The Easter Offering Pushback

How you approach the Easter offering speaks volumes. Most pastors think I am nuts for even mentioning an offering on Easter, as the offering is the furthest thing from their minds. Then June rolls around, and their Treasurer tells them there is not enough money in the bank to do all the summer ministries planned. It’s too late, then. So, I’m here (again) to try and convince you to strategically use the offering time this Easter. I might have you convinced but let me write this to help you convince the rest of your team of the value of the Easter offering with this Coach entitled The Easter Offering Pushback.

I get a lot of pushback from staff members who think that any talk about money on Easter is sacrilegious. A few years ago, I came up with the top mistakes churches make with the Easter offering.

1. De-emphasizing the importance of taking up the offering. De-emphasizing the offering is a result of…
   • A.    Not seeing the offering as a crucial part of worship. The offering IS worship, and when we downplay the offering, we cheapen worship.
   • B.    Worrying that it will turn people off. It’s how we talk about money that turns people off, not that we talk about money. If we position the offering correctly, people will respond.
   • C.     Failing to understand the Law of the Harvest. Taught correctly, biblical stewardship is the basis for achieving financial security, allowing Christians to be more generous.
   • D.    Business as usual approach. If you approach your Easter offering as you always have, don’t be surprised if it is not as successful as you would like.
2. Not planning out the offering. The lack of planning is the death of any good idea.
3. Not making a case for the offering. This is true for each week’s offering, but especially true on Easter.

In the next few issues, I will help you avoid each of these mistakes leading to a successful Easter offering.

Let me deal with one more final pushback I typically get. Many are thinking, wouldn’t talking about money drive off many of those new guests? Especially online guests? Here is my answer:

By telling your story of what God is doing at your church, touching lives for eternity, you can invite anyone to give financially to support your story. And you are starting them on a life-changing journey of becoming generous.

My goal is to get people started on the stewardship journey with that first gift. I want to show them how their gift will make a difference, creating a willing desire within them to give. You are basically saying, here is what we are doing and why we are doing it and what it is doing. No pressure. No guilt. If we can get that first gift, then we can work on the next.

Let’s start praying, thinking, and planning for your most effective Easter offering!

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
mark@acts17generosity.com