Own It: 7 Keys For Crushing Your Year-End Offering

Newsflash: We’re fast approaching the end of the year. You know, that most wonderful time of year. That season of thanksgiving and gratitude. That time of year when the spirit of so many things seem to be permeating season… Pumpkin spice and peppermint. Snowflakes and season’s greetings. The stress of a little too much time…

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3 Ways To Follow Up With New Guests, Givers, And Believers

Follow-up is a big deal. Whether someone is a new guest, new giver, or new Christian, you need to do something on the back end that affirms their step and connects them more closely with your church. WAY #1: EMAIL This may sound overly-simplistic, but it’s a huge deal for hundreds of reasons… Have people…

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I Got 99 Problems But Fundraising Ain’t One

5 Steps to MUCH Better Fundraising by Keith Cook Do you know the #1 reason why people have trouble raising money? IT’S HARD. 🙁 There’s no way around it. It’s just straight up difficult and it’s hard for everyone. When I talk to pastors and ministry leaders about fundraising it’s like they are shocked that…

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How to Increase Donations from New or First Time Donors

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW  ABOUT USING OFFERING ENVELOPES TO INCREASE DONATIONS We are rapidly advancing in this digital age. Mobile phones have replaced landlines. Credit cards have replaced cash. Email has replaced the Postal Service. And we’ll continue to change. Changes in culture lead to changes in the church. Lyrics on a screen have…

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How To Help Church Members With Their Personal Finances

When you think about it, church can be a strange place.  We do things like: Drink grape juice and say it’s Jesus’ blood. Dunk people under water and call it a “public profession of faith.” To lifelong churchgoers, all of this makes sense (and is, in fact, quite meaningful).  But I imagine it can be…

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Finance Team Guide

Trying to figure out how to communicate with your Finance Team? Wondering how to get them on board? Let this guide help. Before The Meeting Here are some great things to remind yourself of before the meeting begins. Choose Trust. Display trust over suspicion. Trust is an issue of the heart. It believes the best…

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Pastor, Does Your Staff Have Money Issues?

As a senior pastor, you’re the lead shepherd. Your job is to not only care for your congregation, but also for your staff. Leadership is about more than writing job descriptions and leading staff meetings. You have to be involved and present in people’s lives. What’s happening in the families of your staff members? What’s…

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4 Ways to Build Happy Givers

Do you think it’s important for people in your church to be happy givers? Let’s face it–it’s one thing for your church to receive money from people who are begrudgingly, or even apathetically giving, but wouldn’t it be amazing for people in your church to joyfully give out of what they’ve been given? How would…

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10 Creative Ways to Say “Thank You” to Donors

When it comes to thanking donors for their donations, good intentions are the pathway to failure. No one feels thanked because you had intentions to say “thank you.” They feel thanked because you actually thanked them. Many people skip this because it feels so overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. You don’t have…

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Why a Giving Strategy Matters

There are two kinds of churches, and they’re revealed by the way they answer this question, regarding their giving strategy: How much money will your church bring in this year? Type 1 answers with a figure. Type 2 answers with something vague. The thing is, those Type 1 churches are usually correct in their confident,…

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