Trade Tithing - $100 Million For America's Churches

Ira e-mailed me after reading my recent article for Church Solutions, Beyond the Offering Plate. He shared with me what he calls a "wide net" concept that he believes in an undervalued revenue stream for churches. I think he has revealed an entirely new economy that could build bridges to professionals outside the church as well as significantly benefit those leading local congregations. I always enjoy hearing from readers, and I especially enjoy entertaining creative funding options for churches.

Churches could gain $100 million of new spending power over the next three years by cultivating business owners and self-employed individuals in new ways. Many of these owners are committed congregants who donate what they can to support the ministry and wish they could do more. Now they can.

Most businesses have surplus goods or unsold services--even more so in a recession. These idle resources aren't contributing any profit to the business. Churches can tap this vast potential.

The necessary infrastructure, called a trade exchange or barter club, is already in place. It's an organization of businesses that sell their surplus for "Trade Dollars" instead of cash--then use Trade Dollars to buy what they need from the exchange's trade marketplace.

The church can access this remarkable abundance by joining a trade exchange and inviting business-owning congregants to do likewise. These owners will earn Trade Dollars and, as a bonus, capture new customers. (Most trade exchanges charge fees for their services.)

Business owners can afford to be generous with Trade Dollars because these earnings come from selling unproductive surplus. Spending or donating Trade Dollars doesn't dent anyone's regular budget, making it even easier to be generous. Instead of 10%, committed congregants may tithe 30%, 60% or even 100% of their trade earnings.

Further, donated Trade Dollars are tax deductible. And a trade exchange can deposit "Trade Tithes" automatically into the church's trade account the moment they are earned. Instant access!

A church can accomplish many things with donated Trade Dollars; available goods and services vary by place and time. In Houston, mid-2009, a church could spend Trade Dollars on window washing services, concrete poured for a new driveway or several thousand other things.

In a given year, the US economy has an estimated $1 trillion in surplus goods and excess service capacity. I don't believe God intends these resources to lie idle while the church struggles with budget gaps. Do you?

A trade exchange is the catalyst to make things happen. Explore its creative possibilities.

Ira Dember co-founded National Trade Banc, one of America's largest privately-held trade exchanges. National has participants from coast to coast and can make special arrangements with churches interested in Trade Tithing. He can be reached via e-mail or phone 713-983-8244.

Special Note: If you call or e-mail this week, give him a break. He's on vacation! But he'll get back with you next week.

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August 7, 2009

What David Landrith and Long Hollow did right #lhcrazylove

My family and I are in search of a new church home. I recently completed a two-year part-time pastorate just north of Nashville. We have visited several churches in the area. The one we seem to keep coming back to is Long Hollow.

Last week, Long Hollow introduced The Crazy Love Campaign. Essentially, this is a series of five offerings over the next 18 months or so designed to fund some strategic initiatives.

I've been in church my entire life. I've seen a lot of change in my 29 years of observing church leaders "do their thing." BUT my experience last Sunday was unlike any other. Since I'm in the business of helping churches fund the ministry God has called them to do, I was paying close attention (and admittedly deconstructing) the entire experience.

The theme of the day was the "State of the Church" address. What I heard was a compelling case to support and get involved in ministry locally and globally. Here are a few things that I think David Landrith and Long Hollow did right:

1. David invited me. There was no consultant giving a polished presentaton. It was the pastor extending to me the opportunity not to decide where the church would focus but to join him and the church in this endeavor. I contend that the pastor is uniquely gifted to lead the church where God has placed him. People would rather hear a compelling message from him than a pitch from a consultant. This tactic capitalized on relationships and made the appeal, from the very beginning, personal.

2. David defined the work and the necessary funding. People respond emotionally when they give but still want to know the details like how much is needed, what will the money fund, and how will we measure our success. People have limited dollars, so they want to be sure that giving those dollars to your church helps them accomplish something that is consistent with what's important to them and something they couldn't do on their own.

3. The ministry that needs to be funded isn't self-centered. One of the most compelling pieces of this campaign is a partnership with a worldwide ministry to establish, for Long Hollow to establish, a sustainable community in a foreign country. This community includes, homes, school, clinic, church, sustainable food resources, etc.. It will breathe life into a hopeless group of people barely able to hang on. While there are some things like campus building improvements, largely this campaign is about reaching out in the community - both locally and internationally - and investing in other people.

4. Everything was defined. I didn't just see a lump sum of money as a goal. Each of the four parts of this campaign were assigned a dollar value. There were no secrets. David laid it all out on the table. Bottom line, each person in attendance knew exactly what they were being asked to invest in and how much it would take to fully fund each part of the plan.

5. The goal was broken down into giving units. The multi-million dollar figure was broken down over five offerings, to fund four strategic ministry objectives, by each individual giving unit. And each unit amount was broken down to the cost of a daily coffee from speciality coffee stores. This makes it doable for the average joe. (No pun intended.) It wasn't "too big" for me to think I can't do this. And it reinforced that if everyone did their part, we could reach the goal. And all of us like to "win."

6. Long Hollow made it shareable by empowering its members (and visitors) to utilize technology to spread the word and reinforce the message. The reality is that I'm not a member (yet) but we are going to participate. And I'll bet there are some who don't even live in Tennessee who will contribute simply because they saw something on Twitter or Facebook that inspired them and God used to call them to participate in this endeavor. Social media allows churches to empower every person, the least common denominator, to become an evangelist, spokesperson, fund-raiser for ministry. (One thing I hope they do is create a widget similar to the Red Kettle Widget the Salvation Army used during Christmas 2008.)

7. I left with something in hand. I could review it long after the initial appeal was made. I've looked at it every day since Sunday. I'm proud to be a part of this campaign. This is important in the event I didn't remember all the details. And I didn't. No one could. Each time I look at the piece handed out, the project seems to get bigger and bigger.

8. David made the ask. He said the first offering is on "this date." Expect it. Plan on it. Write it down. Put in on your calendar. He plainly told everyone in the room (and who watched via internet) that it would take everyone. The giving unit figure was doable, but he challenged those who could do more to do so. And those who couldn't quite meet the expectations, he affirmed that they should give what they can. The case would not have been as compelling had David chosen to be "soft" when it came to this part of the presentation. I don't mean to suggest that he was as obnoxious as a tv evangelist. But calling people to action, measurable action is what making the ask is all about. Behavior is the greatest evidence of our level of commitment. We value what we fund.

I could write a book on how churches should "make the ask." (Maybe that will be the subject of my next book.) But I have to hand it to David and Long Hollow. They did it first-class.

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August 4, 2009

Close the gap in giving to your church

During the fall season, church leaders hope to close the gap between contributions to their annual ministry plan and the costs of ministry. Many churches strive to "meet budget" by year end. Assuming that is one of your goals, what should you know as you encourage generous giving?

1. People give to causes, not to institutions.
2. People give to people, not to budgets (or projects).
3. People give from their values.
4. People give to achieve outcomes (greater than "meeting budget").
5. Churches have no needs. People have needs - Churches have solutions.

(Note: This excerpt is taken from Rusty's e-newletter designed to inform and equip church leaders. Click here to begin receiving this e-newsletter.)

Rusty Lewis is a friend and peer. He has been successful at helping churches and church leaders balance the tension between money and ministry. Follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his blog, Generosity Matters.

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August 3, 2009

Church Solutions posted article on multiple funding options

Church Solutions recently featured a Do More Ministry post about multiple funding options for churches as their Ministry Mindset Guest Blog for the week. The response was very positive, so the online editor asked me to expand my ideas into an article. Beyond the Offering Plate appeared on the Web site this morning and is scheduled to be featured in this week's e-newsletter.

Please share, tweet, etc. this as much as you'd like. The response rate helps the print editors decide what articles make it into the print edition of their magazine. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. (Yes, I'm fully aware this is a shameless plug.)

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July 28, 2009

Survey says ... accountability and effectiveness are essential

Last week I posted a survey based on a quote I recently read in Strategic Giving. The author highlights the growing tension between the future of church giving and an sense of shared responsibility.

The person in the pew has long been the subject of sermons that demand the tithe, and rightly so. The Bible is clear on the subject. But for most Christians, the issue is not should I give but rather should I give to you. While the person in the pew has been commanded to give in Scripture and from the pulpit, church leaders - on a whole - have been slow to share the responsibility by reporting the return on ministry investment. The reasoning behind that strategy being that the church member should just give and let the church leaders decide how to use it. This is what I call the "just because" argument. It doesn't work with our children, why do we think it will work with adults?

Just so you know, the overwhelming reaction to the question proposed in last week's survey was ... YES! People have many ways to contribute to ministry around the world. They DON'T have to give it to your church, but they WILL if you provide a compelling case for the greatest return on ministry investment.

Today, I read yet another article that highlights accountability measures in the nonprofit sector. The assumption can no longer be made the tithe is solely reserved for the church, at least in the minds of the person in the pew. That means the church leader must make a case (that is subject themselves to the accountability of the ministry results and the person in the pew) as to why the church should receive the dollar instead of an endless number of other like-minded non-profit and para-church organizations.

The people in your pews are judged by their performance at work, objective standards applied by management to ensure the organization is operating at peak levels. Why do church leaders think they should not be held to similar standards?

My challenge is for the church leader: if you don't make a reasonable case that your church offers the most compelling return on ministry investment, someone else will. That means the dollar intended to fund the ministry of your church will slip through the offering plate and right into the accounts of organizations who are doing good things but fall short of God's design for carrying out and completing the Great Commission.

Related Post:
Respond to survey ... accountability and effectiveness essential

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July 27, 2009

Should a church post its weekly giving in the bulletin?

I came across this thread of discussion recently in the ChurchAdmin bulletin board on Yahoo Groups. (Sure wish they would move this conversation to Twitter.) The conversation began with one church business administrator wondering whether or not they should post weekly giving and related detail in the church bulletin each week.

I wanted to weigh in on the conversation through the Do More Ministry blog, a more comfortable platform and one more suitable for editorial rather than purely information content.

I would answer the question ...

YES!
OF COURSE!
WHY WOULDN'T YOU!?!
YOU'D BE CRAZY NOT TO!

Maybe this seems like I'm over-reacting, but we keep "score" in every area of our lives. Why should have to stop at the doors of the church? Keeping "score" forces the leadership and the membership to wrestle with "what is" not simply "what should be" or "what we want it to be."

In the age of accountability and transparency, it is absolutely essential that people - even guests who choose to visit your church - have an immediate understanding of your financial viability. Giving is an outward, measurable dimension of who we are, what we believe in, and how committed we are to an organization.

The thought that publishing numbers that show any church to be behind in giving might inherently turn people is bogus. The state of your church's giving is indicative of the spiritual condition and climate of your congregation. Behind just means behind. There is no need to attach a sense of personal ego or self-esteem to the numbers.

Measuring and reporting your church's giving patterns is essential to achieving fully funded ministry budgets and establishing long-term sustainable ministry. People appreciate honesty and understand that every organization has ups and downs. However, an organization that is in a downward spiral and refuses to talk about its situation is simply in denial. And that's not an organization healthy church members want to be a part of.

Reporting weekly giving offers the platform to celebrate ministry successes and to re-examine ministry return on investments when ministry results isn't matching ministry funding. Why would any organization shirk the opportunity to do that continually, and why would any church leader fear such a process?

Tell the people what they're giving. Perhaps it will reveal a need to talk about money, giving, and stewardship more openly and freely from the pulpit and the pew. Every church could benefit from such a candid conversation.

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July 21, 2009

Respond to survey ... accountability and effectiveness essential

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July 20, 2009

Guest Post: Accountability and giving

In days past, almost every Sunday morning worship service across our Southern Baptist Convention began as follows. The Sunday School Director would stand and give the Sunday School report saying, "Our Sunday School enrollment today is 86. We had an attendance today of 43. We had 25 people who studied the lesson, 15 contacts were made, and we had 1 visitor. Our Sunday School offering today was $105.64." Since those early days of reporting most churches have dropped that report. The two reporting boards that decorated each side of the sanctuary have been removed. They were two visible boards that reminded us of our accountability to God and each other.

Please do not think that I am praying we go back to that record of reporting or that I think the boards should once again be hung in the sanctuary. I understand that if we do all of the points of any record system, it may not make us a better Christian and that you can do all of them and still not even be a Christian. I do know that doing them cannot hurt us. I believe that a Christian should do all of those things and that we should be held accountable for them by the local church.

Could some of the problems we face today in the local church dealing with discipline and discipleship be traced back to a time when we stopped calling for accountability? Since I work in the area of stewardship, I want to talk about one aspect of discipleship, and that would be stewardship. I would like to be a little more specific in stewardship and ask you to think of the area of giving. There is no doubt we are in strange waters with money in the church. I see a time that I have never seen before in America. There have been times when local giving was down in churches that I have served, but lack of giving today is not a local, state, or national issue; it is a global problem.

Giving is the white elephant in the room that most pastors do not want to talk about. You should be aware that your church members are talking about it every Sunday. Many forget that when you have no money, you have no ministry. Some pastors believe that dealing with giving, and especially the tithe, is not what God called them to do.

Pastors should think of themselves as a CEO. All CEOs are concerned with for the revenue needed to operate the business. Pastor, you are responsible, and your congregation will hold you accountable. When funds shrink, you may be out of there faster than a lightning strike. So let's talk about the stewardship of giving, accountability, and the tithe.

There is no doubt that over the years the tithe took on the idea of being a tax. In our Mother country stories were told of clergy who would knock on your door and if need be, knock on your head until you paid the tithe. I often hear people today say, "Are you prayed up and paid up?" I remember the day my father said he was going to name my dog Tax. When I asked why he said, "'Cause when I open the door, it's in come tax."

We had a revolution in this country over taxes from England, and I wonder if the tax attitude slowly drifted into the church. I believe when we discarded the Sunday School point record system on our envelopes, we lost accountability. Almost all of us today measure everything from our behavior to our bank account, and we count calories and cholesterol.

I remember one man in our country church was called into accountability for dancing on his front porch. When the deacons investigated, they discovered a lizard had run up his pants leg, and he was not dancing but jumping up and down.

We live in a time of multiple choices in everything from the color of our automobiles to the 360 channels on cable television. I believe many carry that over into giving. Many do not feel the church is the first choice for giving, and some believe they have the right to designate the tithe not only in the church but outside the church. There are thousands of ministries crying for us to support outside of our local church.

It is true that many leaders have not asked the congregations for their input into the ministry budget. Many have failed to share results of member giving. We have not celebrated ministry. Many, if not all, are not pleased with how their money has been used, thus find other ministries to support.

There are some today who believe they have the right to give where they feel it does the most good. When we lost accountability, it affected our giving. We need a better accountability of our leaders to the congregation and a way to hold the congregation accountable for their giving.

In bad economies we can hope things get better, but remember, hope is not a strategy. We need to develop a conversation about giving with church members and staff. The Pareto Principle is active today, which is 80/20. Simply put that means 20% of our membership financially support the ministry and mission of the church. We have a need to remind the 80% of their accountability in giving rather than programs that ask the 20% to give more. In an age when we hold ourselves accountable for everything from losing weight to losing hair, we have to find a way to reach all of our members to support the work of the church first. We track our heart rate, take inventory at the end of the year, and monitor growth of weeds in our yard as well as cracks in our driveway. We hold politicians, teachers, and coaches accountable, but not our church members in the area of giving.

Accountability is important in families, schools, businesses, sports, and all walks of life. So what about the church? When are we accountable for Bible reading, witnessing, praying, giving, or anything else for that matter? I do not have all the answers, but I know we need to start this conversation on accountability, or we will be like the man who lived on a mountain of blessings. He threw dirt at all who tried to climb his mountain. After years of throwing, one day he found he was at the bottom of the mountain and the valley people were living on the mountain he threw away.

Jerry Mixon is the Director of Stewardship and Cooperative Program Development for the Mississippi Baptist Convention. He's managed to balance being a pastor, husband, father, and stewardship consultant with his love and passion for writing books and the occassional country music song. You may contact him directly via e-mail or by calling 601.292.3347.

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July 14, 2009

How to Use Facebook to Attract Supporters

How should nonprofit organizations use Facebook to build relationships and raise money? Allison Fine, the host, interviews Joe Green, who helped found Causes, a section of Facebook designed to help charities win support, and Amy Eldridge, founder and executive director of Love Without Boundaries, an all-volunteer group that provides humanitarian aid to Chinese orphans. (Running time: 14:45)

Source of Podcast

Here's what I want to know: Is you're church using Facebook as part of your funding strategy? How?

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July 8, 2009

Church Solutions highlights recent blog post

Church Solutions highlighted a recent Do More Ministry post as part of their Ministry Mindset Guest Blog series this week.

Related Posts:
Should churches rely on one stream of income?
Follow up to additional sources of income for churches...tomorrow
Multiple funding options for churches

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July 7, 2009

The validity of tithing testimonies

Tithing Video Testimony ... Manipulation or Education? raises an important question. Is it ethical to present tithing testimonies when encouraging others to give, or is it simply an evil scheme to stir up emotions and generate a response?

My friend Ken Hemphill says that there is a four-letter word being whispered in private hallway conversations and in staff meetings in nearly every church today ... cash. Church leaders are afraid to talk about money because it has been the bane of so many in such a public profession. No one want so to be the next one who gets tagged as a spiritual and emotional manipulator.

Refusing to discuss (or ignoring) the subject of money and ministry leaves the church, and particularly its leaders, is a peculiar situation. On the one hand, there are direct costs associated with ministry. There are operational/institutional costs as well as programming costs. Unless we want to abandon any church organization larger than what can been contained in a home and be supported through passing the hat around the room to cover minimal expenses, we must come to grips with the reality that ministry and money are connected. On the other hand, the fear of many church leaders is that if they are seen asking for money too often, then the ministry will be lost in their appeals for money to support the ministry. The risk is spending all money raised to raise more money.

For the church leader who find themselves at the epicenter of this tension, let me give you something to consider: The only person worried about talking about money is you. The person in the pew understands it takes money to run a business (and yes, the church as an institutuion is a business by pure definition). The person in the pew is also expecting you to articulate your needs and demonstrate measurable ministry results through past giving. This is where tithing testimonies come into play.

The word "tithing" has become one of those theological footballs that people like to kick around. At the end of the day, tithing is descriptive of how the ministry of the church is funded. (How you define and practice tithing is a theological issue and is outside the scope of this blog. I'll leave that debate for the halls of academia. My goal is to help church leaders fully fund the ministry they have been called to accomplish through the local churches they serve.) Giving is an emotional process, not an intellectual accent to an objective point of view. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to provide testimonies of how people's lives have been changed through the ministry of your church.

If someone opposed to the theological implications of tithing, listens to this testimony from yesterday's post again, what they will hear is someone who found a healthy alternative to deal with the stressful situation of unemployment through his church and his faith. The church he participated in was obviously a place where he was involved and committed. The fact that he stayed involved even during the few months he was struggling to financially support the ministry of the church demonstrates that the ministry of the church made enough of an impact that he clung to it in his time of need and found a solution to his very real and personal problem. This is a measurable act of ministry: a life that has been changed and empowered through the ministry of the church. This is the best ROI any church can hope to provide its membership.

I suppose one could argue that this video is pure manipulation, but then you'd have to say the same thing about every non-profit who tells its story through its participants and members who volunteer and financially support the work of the cause or organization. While another person may or may not arrive at the same conclusion regarding the practice of tithing, the video clearly illustrates that there are multiples ways to deal with money. If I'm in the same situation and see this video, it might cause me to begin asking questions and exploring what God has to say about money. And we know that many churches have used financial freedom as a gateway to discuss true, eternal freedom in Christ.

Show the video. That's my vote. If the act of giving in and of itself is an emotional process, then testimonies offer people the chance to share how their life has been changed through the ministry of their church. If giving is down in your church, start telling better stories that illustrate measurable acts of ministry.

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July 6, 2009

Tithe rap with more than 173k views on YouTube...watch this...yo

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Tithing Video Testimony ... Manipulation or Education?

Church Tithe & Tithe Stewardship revisits an ongoing conversation about tithing testimonies. They point to the video below and then ask you to participate in an online poll to capture your immediate reaction to the video. I want to encourage you to watch the video and vote.

I plan to discuss the validity of tithing testimonies tomorrow.

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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 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.

Related Posts:
The Silent Middle
An appeal from "The Silent Middle"
Guest Post: The Silent Middle - A letter to pastors
Guest Post: The Silent Middle - Giving out of gratefulness

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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 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.

Related Posts:
Think smaller
On Wikipedia and church giving
What churches can learn from Wikipedia
3 brutal facts about giving grounded in the Pareto Principle

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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

Related Posts:
The Silent Middle
An appeal from "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.

Related Post:
The Silent Middle

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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.)

Related Post:
Preview new book Church Giving Matters by Ben Stroup

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May 29, 2009

Crown's Chuck Bentley talks about children and money

Children and money continue to remain in the top 5 keywords people use in search engines who end up at the Do More Ministry blog. With that in mind, I want to point out a two part series from Chuck Bentley, the president of Crown Financial Ministires.

Teaching Children About Money, Part 1

Teaching Children About Money, Part 2

Related Posts:
Teaching children stewardship
Teaching our children about money
Pastor's Podcast: Teaching Children About Stewardship
Teaching children about stewardship and giving
The Pulpit vs. The Pew on Tithing (Part 4)

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May 27, 2009

Stewardship in Arkansas: Help & Hope for Tough Economic Times

I noticed an update on Denny Wright's Facebook page that he was preparing a one day emphasis to encourage and empower churches to react bodly to the current economic conditions. I immediately contacted him (via Facebook, of course) to see if he'd be willing to expand on what he is doing. Below is what he shared with me.

Help & Hope for Tough Economic Times

I'm in the process of writing a new one day stewardship emphasis called "Help & Hope for Tough Economic Times." Four churches have agreed to pilot this new project. It is based on the same schedule as the very successful "How to Take the STEW out of Stewardship" which has been taught in over 300 churches. The schedule is: a large group teaching time during the Sunday School hour with adults and youth; a sermon during the morning worship hour; and a 90 minute seminar on Sunday night.

The new "Help & Hope" Sunday School hour is based on Romans 15.13. It directly addresses the fear, worry, and anger many people are experiencing. Due to job loss, injustice, and shrinking retirement accounts, the pain of unwelcome change is addressed with biblical passages that give hope in what God does when He is the priority of life.

The sermon time uses Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25 to provide wisdom for living in tough times. This "use it or lose it" sermon focuses on what people of God CAN do instead of what they have lost or can't do.

In the evening we look at insights and practical advice gathered from various Christian sources. It addresses the issues that always are critical in family finances: debt, credit cards, spending plans, saving, investing, prayer, giving, and work. It is all introduced with a short commentary on today's economy compared to the Great Depression.

Over the past 10 years "How to Take the STEW out of Stewardship" has resulted in as average increase in giving for the three months following the event of 15%. The Sunday School hour explores 10 myths the world believes about finances countered with scriptural truth. The sermon is a Malachi 3 tithing sermon. The Sunday evening time deals with getting out of debt and living frugally with a budget. The conclusion is 10 reasons to be a cheerful steward.

Denny, keep up the great work! If you are a pastor in Arkansas, you need to know Denny Wright. (Judging by the week I spent with him talking to pastors about sustainable funding, I think he knows just about everyone in the state already.)

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May 26, 2009

4 strategies for the cautious donor

The recession has reminded many of us how smart our parents were when they kept telling us that money doesn't grow on trees.

Giving - across the board - is down. For those who are choosing to continue to donate, there is rising concern about what causes and organizations they will fund. As discretionary income evaporates, those who have money to give are looking to do so cautiously and carefully.

Tough Times Call for Smarter Giving outlines four strategies donors ought to consider.

The first one is Vet your charities. This should be of particular importance to church leaders. There is a growing practice among American Christians that stems from the assumption that the tithe is not solely reserved for the local church. That opens the door to more than 2 million other non-profits, people and organizations who are doing good things. In the end, the one with the most compelling story will get the dollar.

Your church members are faced today with the decision to choose to give to your church or to more than three times the number of traditional non-profit and para-church organizations and causes. What decision will they make? Which organization or cause will they fund?

What are you doing today to ensure every available dollar of the people who sit in our pews finds its way into the offering plates of our churches and ultimately funds the work of local church ministry?

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May 21, 2009

Donors rethinking their giving strategy

Those organizations who depend on the faithful giving of a specific donor base (this includes churches) are paying very close attention to the giving habits of their core contributors. Many in the traditional non-profit world are hurting and simply trying to survive as they balance growing needs with the increasingly limited availability of the necessary resources to fund the desired relief.

Giving to churches has not suffered as much as the traditional non-profit world has recently. Nonetheless, there is a shift taking place among the people who sit in our pews. They are wrestling with the same issues many donors are: should I (or will I have to) cut my funding to some non-profit and/or charitable causes in light of a struggling economy?

One couple featured in Smart Giving in a Troubled Climate outlines their strategy. They decided to cut back on what they determined were non-essential causes in part so that they could in turn increase their funding to those organizations/causes who are directly impacting the greatest needs.

"In tough times...people tend to gravitate toward direct service because they want something concrete from their giving."

This couple didn't stop giving. Rather, they redirected their available resources to those organizations or causes who were the best at demonstrating their ability to accomplish the work they seek to do.

As church leaders, we must be absolutely convinced that the Church is the primary institution God empowered to carry forward the earthly ministry of Christ until his return. And we also carry the burden of ensuring we are leading people to perform measurable acts of ministry that are consistent with what we teach about our faith. If we don't, we risk losing our funding as the people in our pews direct those resources to those who can.

Julie A. Lucas, an assistant dean who raises money for Fordham Law School in New York, said that "people are really thinking more carefully about what they will support, and while they may have supported a broad range of causes before, many are now giving less to each or giving to fewer organizations."

If the people in your pews had to choose, would they classify the ministry of your church as non-essential? (Hint: They are already faced with making that choice. What are you doing about it?)

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May 20, 2009

Pastor tells church members to take the money

Pastor Toby Slough led Cross Timbers Community Church to give away more than $500,000 through the practicing of a reverse collection plate that he said is important to teach people to be good givers. Pastor Slough believes that before anyone can be a good giver, they have to learn to be a good receiver.

So has the church ever run out of money on a Sunday morning? No.

This is something worth talking about and a church, honestly, I would visit simply because of their practice of generosity. Not because I want the money. Rather, I'm inspired that this church encourages behavior that matches what we read about money in the Bible.

What can your church do this Sunday to inspire a climate of generosity within your membership? Casey Graham with The Change Group says, "The cure for fear of economic disaster is to give, give, and then give some more."

The church should be leading the way in generostiy. The world is watching.

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May 19, 2009

4 new Delicious articles about church giving

I want to take the opportunity to remind you about the Do More Ministry Del.icio.us page that is a collection of articles and videos related to stewardship and giving. Almost every link I use in a blog post can be found on this page along with a few extra. Let me encourage you to bookmark this page and visit it regularly as you look for information about church giving.

Here are four articles I added today that you don't want to miss:

1. Church gives fresh meaning to 'offering' plate


2. Women Take the Lead in Couples' Charitable-Giving Decisions


3. Raising Money from Outside the Church


4. Church Raises $1.5 Million in $20 Increments

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May 18, 2009

Preview new book Church Giving Matters by Ben Stroup

My first book, Church Giving Matters, will be available very soon. I wanted you to have the first opportunity to preview the book. My hope and prayer is that this book will ignite a conversation on stewardship and giving that results in more churches operating with fully funded budgets. It's time to stop asking what we have to cut to survive and start thinking about what God wants us to do next.

Click here for a PDF Preview of Church Giving Matters by Ben Stroup.

Church Giving Matters will be available to purchase June 1 through the CrossBooks Publishing bookstore. It will soon (could take up to 30 days) be available on Amazon.com, Google, etc. but there is a slight delay in that process.

If you're planning to come to the SBC Convention this year, I'll be there signing books. (Specific times will be announced soon.) I'd love for you to stop by and say hi. I always enjoy talking to people who follow the blog.

While a national sales campaign will soon launch featuring LifeWay's new imprint, CrossBooks Publishing, and Church Giving Matters, I hope you'll take a few minutes to preview the book and pass it along to a few people you think might benefit from this material. Word of mouth marketing is still the most effective way to promote anything.

Note: If you have a blog that focuses on church administration, leadership, financial development, stewardship, giving, etc. and would like to review the entire book, please e-mail me. Once the book is "live," I'll forward you a complete electronic version to read and review. And be sure to send me a link to your review too.

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May 15, 2009

What do online giving and weather the economic storm have in common?

The answer is nothing.

But there are two blog posts that I want to point you to that do:

Online fundraising growing, but slower; Donors giving but less

Weathering the (Economic) Storm Podcast

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May 14, 2009

Leadership Network studies how economy is impacting churches

Sam Simmons pulled some excerpts from a recent Leadership Network study on how the economy is impacting churches.

These excerpts will give you a good flavor for the type of information found in the study. Check out the complete report.

(Note: You'll have to register to see the report. Sorry. Not my rules.)

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May 13, 2009

Guess which non-profit sector is down...and why

In a time of economic recession, giving to human services should be up to match increased need. The reality is that this unlikely sector of the non-profit world is down 3.4%. Donor Power Blog raises a great question:

In a down economy, when the very situations these organizations are built to help change are everywhere and top of mind, why are they raising less money?

If giving is down in your church, are you ignoring the problem in hopes that it will go away, or are you asking the hard questions that lead to organizational change?

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May 12, 2009

Church giving back 100% of Donations to Struggling Families

This church is changing the rules...and changing lives in the process.

Thanks to Hand to the Plough for highlighting this compelling story of ministry and money.

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May 11, 2009

NCF gives away its two BILLIONTH dollar

Congrats to Patrick Johnson and everyone at The National Christian Foundation! It's good to see examples of Christians leading the way in generosity.

You guys are doing a great job!

--

ATLANTA, Ga., May 6, 2009--The National Christian Foundation (NCF) reached a major milestone in giving with the distribution of its two billionth grant dollar since 1982. This record illustrates the exponential growth of the non-profit as it took almost 25 years to reach their first $1 billion grant mark, while the $2 billion grant milestone came in just over three years.

NCF President, David Wills said, "We attribute this growth to God at work in and through believers as they seek to be wise and faithful stewards, even in these difficult economic times. Additionally, our expanding network of over 37 Affiliates around the country has allowed us to work more closely with those whom we are privileged to serve."

Currently, NCF and its 37 Local Christian Foundation Affiliates are ranked as the nation's
22nd largest charity.(1) Givers make contributions to their donor-advised funds at NCF and then recommend grants to organizations that are making a difference here and around the world.

The $1.5 million grant that made this milestone possible was recommended by "The Green Fund," a donor-advised fund of Hobby Lobby, one of America's fastest growing arts and crafts retail chains. Their grant will go to OneHope (www.onehope.net), a ministry that brings the Bible to children around the world through publications and film.

David Green, C.E.O. of Hobby Lobby says, "At a time when our nation's charities need help like never before, we are delighted to be a part of this new milestone in the history of American giving. With the help of NCF and their Kansas City Affiliate [The Servant Christian Community Foundation], Hobby Lobby is able to give more to the causes that are closest to our hearts, such as needy children."

For more information on The National Christian Foundation and Affiliates, visit www.nationalchristian.com or call 800.681.6223.

(1) 2008, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Non-Profits Ranked by Revenue

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May 7, 2009

Do your church members trust you?

Trust is an overlooked and undervalued asset in the world of fund-raising. In the same way that people tend to buy things from people they know, like, and trust, donors give to causes or organizations that they know, like, and trust.

A drop in giving or an inability to gain or sustain a measurable increase in giving could indicate that the things you are doing (or not doing) aren't building the level of trust needed to achieve fully funded budgets and long-term sustainable ministry.

We know that people haven't stopped giving to churches. In fact, a large number of churches have seen no drastic change in giving over the last 6-8 months. On the other hand, we also know that people are more mindful of who they give their money to because our economic situation has reminded everyone that money is limited resource and should be used to generate the greatest "return on investment."

The responsibility falls to the pastor and church leaders to do the things necessary to generate and build trust levels among the membership of your church that result in generous giving.

Are you up for the challenge? Your giving depends upon it.

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May 6, 2009

The Silent Middle

I was contacted recently by an individual who was frustrated because she was unable to find a way to learn how to invest in Kingdom work beyond her tithe to the local church. She isn't covered in debt yet also doesn't fall into the general definition of a high capacity giver or someone who has an extraordinary amount of money they wish to donate out of their excess.

She explained that God was calling her to give more but didn't know where or how to begin. Certainly, she isn't the only one who feels this way.

I have to admit I was stumped. After sending a few e-mails to people I know who have been instrumental in the world of generosity, I discovered that there is a known (but unquantified) group of people who aren't drowning in debt and have the desire and capacity to give beyond their tithe yet don't fall into the high capacity giving category as defined by traditional industry standards.

In fact, one generosity leader already had a name for this group: The Silent Middle. It appears that there is an underdeveloped, overlooked population of people who wish to be generous but are getting little to no attention.

Have you found this to be true? Do you agree? Are you frustrated because you want to give more but don't know how, who, or even where to begin?

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May 5, 2009

Sustainable Ministry PowerPoint Presentation

I've received several e-mails asking for the PowerPoint presentation I used during last week's seminar on sustainable funding. I'm also learning my way around Google Documents as a way to share, present, and collaborate on documents. I thought this might be natural opportunity to attempt to address one request and experiment with technology all at the same time.

So, here it goes.

Let me know if you have any difficulty accessing the presentation.

Also, I'd welcome any feedback or questions you might have related to the presentation itself. (Maybe one day I can learn how to merge a recorded audio version of this presentation with the slides itself...maybe.)

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May 4, 2009

A tribute to state convention stewardship leaders

Denny Wright (@dennythestewguy - for those of you who use Twitter), Stewardship Director for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, invited me to come last week and tour Arkansas. I led six two-hour seminars in five different cities.

By Friday, I had touched every corner of the state. It was an exciting week! I gained a new appreciation for every state convention staff member who carries the banner of stewardship. It is tireless work.

My days consisted of getting up early to meet the associational missionary and a few key pastors for breakfast (if not breakfast then we had lunch after a morning session), a trip to the presentation location to set up, the seminar, tear down, pack up, drive to the next location, eat with another group, and do it all over again that evening. We were in constant motion as we drove more than 500 miles last week (and that didn't include the trip from Nashville to Little Rock).

In the audience were pastors of small churches (25 members) and large churches (1,000+) members. Some pastored traditional churches and some multi-ethnic congregations. We even had church staff members from a non-Baptist church. (They had heard about the conference from some peers.) These pastors live in completely different worlds, yet they share the struggle to consistently fund their ministry budgets and accomplish the ministry God had placed on their hearts.

I can't begin to describe all the responsibilities these state stewardship directors carry on their shoulders. After all, if churches don't have money, the denomination - at least as we know it - ceases to exist. My hat is off to each and every state denominational leader (and their support staffs) who help churches answer the tough questions and navigate the uncertain waters of funding and ministry.

I know our churches are in good hands.

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April 24, 2009

State Convention sponsors sustainable funding seminars

Next week I'll be touring through the great state of Arkansas with Denny Wright, the Stewardship Director for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. We have partnered together to provide a seminar for pastors designed to help them build sustainable funding models for ministry.

Here is the schedule:

Monday, April 27

Park Hill Baptist Church
Arkadelphia
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 28

State Convention Office
Little Rock
9:30 a.m. - Noon

Concord Associational Office
Fort Smith
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29

State Convention Office
Little Rock
9:30 a.m. - Noon

Thursday, April 30

Highland Drive Baptist Church
Jonesboro
9:30 a.m. - Noon

Harmony Associational Office
Pine Bluff
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

There are meals scheduled before every event intended to facilitate one on one conversation in a relaxed environment. Everyone who has registered has been given the participate in the dinner (or lunch). If you'd like to attend but haven't registered, call Cindy Smith today at 501.376.4791x 5114.

I'm looking forward to a great week. I enjoy spending time with those people God has called to lead local churches, the basic building block of our denomination and the primary unit through which God intended that Christians fulfill the Great Commission.

Note: I will be offline next week. So my next post will be May 4.

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April 23, 2009

One church choses hope in the midst of economic despair

This recession has been a nightmare for some churches.

USA Today reports church giving in America dropped somewhere between $3 billion and $5 billion last year. Another report said as many as 20 percent of all churches have cut staffs.

It was no different for Cape Christian Fellowship according to Pastor Gingerich.

The giving increased each of those 20 years, overflowing in the past five years of that run to the tune of a spectacular 23 percent increase each year.

Then, the recession.

But this church's reaction to the economic climate was different; they chose to trust in God. They made some hard decisions: cutting staff, pastor took a voluntary 30% cut in pay, etc. Perhaps the most visible was the looming discussion about their new building project: would they continue to move forward and build or put it on hold?

After weighing their options and a good bit of due dilligence, the church decided that moving forward with their building project would not only stimulate the economy in their community but would be a sign of hope.

"We ought to be the people who bring hope to the world. If we can do that by putting up this building, well, wow! What a statement that makes."

What an unusual (and refreshing) response: hope in the midst of despair!

Pastor, are you hopeful or doubtful that God will continue to be faithful to you and the ministry of your church in spite of the current economic circumstances?

Your people will mirror your response.

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April 22, 2009

Church kept its promise to pay off debt and contribute to CP

Enterprise Baptist Church in Clarke County, Mississippi kept its promise to support the Cooperative Program (CP). Pastor Cothern led his church not only to pay off debt from a recent building project but also to maintain their annual budgeted commitment to CP.

When Pastor Cothern was asked why the church didn't cut CP giving in light of their commitment to pay off capital building debt, he said:

"We wouldn't do that for two reasons," Cothern said. "First, we can't treat the lifeline of our missionaries that lightly. Church staff people wouldn't want that done with their salaries! It's just not right to treat the CP like that. Second, either our process of understanding the will of God together has credibility or it doesn't. If we vote on missions, we are to ask that God's will be done, and how we discover that together is what is important. The process can break down, but if it maintains its integrity, then that is the will of God as we understand it to be. So we obligate ourselves, and not satisfying that is not an option. I would have felt like we were not obeying the will of God."

Read the entire story.

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April 21, 2009

Stewardship goes small

Small churches vary by definition. Of the 360,000 or so churches in the United States today, most of them will fall into the category of small. (Note: This is representative of size of attendance, not reflective of ministry influence.)

Since small church leaders don't usually capture the attention of big conference planners, many miss out on the learning and professional growth opportunities often afforded church leaders in larger churches. I'm always encouraged by those who are working hard to assist small churches in their effort to accomplish the ministry God has placed on their heart.

Impact 2009 is one of those conferences that I recently heard about on Ed Stetzer's blog. There were two things that excited me about this event in particular:

1. It was designed with the small church in mind. The cost is affordable and the schedule designed with the reality that many who lead small churches have other work that they do to pay the bills. This, of course, excludes this group from attending many of those mid-week conferences designed for the full-time staff member.

2. There is a segment on stewardship. (YES!) Of all the subject matter that could be discussed, stewardship is at the forefront of the minds of small church leaders. These are leaders who live the closest to the tension between the ministry that needs to be done and the limited funds available to provide that ministry. It's encouraging to know those who conceived this conference recognize the conversation on stewardship is one worth discussing.

If you're in or around the Nashville area this weekend and don't already have plans, consider attending Impact 2009.

P.S. If you do attend and learn something about stewardship and the small church you'd like to share, please e-mail me your thoughts and we'll get it up on the blog.

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April 20, 2009

Pastor's Today highlights important articles on church and money

Pastor's Today e-newsletter highlights some important articles related to church and money in this week's issue. If you haven't signed up to receive this e-newsletter, you should consider doing so.

LifeWay Research finds economy challenging churches but providing opportunities
15 Ways to Increase Your Church's Offerings
Keys for Overcoming Your Church's Financial Crisis
Five Ways to Prevent Conflict over Church Finances
How to Establish Financial Policies for Your Church
Overcoming Four Coming Church Financial Firestorms
How to Establish Financial Review Practices for Your Church
5 Ways Your Church Can Help Individuals during Hard Financial Times
Church Financial Health Can Reduce Skepticism and Cynicism in an Older Church

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April 17, 2009

Church makes compelling stewardship appeal via e-mail

I subscribe to e-mail blasts from many different churches. It helps me stay in touch with what's happening in local churches.

I received this particular e-mail recently from a church who I've worked with personally. They have been incredibly successful at funding their budget year after year. Judging by this letter, you can see why.

I thought I'd share it with you. I've removed any specific names because I think other churches could use this as a template to do something similar. Traditional nonprofits are consistently making these types of appeals. It's time the church did too. AThose churches who are sending these types of appeals are seeing very positive results.

[My wife and I] are in the throws of refinancing our house. I genuinely hate dealing with money stuff. Yes, I know, we don't say "hate," but there's just no other four letter word I can use. Some folks can sketch an idea on a dirty napkin and turn it into a small fortune. I can take a small fortune and turn it into car repairs. But love 'em or hate 'em, money issues are a big part of life.

We've all heard how the Bible talks about money more than heaven or hell and that the issue isn't personal poverty or wealth but stewardship. Our volunteer leaders and staff are working so hard to be the best stewards we can possibly be of all the resources freely given to Kingdom work at [this church]. So many people sacrifice so much to support the work of this church family and for that we who serve here are eternally grateful.

During this down turn, or crisis, or recession or depression or whatever the media is calling it this week, the staff and volunteer leaders on the stewardship and personnel committees have identified numerous ways to save in programming and personnel dollars. Savings in programming include decreases in Sunday School literature, childcare support, seminars, conferences, camps, volunteer leadership training and appreciation events. We've cut events such as mission trips in high school, staff training in preschool, and dozens of other needed programming investments in every ministry area between and beyond.

In personnel, we've worked with extra care to find ways to save money without deleting positions. That's been a challenge for us - as it has been for so many of you. In support of the effort our staff has forgone raises, a long standing Christmas gift, and contributions to retirement. We've instituted a hiring freeze and are dividing time between ministries to get the job done. Some people think we have too much staff. If [this church] were the little church they grew up in years ago they would be so right. But it takes a lot of hard working dedicated people to lead a small city like [this church] on a mission to change the world. We are blessed with an amazing group of selfless servant-leaders.

Through all the challenges we've faced over the past two years, we have continued to reach people for Christ, to see growth in Sunday School and in worship, and we haven't lost one staff member to another ministry (though I know our staff is heavily "courted" by other churches).

We are so close to turning the page and beginning a new chapter in the life of our wonderful family. To those who have been so giving and faithful and supportive through the years, thank you. That's not enough to say, but it's all there is to say. Thank you.

To those who attend regularly but have yet to take even the very first step toward God's call to biblical stewardship, I do understand. Really, I do. My mortgage guy suggested I sell an organ to decrease one of our many college loans. In spite of the challenges, I have never met anyone who regrets choosing biblical stewardship over some other plan for handling God's money.

Please continue to pray for your staff and volunteer leaders as we walk through these days of deeper faith. We need you prayers and your faithful support. God is so faithful. Thank you for your faithfulness to Him and His dear Church.

See you Sunday,
Mr. Executive Pastor

What are you waiting for? Get writing!

Related Post:
Mark Beeson talks straight with Granger members about money

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April 13, 2009

Fundraising is Beautiful Podcast: Partner with your donors

Thanks to Jeff Brooks with Donor Power Blog for pointing me to Partnership (not marketing) with donors.

Here are some key thoughts from the podcast:

1. Non-profits are moving from marketing to donors to providing information to them.
2. Relationships are moving from mass scales (direct marketing) only to one-on-one relationships.
3. Donors want to connect with the point of impact, not just great stories.
4. Begin seeing donors as shareholders and investors.
5. Donors understand that success involves failure. Too much good, to perfect of a picture becomes suspect when people know you have to fail in order to succeed.
6. 20% of programs non-profits are operating today aren't working and need to be cancelled or retooled.
7. Transparency takes time but will be required to generate long-term financial support.
8. Acquisition of new donors is important but is second to retaining donors.

The ideas capture the philanthropic revolution that is happening among those who sit in our pews week after week. We must return the "power" of our organizations, our churches back to the lowest common denominator. If we don't, we risk losing our best givers.

Gone are days when people will give to the church with no interest or care in what happens to it once it hits the offering plate.

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April 9, 2009

My answer - Should churches offer "premiums"

Now that you've had a chance to respond to Should churches offer "premiums" to encourage online giving, I want to lay out a few of my thoughts on the issue.

First, I don't think the church needs to be in the business of gimmicks. We already do enough of that. We toss "books" of printed paper at visitors and guests. We have welcome committees and welcome packages that weigh as much as a gift basket from Harry and David. So, in a sense, churches are already offering premiums to prospects.

What we are learning is that no one choose to invest their time, talent, and resources because of a premium they are offered. People choose a community to join and contribute to because of the people they meet and the relationships they build. It's an emotional process; it's an emotional investment.

Second, premiums come in many forms. The traditional non-profit world uses products as premiums. The reason premiums are so effective is that they give the existing or potential new donor a reason to take action. When it comes to church giving, there are few "call to actions" outside of the offertory or the occassional special offering.

Fundraising for special events is one thing. Raising funds to support an ongoing operational budget for a complex ministry is a completely different thing. It's the difference between a sprint and a marathon.

What if instead of a coffee mug or the classic church t-shirt, the church offered experiences? What if the premium was every new giver this Sunday will be given a partial (or full) scholarship to participate in some mission project? It's so easy to restrict ourselves to thinking of premiums in the traditional way. Premiums are simply a tool to generate a response and only work when coupled with a compelling call to action.

Third, churches need to reconsider the methods they use to generate the funds they need to accomplish the ministry God has placed on their hearts. Premiums are one way to begin thinking about things differently. It forces the church leader to consider those things that only the church could offer a potential donor, especially the opportunity to become personally invested in the ministry of the church.

Capture the heart of the giver, and you'll create a long-term donor. Growing your base of long-term donors creates a more sustainable funding model.

Many church leaders still assume that Christians automatically reserve the tithe for the church alone. This simply isn't true. If churches don't respond, the dollars of the people who occupy our pews will be funneled to those outside the church who make a more compelling ministry case.

Finally, I want to suggest to you that one benefit of online giving (which was the context of the research cited in yesterday's post) is that people who don't visit your church campus are able to easily contribute to the ministry of your church. This is an entirely new dimension of funding that I don't think many in church leadership have considered.

If we believe that the internet is a ministry tool, why exclude those who find spiritual nourishment from your Web ministry (online sermons, tools, Bible searches, etc.) from contributing to the organizational needs of your church? Or, what if you have a parent of a child who has been changed by your ministry who wants to contribute but doesn't go to your church or doesn't go to church at all? What if this tool, if encouraged, becomes the bridge between you and this individual?

All churches have "premiums" that they can offer to encourage participation and grow their giving base. The question is will you do the hard work, the necessary creative thinking to find those things that inspire others to become a part of what you are doing? Better yet, is what you are doing so compelling that others want to join you in your efforts and fund your ministry?

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April 8, 2009

Should churches offer "premiums" to encourage online giving

I recently subscribed to a magazine that offered me a free gift if I completed the transaction by a certain date. This is what the direct marketing industry calls a "premium." And its wide acceptance and use confirms it works.

Traditional non-profit fundraising appeals have also utilized this technique. Just listen to the latest public radio or television membership drives, and you'll hear: "All members giving at "x" level, get "y."" The bigger the giving, the better or "more valuable" the gift.

As the fundraising world looks to the internet as the new frontier, some are wondering if this mainstay approach to growing your giving base will translate into the digital giving experience too. According to one study, the simple answer is yes.

Recent research confirmed that this technique still works. In most cases the best results come with the increase of new givers, the most difficult and costly segment to recruit. Nonetheless, the research also confirmed that a premium helped increase the average gift or overall response from current or existing donors.

"Offering a premium significantly boosted response rates and average gifts for two of the four organizations. The other two organizations saw a significant increase in either the response rate or the average gift. On average, response rates rose by 95% and average gift size increased by 37% when a premium was offered.1 That translates to nearly twice as many new donors, on average!"

Should the church consider employing this technique as well? As churches seek to expand their giving base to fund their complex ministry budgets, is there room within the practice of the church to offer a premium to attract new givers and encourage more consistent and larger gifts from existing giving base?

Before I answer that question, I want to hear your thoughts. Hit the "comments" button below or send me a reply via e-mail.

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April 7, 2009

Ed Stetzer talks about money and ministry

LifeWay Research recently released the results of the impact our current economic state is having on churches. It's positive and consistent what we have previously discussed on the blog.

One might think that churches are barely staying alive, but the opposite is true. Stetzer's research shows that evangelical churches are doing surprisingly well in these tough times. Certainly, churches need to manage the organizations they lead wisely. But tough times force us to ask the hard questions that often lead to more strategic ministry practices.

I still fear that many church leaders are tempted to slip into "group think" and give up. The most important posture we can take to settle the uneasiness of the people who sit in our pews is to show what it means to "faith" our way through life.

Paul wrote, "Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." (Heb 11:1, HCSB)

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?"

Do you agree with the research? Is it descriptive of your church?

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April 6, 2009

Experts offer advice on what works when it comes to funding

I came across this article and posted it via my Twitter feed like I do so many others. I received very positive feedback, so I thought I'd share this article with my readers who may not follow me on Twitter.

Check it out: Focusing on What Works: Veteran Fund-Raising Consultants Offer Their Ideas.

Two elements of success identified in the article are:

1. Understanding which fund-raising efforts are productive and which are not. Pastors and church leaders should be obsessed with this. Productive efforts create "evangelists" who will spread the word about your church as they spread The Word.

Because we typically don't do a good job at measuring results in church life, we end up relying on perception and intuition. No one should manage any operation or organization - including churches - based on intuition alone. It's important for us to constantly and consistently evaluate the results based on the investment (not just money, but time and energy too). Perhaps less is more.

2. Proving to donors what their money will do. The key word is "proving." You can't prove anything without evidence. What evidence can you provide your "investors" that you are taking their capital and achieving high "eternal" returns on their behalf?

The people who sit in your pews want to know how their money is being used. They want a say in the process. More important than ever, they no longer blindly trust you to do what's best. That level of trust has to earned not once but over and over again.

Showing your membership that you can make good decision, invest wisely, and yield a strong return will result in faithful giving and giving in larger amounts.

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April 3, 2009

Church raises $19M in 24 hours

Wow!

Can you imagine that happening this week at your church?

Four services. 22,000 people. $19M.

And where did this take place? The United States? Saddleback? Willow Creek? Nope. Try Singapore.

What this means is that the limits of "what can be" have just been extended. A new expectation has been set.

The most important lesson here is this: it's possible to raise more money through our regular Worship services than we are collecting today - even in the midst of a struggling economy.

Are you satisfied with your church giving today? Do you have more money than you know what to do with? If not, what will you do today to make tomorrow's giving different?

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April 2, 2009

When was the last time you said "thank you"?

Sometimes we get so busy "making the ask" that we forget to thank those who have already given. What we miss is the opportunity to acknowledge and cultivate the first-time giver into a regular donor.

I can't remember the last time I heard a "thank you" from the pulpit. We spend a great deal of time making appeals to fund the ministry God has given us to do. This is absolutely essential. Equally important is that we remember giving is an emotional, relational process. Just like we thank others when they do something on our behalf - even little things - pastors and church leaders ought to consider building in a systematic way to thank every person who contributes to the ministry of the church.

I wonder how much money has been left "on the table" or - worse - diverted to places other than the church because no one in the church ever took the time (even something as simple as an automated e-mail) to say "thank you."

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April 1, 2009

Offering Envelopes are "an old technique that still works"

Mark Brooks and I sat down to talk about church stewardship and giving. (By the way, you need to e-mail him about the financial analysis tools he created and uses with his clients. It's one of the best I've ever seen. The level of detail and intelligence it gives the pastor is unmatched.)

One of the things I learned during our conversation was how much he believes in offering envelopes, contributions statements, pastoral letters, etc. He believes these systematic tools - when used strategically - will significantly impact a church's ability to collect the amount pledged during a capital campaign. But he doesn't stop there. He also encourages the church to continue using these tools after the campaign is over.

Occassionally, I come across people who are skeptical of the offering envelope. They believe it is of little value and merely a relic of a previous generation. My intuition used to lead me to the same conclusions. But here is where that theory breaks down:

1. Many who think offering envelopes are "useless" are also faithful givers. They will give no matter what - even if they were asked to give only in pennies. The strength in the offering envelope is in its ability to expand your giving base and inspire a response.

2. Nearly every other traditional nonprofit organization spends a great deal of money printing and using envelopes as part of their fundraising strategy. Why? They work! (Even if a member gives online, the offering envelope is a subtle prompt to log on and donate.)

The results speak for themselves. Based on my experience and the data I've seen, those churches who use offering envelopes typically have a larger giving base (stability) and generate more contributions consistently when compared with those that don't (sustainability).

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March 31, 2009

What stewardship and giving books are you reading?

Some of the pastors and church leaders I meet with have a "deer-in-the-headlights" look when I begin talking about stewardship and giving. For many, they expect a conversation about capital fundraising campaign. They are surprised when I start talking about fully funded budgets and long-term sustainability.

Part of the reason I started this blog was to capture and broadcast a vital conversation related to the viability of local church ministry that is currently happening within small pockets of people, of which many didn't realize anyone else was having the same conversation.

To stay current and feed my need for good content, I'm constantly reading books about stewardship and giving. Some of them are directly related to church ministry; some are about traditional nonprofit management and fund development.

Here are the three books I've recently read that I think everyone pastor and church leader should read:

1. Passing the Plate
2. Not Your Parents' Offering Plate
3. ROI for Nonprofits

What are you reading? What should I read next?

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March 30, 2009

Andy Stanley on money

Personal money management is not the primary focus of this blog, but I have to share this video that Generous News posted last week. It's the first in his sermon series "Balanced" where Andy approaches the competition God faces in our lives because of our obsession with money and stuff.

Andy Stanley challenges those in attendance to be "know'in where your money is "go'in" because that's where your heart (i.e. treasure) is.

Extremely practical. Very compelling.

Related Posts:
Is debt a spiritual problem?
Consider stewardship for your next evangelism emphasis
Pastor's Podcast: One pastor sees debt as ministry opportunity
Giving and the Church Member Experience, Law #1

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March 27, 2009

Need your vote on upcoming Pastor's Podcast topics

I'm gearing up for another round of Pastor's Podcasts. I have some suggested topics. I'd love to do this "American Idol" style. Please look at the list below and vote by commenting on this post with your first, second and third choice.

(Note: If you are one who refuses to comment on a blog, e-mail me your choices.)

List of Topics

• Keys to Strong Giving in a Weak Economy
• Building the Kingdom Instead of the Castle - Ministry expansion projects beyond the building
• Emerging Trends in Ministry Expansion Campaigns - changes based on the economy and other trends
• Overcoming the Challenges of Multi-site Expansion
• Finding New Money: The Role of Asset-based Giving in Ministry Expansion Campaigns
• All Givers Great and Small: How to Engage All Types of Givers
• Ministering to Major Givers
• Tax Changes and What They Mean for Giving
• Creating a Family Stewardship Philosophy
• Let's Hear It For (and From) the Givers - A campaign from the givers' point of view

Previous Pastor's Podcasts:
New podcast for pastors on leading churches in tough times
Pastor's Podcast: One pastor sees debt as ministry opportunity
Pastor's Podcast: Teaching Children About Stewardship
Pastor's Podcast: Capital fundraising in a tough economy

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March 26, 2009

One church uses video to capture their stewardship challenge

I stumbled upon Providence Baptist Church's video presentation of their annual stewardship campaign. I was struck by the use of the words "opportunity," "participation," and "personal calling" rather than the typical langugage and vocabulary of a stewardship campaign. The script even says that financial stewardship - giving our tithes and offerings - is just the beginning.

This church "gets it." Providence provides a holistic presentation of stewardship - one that teaches that being a steward means giving our time, talent, and treasures. It connects ministry needs with ministry opportunity and in just three minutes provides a simple, effective call to action.

By the end of the video, I wanted to sign up for something. This is a great example of what is means to creatively "make the ask."

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March 24, 2009

Exciting week for LifeWay Envelope Service

This has really been an exciting week.

Last Friday I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Doyle Chauncey with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. They have designed some very innovative approaches to stewardship, particularly as it relates to new church starts. I'm grateful to Jerry Sutton (now a preaching professor at Liberty Theological Seminary) for opening the door for this conversation and look forward to the opportunities ahead.

Last Saturday, I presented at a one-day Pastor's Conference hosted by Don Campbell at the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. It was a great time. My presentation centered on building sustainable funding models for ministry. After my session, several leaders expressed interest in exposing their church leaders to this message. I was very encouraged.

Today, I made a trip to Kentucky to visit with Alan Witham at the Convention office. He and I met recently at the Stewardship/Cooperative Program meeting in Nashville in February. We talked at length about what we are doing to provide churches with systematic tools that -- when used in concert -- work together to produce measurable results. Alan is building a "best practices" guide for Kentucky Baptists as it relates to stewardship and isleading his team of strategists through a comprehensive approach to stewardship and giving that will offer pastors what they need to be successful in funding the ministry God has called them to do.

More good things to come.

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March 20, 2009

Teaching children stewardship

I was completely surprised this week as I was reviewing the analytics Google provides me for the Do More Ministry blog. Three of the top five key words people searched on and found my blog were related to teaching children stewardship.

I have a couple of questions for those of you searching on this topic:
1. What specifically are you looking for?
2. Are you finding it or frustrated that you can't?

Related Posts:
Teaching our children about money
Pastor's Podcast: Teaching Children About Stewardship
Teaching children about stewardship and giving
The Pulpit vs. The Pew on Tithing (Part 4)

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March 19, 2009

Church Marketing Sucks considers the message of giving

Church Marketing Sucks posted some great thoughts about how giving functions with the Worship experience at your church, what message it sends to your membership, and what - if any - changes should be made. I would encourage you to go read the post, read the comments, and consider how you can become more strategic about giving in your church setting.

Note: Sometimes becoming more strategic means building in educational opportunities to teach and remind our membership why we give, the giving options the church makes available to them, and what those gifts accomplish.

Related Posts:
See Pulpit vs. Pew on Tithing

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March 18, 2009

Freely reveal or be forced to uncover

There is a great article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy yesterday highlighting that the level of financial disclosure among nonprofits varies greatly. This is balanced by a growing demand from the public and/or donor base to know all the "ins and outs" of the organizations they currently support or are considering doing so.

It won't be long before this same issue confronts the church. Are you ready to lay all your cards on the table? If you did, how do you think your membership would respond?

It's coming. Get ready.

Related Posts:
What if Zagat rated your church?
"They" want to know your church's spending habits

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March 11, 2009

9 steps to survival in a challenging economy

Mal Warwick writes about Fundraising in Tough Times for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, a publication from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. This fundraising giant points out 9 things that every nonprofit (that includes churches) should do RIGHT NOW to hedge against the impact our spirialing economy will have on giving.

One suggestion that jumped off the page for me was implementing online giving. If you're not already - at the very least - talking about online giving, you are leaving money on the table. Electronic transfer of funds is quickly replacing the use of paper money and checks. Churches should be seriously considering adding this as an option for your membership.

Remember, giving is not about you but your membership. Offering Envelopes, Online Giving, etc. are all systematic tools you can strategically use to encourage faithful, consistent giving among your membership base.

Are you currently using online giving? I'm interested in how you're using it as part of your overall funding plan and what level of acceptable or use it has reached.

Related Posts:
1. Is online giving a growing trend?
2. The results of online giving are in...
3. Electronic Giving Part 1: The Forbidden Conversation
4. Electronic Giving Part 2: Future or Fad?
5. Revisitng E-giving
6. Book Review: Digital Giving
7. Church increases use of onling giving
8. Concerns about E-giving
9. Online contributions increased in 2008

Review the entire E-giving catagory.

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March 10, 2009

Virginia Baptists host sustainable ministry conference

If your a pastor or church leader in Virginia, you need to know about the upcoming Building Sustainable Ministries Conference on March 21.

It's FREE!!! (And that includes lunch and snacks!)

I'll be leading the session on building sustainable funding models for ministry. It's "light" in theory and "heavy" in practical application. If you're interested (or frustrated) in learning how to achieve fully funded ministry budgets, it will be worth your time.

Contact Don Campbell at 800.255.2428 x1223 for more information.

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March 9, 2009

A Small Change talks about translating tweets to dollars

Jason has a great post today on A Small Change about Translating Tweets to Dollars. We talked about the concept in A "Twestival" approach to Lottie and Annie special offerings last week.

Our ability to harness the power of new media to fund the ministry God has called us to do will multiply the resources available which will in turn empower us to do more ministry.

Are you considering using Twitter as a key tool in your funding strategy? If so, tell me how you plan to use it, and I'll post it to encourage others to think creatively.

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March 6, 2009

One church says "lose your job, get your contributions back"

This is a bold move.

It requires trust and respect from both sides of the table: the church and the church member.

It asks both parties to act in faith and share the responsibility.

If you're sitting in the pew, would this encourage you to give in the midst of an uncertain employment and economic climate?

If you're standing in the pulpit, would this change how you spend available funds, evaluate your spending based on "return-on-investment" and result in better communication of the ministry accomplished?

Of course it would.

Maybe this is the solution we need to overcome the fear that seems to be lurking around every corner.

Would you do this in your church?

Why not?

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March 4, 2009

Pastor's video testimony on the results of stewardship emphasis

One pastor describes the measurable impact a four week stewardship emphasis had on his church. The church was considering closing its doors, but ended up with a surplus of available funds.

Have you had a similar experience? Send me your story or video or use the "comments" option at the bottom of this post.

(Note: This video was recorded by Denny Wright, Stewardship Crusader for the Arkansas State Baptist Convention. Keep fighting the good fight and helping pastors lead their churches to fully fund the ministry God has placed on their hearts.)

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March 3, 2009

Believe it or not: Parachurch giving up, Church giving down

The Christian Post reports survey results that reveal 7 out of 10 evangelical ministries report little to no loss in donations during Q4 2008.

This absolutely dispels the rhetoric that has been surfacing out of fear that seems to be hovering over the nonprofit world in light of our struggling economy. But that's not the breaking news that caught my attention. Here it is: While parachurch ministries were relatively unaffected, church giving was down.

"In fact, some of our members [Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability] had the strongest fourth quarter they've had in years and ended the year debt-free."

"...found more religious Americans (those who attend church most frequently) sustaining their giving at a higher rate than more secular Americans."

"...36 percent of frequent churchgoers said they were forced to reduce charitable donations...."

What do these three statements reveal?

1. The people in your pew have money to give.
2. The people in your pew are still giving that money to somebody.
3. The people in the your pew are deciding if they will give their money to you (i.e. your church) or a parachurch ministry.

When asked why parachurch ministries seemed to do so well in such a bad economy, the response was increased communication and a growing interest in helping "the poor and disadvantaged."

If you still don't get my point, let me say it like this: Just because people have money to give and attend your church doesn't mean they are going to give it to you. People are looking to join a cause or organization that is demonstrating measurable ministry results that clearly connect need with opportunity.

Are the people in your pew giving their money to you or to the local nonprofit down the street?

It's a sobering question. Are you brave enough to ask it?

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March 2, 2009

I hope this makes you DO something

Have you ever read something and responded with a "yes" or "he gets it"? That my was reaction to 5 lessons churches must learn to survive by Chuck Warnock posted on his blog Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor yesterday.

I'm not sure I could have said it better myself, so I'm not going to try to.

Just read it.

Consider the implications of what Chuck has written about on your church's ability to create a sustainable funding model for ministry.

I hope this gets you excited. I hope this spurs conversation. I hope this makes you mad. I hope this causes you to DO something.

Not doing anything is not a viable option.

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February 25, 2009

Do special offerings negatively impact regular giving?

I came across these thoughts on a user's group that I am a member us for church business administrators. The question is an important one: do special offerings detract from regular giving?

Below is the copy of an e-mail from a conversation thread attempting to answer this question. (No, I won't identify this person for two reasons: one, they don't know I'm writing this and two, identifying the individual or church irrelevant to the purpose of this post.)

"To convince your pastor you might want to follow giving when special offerings are taken. We have found that even though you mention to the congregation that this giving is after the normal giving; in most cases we will see the normal offering drops by a like amount as was given to the special offering.

I might add that giving toward a vision (like a major building project)
doesn't seem to affect the normal giving negatively. In fact, it seems to
help normal giving. (Something about giving the people a vision, I guess)"

Here are my initial thoughts:

1. Special Offerings don't inherently cause regular giving to go down. The fact that a better appeal or "ask" has been crafted for the special offering and that the assumption has been made that whatever is given will be over and above a member's regular giving is the real causal factor.

People like to know how their contributions will be used. Special Offerings make a connection between need and opportunity. Giving is an emotional response to a cause or organization that helps others do something they couldn't do on their own.

The answer is not that we should stop using special offerings to meet short-term immediate needs. The answer is that church leaders need to do a better job demonstrating how regular offerings are being used and connecting need with opportunity in measuralbe ways.

2. Giving is an outward sign of an inward commitment. In the second paragraph, the writer highlights that "giving toward a vision" doesn't negatively impact regular giving. My only response to that is this....exactly! There is a strong connection between giving and vision because giving is an emotional response to a passionate appeal to meet a compelling need.

There is a lot of energy and storytelling surrounding any type of major capital campaign. This naturally translates into more dollars because people see themselves as participating in something larger than themselves. Casting a vision results in commitment, sacrifice and action.

What do you think? Do you agree? Are special offerings the problem or is a lack of vision for regular, undesignated giving the real culprit in this scenario?

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February 24, 2009

Mark Brooks asks "What are recessions good for?"

Mark Brooks is president of The Charis Group and a friend. He e-mailed me about a conversation he had with a pastor recently about how to interpret our current economic condition in light of Romans 8:28.

Here are the conclusions Mark came to, but I want to encourage you to read his entire post.

What are recessions good for?

1. Recessions expose what we really love.
2. Recessions give us a chance to glorify God.
3. Recessions allow the church to be what God called us to be.
4. Recessions make us sensitive to the rest of the world that continually lives in recession.
5. Recessions wean us from materialism.

If you were asked the same question, how would you respond?

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February 18, 2009

Twitted key thoughts from Phil Cooke's presentation

Phil Cooke is an expert when it comes to church, faith, media and ministry. I enjoyed hearing him speak today at the annual Cooperative Program meeting at the Executive Committee in Nashville.

I captured some of his key thoughts. Read the Twitter feed below. (For those not familiar with Twitter, please start from the bottom and read up.)

domoreministry: There is a reason why they are called web surfers and not web readers. about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Phil Cooke is talking to state stewardship/cooperative program about twitter.
about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Ideas will change the world.
about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: How people want to communicate with you matters more than how you want to communicate with them? -Phil Cooke
about 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: What if we started to think about the Cooperative Program as a tribe?...Seth Godin style.
about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Breakout session: What is the message we are trying to tell others?
about 8 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: In a media cluttered culture, niche is the new big.
about 8 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Be careful with humor. Not everyone understands or shares the same vocabulary.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Understand the language of design.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: The power of a name matters.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Being different matters in a media cluttered world.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: You can't brand a lie.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Visibility is just as important as ability.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Phil Cooke talks about how interpersonal communication is changing.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

domoreministry: Heading over to Executive Committee Building for annual Cooperative Program national meeting.
about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

P.S. Follow me on Twitter.

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February 17, 2009

What if Zagat rated your church?

Zagat, the famous restaurant rating source, is now venturing into rating doctors. As you can imagine, the resistance is great from the industry but the interest just as great from consumers.

My question is this: what if Zagat rated your church? And what if church members decided which church to contribute to based on that rate? What do you think they would measure? If you were independently rating churches, what score would you give your church?

Churches aren't off limits. Your givers want to see results and are increasingly becoming empowered to demand it from church leaders. They want the same fiscal transparency and accountability that consumers demand in the marketplace to occur in their churches.

Traditional nonprofits are already subject to this type of independent rating system. It's coming to churches too. And when it does, you're giving will be impacted. Are you prepared?

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February 11, 2009

Why isn't the church leading the way in generosity?

(Note: This was first posted on January 27. I saw another highlight of this story in Embracing the Bully Pulpit (available online to subscribers only) published recently in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. It reminded me how much our posture in difficult or stressful times communicates what we really believe. I hope you are as challenged by this as I am.)

The Bill Gates Foundation lost 20% of it's value in 2008. But in a recent announcement, Bill Gates said that his Foundation plans to give more in 2009 than in did in 2008.

So let me make sure I'm reading this right: Assests and total value are down but giving will increase.

The Bill Gates Foundation has every reasonable excuse to hold the purse strings tight, hold back and attempt to survive 2009 hoping economic conditions will improve. But this Foundation isn't hunkering down to survive, it's leading the way in generosity.

This should be the posture of Churches too. If we truly were people of faith, we would resist the temptation to survive, open our eyes to the increased need and respond with a spirit of generosity. (Remember the Gospel story of Jesus feeding the five thousand?)

How we respond as an organization as measured by our fiscal allocations and budget expenditures and the ministries we choose to invest in (or not invest in) over the coming year will say a lot about what we believe...more than ever will be heard from the pulpit.

And how we respond will either affirm for our members (that is, our contributors) that the Church is the best place to invest their funds or push them to consider other nonprofit options.

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February 10, 2009

Church giving steady among active church members

It's no surprise that there is a direct link between church attendance and church giving. Those who are most involved in your ministry are also the most committed. This group will always represent your most faithful giving base.

Faith-Based Charities May Fare Better than Other Non-Profits reports:

"Data from the survey found that 81 percent of those who attend religious services more than once a week intend to give the same or more to charities."

Church leaders should begin to look at who are the most active people in their church and identify their giving habits. This analysis will give you good insight into the core givers who have and will continue to support your ministry. Use this group to broaden your giving base by empowering them to be "evangelists" for your church's ministry and mission. Passion is contagious. All you need to do is give them opportunity and a platform.

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February 9, 2009

Pastor's Podcast: Capital fundraising in a tough economy

I had the opportunity to sit down with John Burke who leads LifeWay Captial Fundraising to discuss the subject of capital fundraising and how pastors and church leaders should approach this topic within their congregations in the midst of uncertain economic times.

I have one request: I need your help. The only way this will help pastors is if they know that this podcast exists. Please distribute a link to this podcast to all the pastors you know. The quicker we can provide practical lifelines to our pastors the better equipped they will be to be the spritiual leader God has called them to be.

Other Pastor's Podcasts:
New podcast for pastors on leading churches in tough times
Pastor's Podcast: One pastor sees debt as ministry opportunity
Pastor's Podcast: Teaching Children About Stewardship

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February 2, 2009

The paradox of church giving in a struggling economy

Church giving holds steady in the midst of an uncertain economic future. Whether you believe giving to the church comes with a promise of success or simply believe it's an important discipline of a Christian, church giving has proven to be almost recession proof.

Some faced with foreclosure are willing to sacrifice their own homes before they are willing to entertain the notion of cutting back on their tithe. This line of reasoning is one reason why church giving remains relatively unaffected as the economic situations seems to worsen with each passing of each minute. Sylvia Ronsvalle with Empty Tomb says:

"The results prove that church-member giving doesn't necessarily decline during a recession."

MSNBC also covered the subject recently in Dire economy tests churches. The article points out that churches are making tough decisions in an attempt to balance meeting the spiritual and physical needs of its membership and the larger community in which it exists with the resources available.

The exciting part of this tension is that it spurs a level of creativity and innovation that usually comes with big dreams and limited resources. (See Contributions Down? Time to innovate. and Decline in church giving could force innovation.) The other exciting element is that those churches who continue to thrive while the rest of the world stumbles seem to be those who are committed to ministry and meeting needs.

Imago Dei Community Church in Portland, Oregon reports a 31% increase in giving in 2008. While Riverview Church in East Lansing Holt, Michegan designed a special offering to contribute to a fund that 25 other church were contribuiting to in an effort to replenish their local food bank. The special offering raised more than $20,000 or half of the entire goal for all the churches involved. And this was a church where the average age is 27. (So much for those myths that twenty-somethings don't have money to give.)

"People catch a spirit of generosity," said [Pastor Noel] Heikkinen..."They get excited about being generous, and it spills out into other areas of their lives."

Here is the paradox: If you want to see giving continue and perhaps even grow in your church, do more ministry than you've ever done. And do it in a measurable way. The result will be more money than you could have ever imagined.

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January 28, 2009

Contributions down? Time to innovate.

When you experience a decline in contributions, you have two options:

1. You can go sit in a corner and cry about it.

2. You can innovate and rely on creative solutions to meet the present needs.

My hope is that Churches would choose the later rather than the former. Innovation is a big, scary word for some. Innovation has also been one of those "buzz" words the church leadership movement has borrowed from the business world and used so much that it has lost some of its appeal.

But innovation is important. In times when it's more important than ever to demonstrate what every dollar is received is accomplishing through measuring ministry results, it's time to consider news ways, better ways to yeild the same if not greater impact.

A Fresh Look At How Best To Get Food To 35 Million highlights how organizations that exist to feed hungry people in need are considering new mediums of distribution. Soup kitchens keep getting larger and larger yet are still not able to meet demands. Further, the social stigma of showing up at one of these locations typically found in a poorer area of the city prevents many from getting the proper nutrition they need.

In response, people who feel passionate about this are getting creative and finding new ways feed people in need. One shift in thinking is instead of waiting for the hungry to come to the soup kitchen, the soup kitchen is bringing the food to the hungry. (It's like the meals-on-wheels concept, only on steroids.)

I wonder what vital ministries are on the proverbial chopping block that could be maintained, dare I suggest strengthened, with a simple touch of innovation.

Even if your contributions are down, the need is the same if not more. So get up, dry your eyes and starting thinking about new ways to multiply your ministry. My guess is the same Spirit that inspires leaders to innovate will also ignite the giving of your membership.

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January 27, 2009

Why isn't the church leading the way in generosity?

The Bill Gates Foundation lost 20% of it's value in 2008. But in a recent announcement, Bill Gates said that his Foundation plans to give more in 2009 than in did in 2008.

So let me make sure I'm reading this right: Assests and total value are down but giving will increase.

The Bill Gates Foundation has every reasonable excuse to hold the purse strings tight, hold back and attempt to survive 2009 hoping economic conditions will improve. But this Foundation isn't hunkering down to survive, it's leading the way in generosity.

This should be the posture of Churches too. If we truly were people of faith, we would resist the temptation to survive, open our eyes to the increased need and respond with a spirit of generosity. (Remember the Gospel story of Jesus feeding the five thousand?)

How we respond as an organization as measured by our fiscal allocations and budget expenditures and the ministries we choose to invest in (or not invest in) over the coming year will say a lot about what we believe...more than ever will be heard from the pulpit.

And how we respond will either affirm for our members (that is, our contributors) that the Church is the best place to invest their funds or push them to consider other nonprofit options.

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January 26, 2009

Send a personal, handwritten note to your donors today

When someone receives a handwritten note, they remember.

Our mail boxes are cluttered. Our e-mail inbox's are cluttered. Our voicemail inbox's are cluttered. Even our family schedules are cluttered. (When was the last time you were able to spend a night at home with the family?...Exactly!)

Even though it's nearly impossible to do, it's absolutely vital that your membership, especially your best givers, hear from you on a regular basis. Your most generous people need to hear more than what you need from them. They need to know that you care for them more than their money and that you value their total contribution - not just their money - to your Church.

So how can you cut through the clutter? What could you possibly do to make an unforgettable impression? It's simple. In fact, I wrote about it a couple of years ago in Pastor Skills: A Simple, Handwritten Note.

When was the last time you sent a personal note to your best givers? If it's been more than a month, then get a list of all the consistent givers for the previous month and divide that number into daily increments to make it a managable process.

Just to clarify, this is not a task to delegate. The leader of the organization needs to communicate with those who have made an emotional connection with your organization and believe in your ministry to the point that they are moved to invest in and financally support and fund your budget. Anything less will "cheapen" the experience.

Personal, handwritten notes are memorable. And in the search for sustainable funding, being memorable in the eyes of your donors is absolutely vital to your existence.

Get writing!!!

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January 23, 2009

Connect the program with the outcome

Communication is an overused word. The practice of communication reamins underdeveloped in many churches. Too often the church leader finds himself asking for more money when the key to fully funding the ministry God has called you to do begins with connecting the program with the outcome.

Let's revisit the basic elements of communication:

1. The message sender.
2. The message receiver.
3. All the filters that exist between the sender and the receiver that often creates a variation between what is said and what is heard.

Filters can be complex and nearly impossible to overcome. What can cut through the clutter and ensure that the need is clearly articulated, understood and felt by the person in the pew?...

A plan that connects program, process and results.

There is no more compelling information you can provide than this: why a program is important, what it's intended to accomplish and what the measurable impact have been in the past and is projected to be moving forward. This is a discipline that the pastor will have to learn if he - like many who find themselves in the pulpit - finds himself gravitating toward philosophical concepts instead of measured results.

There is more competition for the dollar of the person in your pew from well-intentioned nonprofits outside the church than ever. If you want to ensure (and by the way you as the pastor are the one responsible) that every dollar possible will be available to fund the ministry of the church, then you will need to make the connection between the program and outcome. Doing so successfully and consistently, will ensure sustainable funding and will give you opportunity to increase that level of funding over time.

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January 22, 2009

On Wikipedia and church giving

I have had several conversations recently with pastors and church leaders where I found myself referencing the observations and conclusions in What churches can learn from Wikipedia.

Wikipedia raised one-third of its total 2008 annual contribution goal in December 2008. It did so with small donations from a large giving base. What if that model was applied to churches? Instead of waiting for the next big donor to come along, encourage the habit of consistent and generious giving - even in small amounts - from a broader section of your membership.

The end result will be a significant increase in giving.

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January 19, 2009

I have a dream...about stewardship and giving

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He will forever be remembered for his "I have a dream" speech. It continues to inspire people to pursue things like justice and mercy and peace. Those things that are larger than life and worth fighting for.

Likewise, I wonder what our churches would be like if we had a dream for stewardship and giving? I wonder what our churches would look like if we restored the theology of stewardship to its rightful place, the centerpiece of our belief in and practice of the Lordship of Christ. I wonder what our churches would look like if we consistently taught that everything we have and are is from God and given to us not to posses for our own gain but to invest in Kingdom building activities.

Our ability to build sustainable funding for the churches we lead begins with a dream. It's in the telling and retelling of that dream where others are invited to share the dream. And when people share a dream, they become emotionally connected and committed to our cause and organization. And the natural response to that commitment is generosity with our time, talent and treasure.

Is there any greater organization to commit to than the local church? Is there any greater mission to follow through on than the Great Commission?

Fully funded budgets begin with a dream. What's your dream, pastor?

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Honesty trumps fear when it comes to giving and the economy

Jeff Brooks writes a blog that I really enjoy reading. He is also the author of Easier Said Than Done: Face Hard Times Without Fear. In this article for Fundriaising Success Magazine, he says that acting like nothing has changed and refusing to talk about the economic crisis that is reshapping everything is the WORST thing to do.

My guess is that we as church leaders fear that talking about church giving will do one of two things: one, it will give permission not to give because everyone will understand given the state of the economy or two, it will be viewed as tacky and inappropriate given that so many seem to be struggling to keep their cards in play much less worry about giving to the church.

Let me clear this up for you: Both are absolutely NOT true.

People appreciate honesty. And my guess is that the people in your pew want to see that you're thinking as carefully about church finances as they are about their personal finances. In fact, if you'll be brave enough to let them in, they'll listen. (I promise.)

Here is the irony of the situation. What you fear talking about the most, the people in your pew already know with certainty. They're just not sure you undersand. And until they know you understand, they will not be as generous as they could be.

Related Post:
Fear should not be an option

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January 16, 2009

Pastor is shepherd and organizational manager

The more time I spend the pastors the more apparent it becomes that many do not seperate their role as shepherd from their role as an organizational manager. In fact, most wouldn't even think to consider themselves an organizational manager.

In Business Before Pleasure, Jason points out that it's important to balance the process and the results. In Jason's world, fundraising professionals are trained to connect people with organizations and causes. Before a donor becomes a donor, he/she must identify with the organization you represent. It's easy to build relationships but never connect the person with your organization or cause. And thus, never ask for a commitment in time, talent or treasure.

"With a donor I find that sometimes we lean so heavily on making a personal connection that we lose the opportunity to connect them to our nonprofit. It is vitally important that we take enough time to know what passions our donors have are i.e., kids, family, jobs. I often find this is where the best prospect research happens. But don't forget to find ways to connect the donor personally to your organization. Have stories, quotes, or bring them on a tour, just make sure that they are connecting to more than just you."

The pastor must remember that while he is called to function in the traditional roles of priest and prophet, he is also the leader for a complex (complexity and size are not necessarily related) organization that he must lead in such a way that people are inspired to make commitments of time, talent and treasures. An organizational manager is focused on making connections with people, driving programs and activities that inspire and embody the values of the organization and ultimately ensuring fully funded budgets and long term sustainable ministry.

Sound overwhelming? Well it is. Though often ignored, it's a vital aspect of what it means to pastor a church. And that's the conversation we're having. So if you know someone who might benefit from this conversation too, please invite them to participate. We are all working toward the same goal: to build up the ministry of the local church to ensure the leadership and funds exist to sustain that ministry until Christ comes again.

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January 15, 2009

Ashley Clayton reflects on SBC and overseas missions giving

(Note: Ashley Clayton is leading a stewardship revolution in the Southern Baptist Convention by equipping churches and church members to deal with debt. Read other posts related to Ashley Clayton here.)

The most recent Empty Tomb report presents exhaustive survey results from 100,000 churches, one third of all congregations in America, representing 34 denominations. The report reflects The State of Church Giving through 2006.

Southern Baptist giving ranks first in dollars...but 19th in percentage of church revenue
Southern Baptists were one of 34 denominations reporting. The total overseas missions giving, by the national offices for all denominations, topped $700 million dollars. Interestingly, the SBC overseas missions giving made up more than one third of total dollars given by all denominations reporting. The SBC gave $270 million dollars to overseas missions through Lottie Moon Christmas offerings and Cooperative Program (www.sbc.net) contributions.

No doubt, the dollars given to overseas missions by the SBC clearly are significant, but when you look at the overseas missions dollars as a percentage of total church revenue, the SBC is in the bottom half of all denominations surveyed. The Empty Tomb tables show Southern Baptists gave 2.4% of total church revenue, which topped more than $11 billion dollars, to overseas missions. This ranks the SBC 19th out of 34 denominations reporting in percentage of total church revenue given to overseas missions.

There's more to this story for Southern Baptists
What the Empty Tomb report does not reflect are dollars given directly to overseas missions by individual congregations. Many SBC churches implement missions projects that are participant funded ventures, paid for by church members going "on mission" building churches, providing medical and technical services and etc. The Empty Tomb report does not include the missions dollars which are part of the ongoing church budget, dollars dedicated to missions apart from Lottie Moon and CP giving.

The Good News
Southern Baptist churches uniformly support overseas missions, as well as state and national missions, through Cooperative Program (CP) contributions. Church CP contributions, processed through state conventions, where on average 60% of the CP dollars remain in the state, exceeded $500 million for 2007 -'08. That means upwards of $210 million dollars reached the SBC Executive Committee, where using a funding formula approved by the convention at large, 50% of every dollar was given to the International Mission Board. The remaining CP dollars at the national level, again directed by the approved funding formula, support six SBC seminaries, ERLC, NAMB and the Executive Committee ministry assignments, including It's A New Day For Financial Freedom, CP Development, Baptist Press, Convention Relations and the Executive Committee.

When I step back and consider the good work that we as Southern Baptists are doing (even if there is room to do more), I'm overwhelmed and grateful for the faithful giving of our people and the generosity our churches.

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January 14, 2009

"They" want to know your church's spending habits

People want to know how the money they donate is being used. The Dallas Business Journal reports that the State Attorney General's office has just launched an online tracking service to let interested people know how the charities they support are spending the money they receive.

Technology is changing everything. And it's not limited to how we communicate and collaborate. The social media revolution is returning the power back to the smallest common denominator, the individual donor.

What if an independent source began tracking the spending habits of your church and publishing that information for everyone (i.e. the world) to review? Would your church's financial decisions stand the test of public scrutiny?

Traditional non-profits are already being watched closely by sites such as Charity Navigator. It won't be long before churches might find themselves being tracked and watched in a similar way too.

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January 13, 2009

A call to action for all church leaders

The title of the first Chapter of Not Your Parents' Offering Plate is Survival of the Fittest. The first two sentences capture the inherent need to rethink our approach to church giving.

"In American today, there are over 1.8 million nonprofit organizations, and over one million of these are 501(c)(3)s. There are about 370,000 churches. Just ten years ago, in 1995, there were 600,000 501(c)(3)s and about 370,000 churches." (pg. 1)

The author continues with some sobering words for church leaders:

"If you are not prepared to compete with over one million nonprofits, you will lose." (pg. 7)

The people in your pews are paying attention - perhaps more now than they have in a long time - to where every dollar goes. They want to know that every dollar given in the name of charity is being squeezed and spread as far as possible. If you're church isn't demonstrating measurable results, then you'll lose dollars. In turn, those dollars will be redirected to other charitable alternatives.

Don't assume that those who have always faithfully given to your church will continue to so. And the belief that the tithe is only for the church is quickly disappearing as well. Many Christians see little difference in giving to your church and any other NPO. Right or wrong, it's our responsibility as church leaders to act on what we know and ensure that the organizations we are called to lead are fully funded and sustainable.

The ball's in your court, pastor. What's your next move?

Related Posts:
Book Review: Not Your Parents' Offering Plate
The senior pastor is the chief fundraiser

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January 7, 2009

What churches can learn from Wikipedia

Wikipedia met its goal to raise $6.2 million dollars. Most of the total amount raised was in the last six months of the year and nearly one-third was raised over eight days in early December. (Yes, as in a few weeks ago Decemeber...the December that was right smack dab in the middle of this big problem we're calling a recession.)

So what can churches learn from Wikipedia?

1. Wikipedia involves people in its work. The contemporary Church model is designed to fund a small group of staff members to do the work "on behalf of" the membership.

Wikipedia finds its appeal in "user generated content." That means the "user" is generating content that other "users" will find helpful and will...for lack of a better word...use.

Church leaders tend to cut the church member out of the creative planning and decision making process. Often, church leaders just want members who will say "yes" to whatever they have determined is right.

The people in your pews want to be more involved in EVERY aspect of your church's ministry. They want a say in EVERY level of decision making. And we know that the more involved people are in this part of the process, the more ownership they feel which results in high levels of satisfaction and commitment.

2. Wikipedia depends on small donations from large groups of people. Churches thrive off the faithful giving of a few.

In the article (see link above), it mentions that 125k people contributed to the goal of $6.2 million. That's an average donation of $49.60 per person. Let's take just the 50,000 people who contributed during an eight day rush in December to make up the remaining $2 million needed. That small group alone averaged only $40 per person.

What does all this mean? Stop looking for the big windfall. Start expanding your focus on growing stewards across a broader section of your membership. The problem is that we've hitched our funding models in churches on only 10-20% of our membership. That's dangerous and financially unstable.

3. Wikidpedia's founder made a personal appeal to its community. Church leaders have bought into the myth that it's membership won't tolerate straight-talk about contributions.

Imagine this, your Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. You get a memo end of November that says you are one-third away from your annual goal. What do you do?

We know what Jimmy did. He went to his audience and asked for their support. And they gave it to them.

Pastor, if you're like most of your peers, you were trained to cut expenses, pray and hope for the best. None of that is inherently bad. But it's missing an important element. People give based on felt and perceived need. And the people who are most "plugged in" to what you're doing are statistically most likely to "kick in" a little extra when times are tough. (And no one was going to argue that times were tough in December...and not much as changed in the first few days of the new year either.)

My guess is that fear left a lot of dollars on the table in churches all across the country. What that means is that there is ministry that needs to be done but won't be because the funding won't be there.

I'm thrilled for Wikipedia. I only wish the headlines read that churches were as successful funding their ministry budgets too. Our work is of eternal importance.

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January 6, 2009

Fear should not be an option

In Nonprofit Groups Must Avoid Fear During Recession, an experienced NPO development consultant writes:

"Sadly, the economic and financial crisis will continue to dominate the minds of non-profit boards and executives," Mr. Craver writes. "'Sadly' because fear masks opportunity. The opportunity that comes from being aggressive when others are pulling back. The opportunity that comes from experimentation when times are tough."

Paul - way before Mr. Craver - says it like this:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment."

Pastor, which response will you choose: fear or faith?

Related Posts:
3 ways Church Administrators will respond to economic crisis
An important church giving statistic
The Church emerging from a spiraling economy
Economic despair leads to outreach opportunities

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January 5, 2009

Searching for your next stewardship sermon?

If you're looking for some ideas for your next stewardship sermon or sermon series, Church Tithe Stewardship & Church Tithing has four good suggestions:

1. Saving
2. Debt
3. Budgeting
4. Faith and Trust

I agree that we need to focus on developing the "process" instead of focusing on the "results." Too often we settle into "you must give to the church or God will curse you..." type rhetoric when in fact we need to turn our attention to what creates and cultivates generous givers.

This will no doubt require a change in presentation and vocabulary on the part of the church leader. (See Pulpit vs. Pew.)

How can church leaders develop sustainable funding models that provide for fully funded budgets and long-term, sustainable ministry? That's the conversation we're having. And if you've just stumbled upon this blog, feel free to search the catagories to the right of this post for past material.

If you're a an avid reader, thank you. (And I'd appreciate it if you'd pass on what has been helpful to you to your friends and peers. The more people involved in the conversation, the more likely we are to address the pressing needs you are facing.)

This is an important conversation. It always has been. Given the current social and economic climate, perhaps this conversation has moved from "important" to "vital."

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January 2, 2009

Church giving historically strong even in recession

Even though total contributions for 2008 have yet to be tallied, Church financial giving shows signs of recession. As nearly every church leader in the country takes a deep breath before they hit the "Answer Bar" or "=" key on their calculator, we can feel confident that church giving should remain consistent and strong through 2009.

Historical evidence indicates that church giving does not necessarily decline during recession years, according to an analysis of church giving from 1969 to 2008 on Emptytomb.org, an organization that researches church giving patterns on a local level. In fact, the analysis found that church-member giving decreased in only one of the three one-year recessions. Further, giving did not decrease any first years of three multiyear recessions during the period.

The "gloom and doom" stories that seemed to saturate the headlines of the final months of 2008 are likely to continue for the time being. What's important is how we lead our churches through this time. How we handle ourselves will either encourage or discourage faithful giving; it will also have a lot to say about the substance of your faith.

We must remember that God is faithful, and he often uses the most difficult circumstances to realign our focus and reposition our lives. I believe the best days of the Church are ahead of us. As leaders, we have the responsibility to lead this God-ordained and empowered institution to continue the earthly ministry of Christ until his return.

I'm excited about what God has planned for you and your church in 2009. I hope that this blog will encourage conversation about how we can establish processes and systems that will provide more money for more ministry.

Also, I'm beginning to receive invitations to work with local churches and State Conventions as we seek to provide sustainable funding models for churches. If you're interested in exploring how I might be able to work with your church, local Association or State Convention, let me know.

Related Posts:
New podcast for pastors on leading churches in tough times
Stewardship principles encourage celebration in tough times
Church giving thrives despite economy
End of year giving projections
Make people, not programs your most important priority
Charis Group's president Mark Brooks offers 4 keys to success
7 things to movtivate pastors to take action
Generis strategist offers 6 steps to stewardship success
Economy could spur Christian compassion
Ashley Clayton points pastors to personal financial solutions
Method of giving may change in light of recession
Mark Beeson talks straight with Granger members about money
Local church promotes giving in tough economy
Top 12 posts about church giving in an economic crisis
What's really happening to churches and church giving
3 steps to position your church to address an economic crisis

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December 31, 2008

My New Year's Resolution

Tom Peters said it best in 100 Ways to Succeed #149: Excellence.

Happy New Year!

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December 30, 2008

Churches most optimistic about reaching contribution goals

Religious organizations showed the most optimism, with 10 percent saying they were "completely confident" about 2008 tallies.

Read the entire article here.

I was very encouraged to read this. I hope you are too.

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December 29, 2008

Era of easy money ends for churches too

Churches who borrowed money to buy and build bigger buildings are finding themselves in some very difficult situations these days.

What does it say about a church who is forced to seek bankruptcy protection because they can no longer afford the building payments? Do you think it has any impact - positive or negative - on credibility or reputation? Will this current recession have implications on church building projects in the future?

Personally, I think it could be a wonderful opportunity to publiclly admit the mistake of taking on too much debt, demonstrate your plan for recovery and invite people to rebuild their lives (including financial habits) as the church recovers too.

Your thoughts?

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December 23, 2008

Stewardship principles encourage celebration in tough times

While everyone is rushing to complete the final steps of preparation for Christmas and make sure all the gifts are wrapped and make it under the tree before the "big day," churches aren't sure what to anticipate with respect to giving and the new year. In fact, some church leaders may find little to celebrate this holiday season.

I'd like to offer you a few good things to keep in mind that may make it easier to find something to celebrate this season.

1. Church attendance increases in tough times. History demonstrates that people find their way to places of worship when life throws them into unexpected and overwhelming circumstances. Capitalize on the opportunity to inspire new or less-than-regular-attenders with compelling stories that connect with people on a personal, emotional level.

2. Celebrate your success. In Wealthy donors say they don't make a difference?, Jeff Brooks writes:

But really, a strong, smart, donor-centered nonprofit should make it so abundantly clear to its donors that they matter that it would be impossible for them to say they don't.

Keeping people connected to the cause or organization they support is absolutely essential to building long-term, sustainable funding. It's a good reminder that not everyone "touches" your church as much as you do. Find ways to encourage your membership and thank them for their support.

3. Name your strengths and use them to your advantage. When it comes to funding models, the church makes the rest of the non-profit world jealous. Every week, churches are able to get in front of their membership which reminds people of the work they are supporting and why they chose your church in the first place. The church also offers giving opportunities more consistently because you are in front of your people more regularly than traditional non-profits. Monthly Giving is an undervalued habit to encourage with simple tools like offering envelopes.

4. Use technology to your advantage. Begin exploring ways to connect with your membership using social media tools and through devices such as cell phones. The revolution is coming: either you will roll with it or be left behind. It's time to begin cultivating relationships with a new generation of donors - a generation that is ready to give but doesn't assume the church is the best place for their dollar. It's your responsibility to demonstrate why the church is.

5. Remember, what goes down must come up. Most investors are expecting a slow start to 2009 but do anticipate a rebound by the end of 2009. Remember that phrase from the KJV version of the Bible: "This too shall pass"? Well, it's true. Just because you may see a temporary drop in giving doesn't mean you need to panic. Use it as an opportunity to evaluate every area of your ministry, and make the steps necessary to bring your ministry and budget in harmony with one another. (This is what you're asking your membership to do. Don't find yourself in the trap of All Talk and No Action?.

Stewardship may be the most unusual place for church leaders to look for encouragement this Christmas season. But these 5 things demonstrate that we have a lot to celebrate and every reason to believe the Church will continue to survive and thrive just as it has for thousands of years.

As the Advent becomes the Incarnation, may we be reminded that God is with us.

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December 19, 2008

Pastor's Podcast: Teaching Children About Stewardship

A couple of key words that consistently lead people to this blog are children and stewardship. After doing my own searching, I found very little material or resouces that would help churches teach children about stewardship and giving.

My solution was to dive deeper into this subject that seems to be on the mind of a good bit of my readers with a professional - Jerry Vogel, Director of Childhood Ministry Publishing at LifeWay (and my former Children's Minister growing up in Texas).

Check it out and tell me what you think.

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December 18, 2008

Church giving thrives despite economy

It absolutely thrills me to read about churches who are doing amazing things. With all the bad news, Church giving thrives despite economy reminds us that God will bless us when we are faithful.

Read. Smile. Pass this story on.

May God find you and your ministry faithful too.

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December 17, 2008

Let's be honest about tithing

Tithe Stewardship and Church Tithing recently posted Difference Between Spirit-led, Freewill, & Grace Giving. There is little new information other than some new possible vocabulary options for the concept of "grace" or "freewill" giving. These new or alternative terms are supposed to be more relevant because they are more consistent [sic] with the New Testament principle of grace instead of the Old Testament principle of law.

I think it's time to drop the pretense and the pseudo-theological vocabulary and just be honest with people - especially the people in our pews - when it comes to church giving.

1. The church is a non-profit organization that exists only through the donations of people. As the demands upon churches become more complex, the funding necessary to meet those demans increases. Every non-profit is faced with it.

2. The habits of giving begin with the worldview of the giver. Church leaders should be focused on creating a culture of generosity.

3. Churches have an advantage over every other non-profit: the membership interacts personally with the organization on a regular basis. Most non-profits don't host weekly gatherings of hundreds or thousands of their donor base; churches do. Churches are the best positioned to capture the greatest percentage of dollars available from every member.

4. Churches are the WORST at capturing the dollar. Too many rely on pseudo-theological vocabulary or other empty rhetoric that sounds good but delivers no "call to action" that results in consistent giving behavior. Churches need to shift their focus to demonstrating the ministry impact of every dollar. This is why so many Christians can justify sending their tithe - in portion or in full - to para-church and other non-profits who are much better at demonstrating what every dollar accomplishes.

5. If churches continue to be silent in the area of Biblical stewardship - time, talent and treasure - the number of volunteers, lay leadership and giving levels needed to operate and grow a complex organization such as the church will not exist.

6. Giving levels and habits should be seen as measurement tools. Giving is an outward sign of an inward commitment. If people have a hard time giving money to your church, then they aren't fully committed. Knowing this leads too much deeper, more comprehensive conversations that could reveal some important information about your congregation.

7. Church giving is connected to your ministry plan. What's your vision? Is it big enough to inspire someone else? If not, dream bigger. People want to give to causes that they believe in because they want to accomplish something larger than they could through their own efforts.

Stop using failed persuasive techniques and start inspiring a generous culture. It will change your life, your ministry and your church.

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December 15, 2008

End of year giving projections

How do you expect your church to end the year? The first Sunday in December is typically a big week, perhaps even the strongest, for monthly donations. You should have a good idea where you'll end up.

If you're not on par to make budget, you might want to consider how well you're tying the needs of church members and community with the ministry of your church. Organizations that are doing this well stand the best chance to maintain or increase giving during this economic crisis.

From Holiday-Giving Update: Social-Services Groups See a Surge, But Most Groups Face Big Slowdown in Donations:

...Charities that provide the very poor with food, shelter, and basic services say donors are responding because the bad economy has enabled them to make the case that demand for such services is increasing rapidly.

The fact that some organizations are seeing increases in giving proves that Americans have not stopped giving. Rather, they are being more intentional about who they give their money to.

If giving is down and you expect to come in under budget, you should consider evaluating how well you're communicating and demonstrating your ability to use donations to measurably meet the needs of the people in your church and community. It may be time to shift some of your ministry priorities to focus more on meeting human needs of food, clothing and shelter or even providing job skills training, GED programs, career planning and financial education and counseling.

How's your giving? What's your plan?

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December 12, 2008

Think Christian talks about tithing...without the church

There are some definite shifts taking place in minds of American Christians related to tithing. Two significant ones are:

1. The tithe is not solely for the church. More and more Christians are finding themselves dividing their 10% between local church and other charitable endeavors.

2. Christians want their tithe to count. Churches in the not so near future - maybe even today (or yesterday) - will be required to demonstrate the results of the tithes and offerings received. The luster of undesigned funds is diminishing. American Christians want to know where there money is going, how it's being used and understand the impact it's making.

The end result of these observations is that the church is becoming ONE of MANY charitable giving options instead of the CENTRAL or PRIMARY charitable giving option for many American Christians.

Think Christian explores the changing landscape of tithing in Tithing...without the church.

What do you think? Have you noticed this shift taking place? What does the church need to do or change to ensure every dollar of the tithe remains within the local church? What happens to the church if nothing changes in their approach to member contributions and tithing?

Think about it. Then, let's talk.

Related Posts:
See "Pulipt vs. Pew"

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December 11, 2008

Decline in church giving could force innovation

It seems like everyone is holding their breath - for-profit and non-profit organizations alike - to see what the results will be when the dust settles for 2008 in just a few short weeks. As churches anticipate a loss compared to giving levels in years past, the new year is bound to generate some very important and necessary organizational conversations.

My prediction is that churches will need to become much more intentional about how they spend their money to ensure every dollar received is maximized for ministry. Innovation usually comes from necessity. And several large non-profits are leading the way.

In Charity donation decline gives rise to innovation, organizations such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army are already taking steps to empower their existing donors to become organizational evangelists by giving them the tools they need to multiply their fundraising effots.

The paradox is this: in order to keep getting bigger, organizations are going to have to get smaller. This doesn't necessarily reducing budgets and staff. I think this refers to how members/donors interact with the organization. More specifically, all fundraising initiatives will happen on a much more personal, individual level than mass market apeals.

When I think about the church setting, every Christian is the pew should be an "evangelist" for the church. And those who are most connected to your ministry will be your biggest ministry multipliers.

Given that you're probably anticipating a decline in giving when compared to past years, how is your church prepared to innovate to continue to fully-fund your ministry budgets so that you have the resources to accomplish the ministry God has placed on your heart? How are you empowering your members to encourage others to join the cause of fulfilling the Great Commission through your church ministry?

It's a difficult conversation but one worth having.

Note: This conversation may result in giving up some control at the top to truly empower the person in the pew. This may be too scary for you. If it is...get over it!

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December 10, 2008

Pastor's Podcast: One pastor sees debt as ministry opportunity

The response to the first Pastor's Podcast was great, so we decided to do it again.

I mentioned the subject of the second Pastor's Podcast in FREE personal money management tools from Joe Sangl.

The church has been handed a great platform to connect again with the culture and eliminate forever the criticism of being irrelevant and not practical for everyday living. And Joe has taken this opportunity and is leading a crusade from WITHIN the church to offer people in the pews of his church and who live in his community the opportunity to win with money - just like he did.

Pastor, if you don't have a strategy for dealing with debt personally and corporately, this will be one podcast that you won't want to miss.

What makes Joe's ministry different from so many other personal money managers is that the work and ministry of the Church as a corporate body is at the center of everything he does. He's interested in helping individuals connect with Jesus and the Church through personal money management. That means what he is doing is reproducible in your church too.

Maybe you can't afford to have a "Joe Sangl" on your church staff. That's fine (and shouldn't be an excuse for not addressing this need.) I know you have lay people in your church who have won with money. I do, and I've empowered them to develop and lead what is quickly becoming one of our most successful church ministries as we seek to offer financial and spiritual transformation through a strategic approach to Biblical money management.

The easiest way to get your own copy of Joe's book, I Was Broke, Now I'm Not, and preview other materials for your church is to visit the resource page on his Web site.

I have one request: I need your help. The only way this will help pastors is if they know that this podcast exists. Please distribute a link to this podcast to all the pastors you know. The quicker we can provide practical lifelines to our pastors the better equipped they will be to be the spritiual leader God has called them to be.

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Good reminders and best practices about year-end donations

The end of the year is quickly approaching. It's time to refresh your memory of all the rules related to year-end donations. In Gift or Gaffe? How to get the full benefit from year-end donations the writer outlines what the IRS has to say on the subject and identifies some real world examples and advice from church leaders.

You might want to consider making this information available to your membership through your Web site, bulletin insert, etc. It may help hedge against a series of like questions and may even prevent some of those uncomfortable post year-end contribution conversations in the hallway between Sunday School and Worship.

Related Post:
IRS Offers Tips for Year-End Donations

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December 8, 2008

Get Rich Slowly champions charitable giving in tough times

Get Rich Slowly talks about Why charitable giving is even more important is tough economic times. Below are excerpts from the post.

I would enourage you to read the entire post and look for ways to incorporate his ideas into the presentation of your church's ministry to your membership. Reminding people of need and how they can meet that need is vital when it comes to charitable giving.

As the people in your pews become more selective about the organizations and causes they support, remember - for many - the church is just ONE option rather than the ONLY option. And the responsibility falls to the church leader to ensure every member understands that the church is the best place for their dollar.

People on the "edges" are impacted more. People who are already struggling are impacted more by rising costs or the loss of income. You might feel like you're barely making ends meet, but chances are that if you're reading this, you are not sleeping in the back of a van with your kids (like a family I saw here in Seattle last week), or raising children in a part of the world where clean water and electricity are a distant dream and low-wage work represents your only opportunity to put food on the table.

Charities are struggling to meet basic needs. Charities run on a shoestring, doing as much as they can each year to help people in need. This year, things are particularly tough. Donors are cutting back, and at the same time, need is increasing dramatically.

A chance to teach. My own children are too young to realize that we're cutting back on holiday gifts this year, but they're not too young to understand that they should help people in need. We have already started finding concrete ways to show them that they can have an impact.

Give your skills. Writing a check isn't the only way to give, and it is not always the most effective. If you have a marketable skill or hobby, you can use it to help someone in need.

Work your network. Don't be shy. Spread the word about what you are doing, you'll be surprised at how many people will want to help out, sometimes in bigger ways than you would have imagined.

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December 5, 2008

Make people, not programs your most important priority

It's hard not to think about the economy. It's everywhere. It's on the front page of our newspapers, the titles of blog posts and the lead story on almost every network news show.

And the news isn't good.

I wrote a lot this week about the responsibility church leaders have to lead their organizations in the midst of economic struggle, and I've provided you with some tools to use as you build and implement your strategy for success.

I'd like to end this series with a reminder that while you're managing and leading organizations, don't loose sight of the people who are the fabric of your oganization. It's people who fund our churches. It's people who volunteer their time and energy to teach Sunday School and lead various other activities. It's people who serve in lay leadership roles. It's people who fill the staff positions of our churches. It's people who we are called to love and serve and be Jesus to.

In the flurry of our activity to stabilize and sustain the organizations we've been called to serve, may we never forget that behind our programs are human beings who chose to be a part of our work and follow our leadership because they believed in us and the cause we represent. We must not abandon them in the name of organizational development at any time and especially in this moment in time.

Reach out to your donors is a call to action to prioritize people over programs.

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December 4, 2008

Church leaders should maximize every dollar donated

United Methodist church leaders recently met to consider the impact a decline in church giving would have on funding for denominational ministries. United Methodists aren't the only ones asking these questions.

Most denominational structures are dependent upon giving from local churches. In Southern Baptist circles, we fund our denominational structure and collection mission efforts through the Cooperative Program which is also reporting a slight decline when compared to last year.

We have two options:

1. We can go find our spot in the corner and cry about it.
2. We can make sure everything we are doing is the best use of every dollar.

As one of my first managers told me, "It is what it is." Yes, denominational giving is expected to be down. Church giving may be down. So what? We are still collecting more money through churches than we ever have in history. We have more money to fund more ministry that our parents and grandparents could have ever dreamed of.

It's our responsibility to make sure every dollar we receive on the local level to fund our ministry budgets and to give to denominational structures is being maximized.

Another saying I've picked up over the years is this: "Everything's always on the table." Let's measure the effectivness of every ministry we choose to invest in to determine where we might be able to redirect funds for the purpose of achieving greater results. When the potential for less dollars exists, our expectations for ministry shouldn't decline. Rather, results should drive our decision making.

Related Posts:
Giving and the Church Member Experience, Law #5
Guaranteed church giving results
Barna reveals trends in tithing and church giving
The Pulpit vs. The Pew on Tithing, in Conclusion
Exploring the impact of American Idol on church giving

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History proves church giving outlook is strong

"The data suggest that decreasing giving is not the first thing church members do in tough economic times," said Ronsvalle, who has been studying Christian giving in detail since 1988. "If this is an extended downturn, in the second year you might begin to see a retraction in church-member giving."

Read the rest of the article here.

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December 3, 2008

The senior pastor is the chief fundraiser

"Pastors are the CEOs of their congregations. No single person is more responsible for what goes on in his or her church than the lead pastor. No one has more communication with the congregation than the lead pastor. No one has more ability to raise funds on behalf of the church than the lead pastor. Yet, very few of our pastors accept the responsibility to raise funds for the organization they lead."

Not Your Parents' Offering Plate
by J. Clif Christopher, pgs. 43-4

Related Post:
Book Review: Not Your Parents' Offering Plate

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Charis Group's president Mark Brooks offers 4 keys to success

Mark Brooks, president of The Charis Group, offers 4 keys to stewardship success today in Not every church is seeing giving decline.

These are ideas to implement NOW...not when the economy gets better and all conditions are perfect.

The 4 keys are:

1. Compelling vision - "Good vision trumps bad economy."
2. Do something! - Churches that can not show any return on investment will struggle.
3. Stewardship education - Churches that focus on stewardship consistently are weathering this downward economic time....
4. Have a plan - I find that most churches do not have a plan for stewardship. They have a growth plan, a missions plan and many other plans but fail to have a plan to fund all that.

Get moving!

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December 2, 2008

7 things to movtivate pastors to take action

Bob Brooks points out that what can sometimes be labeled a landmark discovery is often the obvious in Somking can cause cancer and the economy is in recession.

No one needs to tell you that we are in the midst of a recession. What is being revealed is that pastors are underprepared and overwhelmed with managing the tension between money and ministry while "landmark" studies are released that verify the obvious: we are in a recession.

Now it's my turn to state the obvious. Here are 7 things to get you motivated to stop talking about how bad things are and get moving:

1. It's never as bad as it seems, and it's never as good as it seems. This is some of the best advice I received from a mentor long ago. It applies today.

2. Difficult times weed out unqualified leaders. I'm not talking about education and degrees. Leadership requires guts. It requires faith. It requires an absolute trust that the organization will succeed. If you can't inspire yourself to believe that, you won't inspire anyone else.

3. Never stop learning. I love overwhelming sitatuations. They force
me to focus, learn, think in new ways and take risks. The most important is to never stop learning. (And my advice is to seek out books AND people. What a great opportunity to call some prominent busienss leaders in your community, take them to lunch, and find out their opinion on the subject. Chances are you'll shock the socks right off of them, and you'll make a new friend (maybe meet a new church prospect).

4. Talk about it. Just because you don't talk about it, doesn't make it any less real. Difficult conversations come with the job. Just be honest and always do what's in the best interest of the church.

5. Pray about it. Wear out the same kneeling bench you ask your members to each week. Here is a hint: Stop talking. Start listening. God already knows how bad it is and all the specifics of your situation. It's you're job to get in touch with his presence in the midst of uncertain times. You can't fulfill the mythic "god-man" role you play in your church without an authentic sense of God's presence in your own life.

6. Act. Success rarely leads to failure. But failure often leads to success. Do something, please!

7. Stop worrying about whether or not you'll have a job. If you allow this to occupy your mind, you'll create what psychologists call a "self-fulfilling prophesy." Do your job. Live up to the calling to which you have been called. And start leading. The church is in desperate need of pastors who will quit worrying about their careers and focus on building the ministry of the Kingdom in the churhces and communities where they serve and live.

You can sum up everything I've said above in a statement a friend made that I'll never forget: Look it in the teeth, even if it bites back.

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Generis strategist offers 6 steps to stewardship success

Generis Strategist, Rubin Swift, offers pastors 6 things to consider as they plan and adjust their stewardship strategy for the remainder of 2008 and moving into 2009. These six steps will ensure you're covering the bases and moving toward action instead of becoming paralyzed with fear.

More than ever, the pastor needs to display a confidence and trust in the God he proclaims.

Pastor, what's your plan? Enough talk. Get moving. Make things happen.

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Economy could spur Christian compassion

Chuck Warnock writes for pastors who lead small churches. He recently conducted an online poll and came to unsurprising conclusion: nearly every church - especially small churches - can expect to be negatively impacted by the economy. Jim Collins would call this a "brutal fact." The quicker we can swallow this pill the better we will be positioned to actually embrace the situation and use it to our advantage.

Chuck believes this economic struggle may be a catalyst for Christian compassion. People who study giving habits know that peoples' willingness to give is in direct proportion to their belief in and understanding of need.

One antedote to the gloomy economic forecast is to talk about it - openly and publically. This may be difficult to do. But in the talking, the "scary green monster" doesn't seem to bad. It becomes a matter of defining a plan to not just survive but thrive.

How the church responds to this economic crisis will either prove the church to be irrelvant or will restore the role of the church as an agent of hope and new beginnings?

Pastor, the ball is in your court?

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December 1, 2008

Barna research indicates churches will lose billions in Q4

The Barna Group released a study today that attempts to quantify the impact the economy will have on church giving.

Here are some notable statistics to consider:

• In total, one out of every five households (20%) has decreased its giving to churches or other religious centers.
• Among people who have decreased giving to churches and religious centers, 19% dropped their giving by as much as 20%, 5% decreased their generosity by 21% to 49%, 17% reduced their giving by half, and 11% sliced their provision by more than half. In addition, 22% said they had stopped their giving altogether.
• Among those who attend a Christian church, the survey found that one-third (35%) said their church had offered a special talk about the financial situation and ways to respond to it.
• The average church can expect to see its revenues dip about 4% to 6% lower than would have been expected without the economic turmoil.

Given the shock value of this study, we'll be spending the week discussing its implications and how the church can prepare not just to survive but thrive in the midst of unfavorable economic conditions.

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November 25, 2008

5 new Del.icio.us links related to stewardship and giving

Below are five new articles added to the Do More Ministry Del.icio.us library. I try to add at least 5-7 articles or links a week. If you see something that I missed or find a really cool article, send it to me and I'll add it to the library.

My hope is that this collection of articles and links related to stewardship and giving will help you be better prepared to lead your church to fully-funded budgets and long-term sustainable ministries.

1. A Crunch in Collections


2. Tithing is a constant


3. Churches starting to feel financial stress


4. Sustaining Non-profits during economic downturns


5. Managing ministry funds during tough economic times

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Individualism, Self-deteremination obstacles to church giving

"Many American Christians simply seem to have a hard time putting together two discordant ideas. On the one side, many seem to genuinely believe in the biblical notions of stewardship and discipleship, who are profoundly challenging to the autonomous individualistic self. But at the same time, most of them are also deeply committed to American autonomous individualism and accompanying notions of self-determination, absolute private property rights, and consumer sovereignty."

Passing the Plate, pg. 119.

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November 24, 2008

American Christians choose NOT to give

"At least one out of five American Christians - 20 percent of all U.S. Christians - gives literally nothing to church, para-church, or nonreligious charities."

Passing the Plate, pg. 29.

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November 20, 2008

LifeWay poll reveals charitable giving intentions of employees

I just checked our intranet page and noticed the employee poll question of the day: How has the economy impacted your holiday charitable giving?

The response was not surprising. Though, it's counterintuitive. Here are the most recent results:

61.15%
I will give as usual

30.14%
I will give less

8.695%
I will give more

Total Votes: 345

The most surprising one to me was that nearly 10% of LifeWay employees indicated that they plan to give MORE this holiday season because of the economy.

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November 19, 2008

Generous Daily mentions pastor's podcast

Generous Daily mentions our first-ever pastor's podcast.

Thanks, Patrick, for giving some of your time to be included in this project.

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New funding model applied at Waterfront Community Church

Think how much more ministry your church could accomplish if the dollars in the plate directly funded ministry. What if you could find an alternative way to cover the overhead of your church?

One church decided to think outside the box. The result? A story worth telling your friends about.

"Some people like to see where their money is going," said Semradek, 38, a former pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. "My dream is every time a person puts a dollar in the plate, something happens. When you give, you see a face on the other side that you're blessing."

Waterfront Community Church has sponsors that cover all the administrative overhead associated with running an organization. That means 100% of all giving goes directly to ministry. That's a powerful story for people who are looking to give yet being more cautious than ever about who they give their money to.

Read Christians want say where money goes.

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November 14, 2008

New podcast for pastors on leading churches in tough times

I recently sat down with Joe Sangl, pastor of financial counseling and planning with NewSpring Church, Patrick Johnson, VP of Strategic Partners and Church Services with National Christian Foundation, Bret Robbe, director of leadership and adult ministry publishing with LifeWay Church Resources, and Ashley Clayton, associate VP for stewardship with the Executive Committee of the SBC to answer the question: How can pastors lead their churches through tough economic times?

It was an amazing experience to sit down with some Christian thought leaders to ask the questions that are being discussed by pastors today and listen to the practical advice that will ultimately help pastors know what the next step is.

I'm pleased to announce that our first-ever podcast is now available for download.

I need your help. The only way this will help pastors is if they know that this podcast exists. Please distribute a link to this podcast to all the pastors you know. The quicker we can provide lifelines to our pastors burdened with the uncertainty of these tough economic times, the better equipped they will be to be the spritiual leader God has called them to be.