Church Health
Why Senior Pastors Are Keeping Churches Broke
Have you ever put your everything into something and not seen the results you hoped you would see? That was me. In 2008, I left my church staff position as a CFO to start my own company. When I started, the company’s name was actually ReThink Money. I started the company to help pastors and…
Read MoreHow to Help Your Church Recover From a Christmas Debt Hangover
An odd thing happens in January. Church attendance increases, but giving actually drops. Why? Because while many people in your congregation bought presents in December, they’re just now starting to pay for them. We like to call this yearly phenomenon the Christmas debt hangover. The most popular Bible passage concerning debt is probably Proverbs 22:7…
Read More3 Tips For Revitalizing A Dying Church
We recently spoke with Dr. Ike Reighard—Senior Pastor of Piedmont Church in Marietta, GA—about how they were able to revive Piedmont Church when it was on the brink of closing its doors due to a $600,000 HVAC repair, mildew infested carpets, and a large facility in need of repair. Here’s the full interview: In the…
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Create a Church Budget That Works With These 4 Steps
It all starts when you create a church budget that works Andy Stanley said at a Catalyst conference a few years ago that “if you don’t know why something’s working when it’s working, you won’t know how to fix it when it breaks.” That seems like a pretty straightforward observation, right? The reality is though,…
Read MoreHappy Givers Fund Healthy Churches
As a pastor and church leader, your actions can go a long way in creating happy givers. Why is having happy givers important? First off, scripture says God loves a cheerful giver. That’s what Paul wrote to the Christians in the first century city of Corinth. He told them not to give reluctantly, or out…
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Guide To Fundraising – Own It or No One Will
I used to work in an organization where my co-workers and I were always coming up with new ideas. If you walked around our office or sat in one of our staff meetings, you’d consistently hear phrases like: “We should try this.” “We should create a new system.” “We should send this new email.” “We…
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Why “Somebody Should Raise Money” Means Nobody Will
When natural disasters strike, I get a lot of messages. People text me, tweet me, Facebook me, email me, etc. At some point in the message or conversation, I inevitably read this phrase: “Somebody should raise money for these people in need.” Honestly, I think most people are hoping that I’ll raise the money. And…
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The Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right Fundraising Formula
In the 1990s there was a popular Nintendo game called Contra that I played constantly. Even as I type this, nostalgia is overwhelming me. Man, I loved that game. And yet, at the same time, I hated it. Because I couldn’t conquer it. Then one day, I learned something. Something life-changing. Earth-shattering. History-making. Something that…
Read More5 Steps To Getting Ahead On Year-End Giving
The #1 issue that every church, big or small, has to address with accuracy, sensitivity and timeliness. In our culture, we live in a “wait until I have to do it” mentality. That’s the same way you should view your givers. However, there are some things you can do to make sure giving isn’t TOO…
Read MoreWhy Every Church Needs A Volunteer “Champion”
When volunteers are recruited, trained and released into ministry, there is a risk that they will still start to pull in different directions. Without someone to champion volunteer connections, volunteers can quickly become discouraged with their progress and confused about their specific roles and responsibilities. My friend Tim Stevens used to always say, “Unless it’s…
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