From My Desk to Yours

Do you have a seasonal giving plan? In this edition of the Stewardship Journal, we focus on how the calendar impacts giving and what you need to do to capitalize on these dates. I believe you will find this edition one you will refer to repeatedly throughout the year. Here is a preview of this week’s Journal and the advice we give for summer giving plans.

Speaking of using the calendar to your benefit, Mark Brooks’, The Stewardship Coach, post entitled The Three-Day Weekend Edition, focuses on how impactful three-day weekends are. His writing is timely as Memorial Day is looming. Here is his intention in his own words, “I’m writing to you now, weeks before Memorial Day, to help you start your planning. I want you to start your summer on a strong note, and a simple plan to make your Memorial Day offering stronger will be a momentum boost for the rest of your summer.” That is the value of the Stewardship Journal.

Mark lays out a practical plan to head off the typical summer slump in giving in his Bonus Section. His post there is entitled A May Strategy for Summer Giving. Following this advice can save you money as well as generate a steady stream of offering gifts throughout the summer!

Whether we like it or not, three-day weekends are built into our calendars. This is a major reason why churches must have a seasonal giving strategy. Our last post addressed this in an article entitled The Seasonal Giving Strategy. It provides a great overview of how our writers think about seasonal giving plans and how you can begin developing your own.

Remember, you can get more help planning out your summer giving with The 15 Offerings of Summer: How to Reverse the Summer Slump in 60 Seconds. I’ve mentioned before that part of what we now offer MS Baptists is not only the weekly Stewardship Journal newsletter but also seasonal manuals, called playbooks, for every season of the year. Here is how to access that material:

• First, go to the Stewardship Journal site at https://stewardshipjournal.com/.
• Look in the upper right corner of the site for the link that says ‘Resources’ and click on it.
• Fill out the ‘Create an Account’ information. Your Username can be your email or any other name you assign. Create your own password and be sure to write it down for the future.
• Where it asks for an invite code, use this code: SBCSJ2024!
• In the final box, select our state convention.
  

Register today to get your free copy of The 15 Offerings of Summer! The summer harvest will soon be upon us. Let’s get you fully funded!

In Jesus’ name!

Dr. Shawn Parker