Why People Don’t Tithe To Your Church
You pass the plate every week, you’ve got an online giving button on your website and you send a super-informative letter with a contribution statement. So why don’t more people give to your church? Or why don’t people increase their giving to fund the vision? Here are seven reasons people don’t tithe to your church.
1.You don’t have a compelling vision. If you have a budget problem, you probably have a vision problem. Keeping the light bill paid or buying a new copier isn’t all that exciting. People want to be a part of something meaningful and important.
2.You don’t teach people to give. One money sermon a year isn’t going to cut it – you’ve got to teach people what the Bible says about money all throughout the year. Don’t be afraid to lead people in their faith, families OR finances. Yes, some people will get mad and leave the church when you preach on money, but that shouldn’t discourage you from teaching on it.
3.You don’t give them opportunities to give. Maybe you rush through the offering time and don’t give people a chance to get ready. Maybe you’re not set up to receive online contributions. And what about people who want to give but don’t have a cash or check with them at the service? It’s pretty simple, but if you want people to give, make sure you’re making it simple.
4.You don’t make it meaningful. You spend a ton of time writing your sermon. The band rehearses every song. So why do you rush through the time of giving or tack it on to the end of the service? Get intentional with the giving part of your church service and make it meaningful. Come up with some creative ways to use stats, Scripture or stories to connect the dots for people.
5. You don’t appreciate it when they do give. When someone gives to your church for the first time, it needs to be celebrated. Jesus said our money and heart are connected, so giving is a spiritual issue. Pastor people and appreciate them. Don’t let “your reward is in heaven” be an excuse to not thank them. We recommend that churches send quarterly contribution statements instead of just the annual one required by the IRS. We created this tool you can send to everyone who makes a first time donation.
6.You’ve always got a crisis. If you’ve always got an immediate financial need or a crisis that calls for people to step up, that’s a deeper problem. Poor management leads to a lack of trust. Sharing an unexpected need is okay, but if you’re doing that several times a year, it’s time to get your house in order. Create an annual funding plan – it’s the brother to the budget, and create a plan to raise money.
7.They don’t see the fruit. People don’t want to throw money at a black hole – they want to see their contributions make a difference. Tell stories of life change and let people see how their giving is making a difference.
We’ve created a program that will help you combat each of these reasons and increase regular giving without capital campaigns or car washes. Test Drive the Giving Rocket Core Coaching program FREE for 7-days and have more money for ministry.