Generosity is not caught, it is taught. Yet many pastors act as if their members will eventually “get it.” I was one of those pastors early on in my career. I seldom, if ever, preached on giving. When I realized that Jesus taught more about finances than any other subject,...
In my twenty-five years as a stewardship coach, I have found that there are two common downfalls that churches run into when it comes to donations: taking their donors for granted and failing to thank them. I am often amazed at how poor the average church is at simply expressing...
It’s time to build out your come-from-behind strategy! I wrote the following post for my sponsor, OnlineGiving.org. It can be found at https://www.onlinegiving.org/blog. I don’t know where you live, but here in Oklahoma, it is HOT! I’m ready for summer to be over and for cooler weather. Do you know...
What Does a Capital Campaign Consultant Actually Do? That was the subject line of an email I recently received from a non-profit fundraising consultant. The email began by saying, “Have you ever wondered what all these capital campaign consultants actually do? Is what they do all "smoke and mirrors," or do...
The following post appears at https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/no-church-is-too-small “I don’t think there is any viable reason in 2023 for a church to not offer digital giving. I say that as a millennial financial professional who hasn’t given a physical cash/check tithe in who knows how long. It’s not expensive, and more importantly,...
What is the future for raising the capital funding you need? The list below is some of the key issues churches will face as they attempt to fund future capital expenses. In the 21st century, capital campaigns are not dead, but they are different. Key thought: make sure your approach to...
Build, renovate, or repurpose the facilities you need and pay off any debt quickly. That has been my advice for the last few years. I thought about that last Sunday night as I attended a Leadership Summit at the church my wife and I attend. Our Executive Pastor announced plans...
The Disconnected Pastor is the number one reason churches struggle financially. The question is, how can you become connected? Here are some thoughts on how pastors should be engaged in the stewardship process. One of the major reasons that pastors are disconnected from stewardship is time. The tyranny of the urgent...
What are some of the top mistakes that churches make when it comes to stewardship? Are you guilty of any of them? I asked those questions at the start of my 2012 book, The Top Ten Stewardship Mistakes Churches Make. Recently I was reviewing my files when I came across my...
