Talking About Money With Your Church
How 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 MoreChurch Contribution Statements – Reasons To Communicate
Sending church contribution statements with a letter from the pastor at the end of the year. Most churches only do the minimum. At the same time, they struggle with great reasons to communicate with their congregation. But we can do better! You saw The Notebook, right? The movie based on the romantic novel by Nicholas Sparks. In…
Read More3 Components of a Killer Contribution Statement
Start the year out right with your vision by creating the BEST contribution statement your people have ever seen. 3 Components of a Killer Contribution Statement for your church. Vision: Contrary to popular belief, most people don’t care about your church as much as you do. You have to create something that will benefit the…
Read MoreThe Deadly Sins of Church Fundraising: Sin 1-Lack of Clarity
Are you experiencing one of the deadly sins of church fundraising? Church leaders are often baffled as to why people don’t give as faithfully and consistently as they should to their church. After years of studying this and watching churches that are funded become more funded and churches that are broke become more broke, I…
Read MoreGuide 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…
Read MoreThe #1 Reason People Fail at funding dreams
On April 27, 2011, 212 tornadoes ripped through Alabama, tearing the state apart. The damage was disturbing. One of the places affected was my hometown of Pleasant Grove. The street where I grew up was turned inside out. I later learned that the twister was an F-5, the biggest possible. I said to myself, “I…
Read MoreWhy “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…
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 MoreGuide to Fundraising: Excuses Are Lies That Keep Us Broke
Over the years as I developed this guide to fundraising, I’ve talked with people who have had a dream they wanted to fund. There are some excuses that I have heard, and continue to hear, more than others about why they can’t reach their fundraising goals. Here are a few of the most common: I…
Read MoreFive Reasons People Aren’t Giving to Your Church
Are you frustrated more people don’t participate in the offering at your church? Do you hope and pray for more people to get involved in generosity? Are you teaching them what the Bible says about stewardship only to be disappointed that more people don’t follow through? Most churches know the offering is important…it’s the moment…
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