Football season is just around the corner, and NFL teams are heading to their training camps in preparation for a winning season. The work they do in July/August will pave the way for success or failure once the season begins. At the same time, churches all over America are beginning...
“The Senior Pastor won’t be in the meeting.” That was the reply a lay leader shared with me once when his church wanted my help. I replied that the meeting would be worthless unless the pastor showed up. That wasn’t the answer they were looking for, and I never heard...
The following is from The Forgotten Sermon: How to Preach Effectively on Giving. https://acts17generosity.com/shop/the-forgotten-sermon/ Why should you regularly preach on stewardship? Here are two major reasons why. It’s biblical! The Bible has a lot to say about money. Don’t let a few people talk you out of preaching the whole counsel...
How long has it been since you preached a stewardship series? I ask this question every year when I write about the necessity of stewardship education from the pulpit. Why is it that most pastors seldom, if ever, preach on stewardship? The answer is that it’s unpopular, and we fear...
Often the biggest roadblock that I must overcome when working with a church to increase generosity is a pastor or the staff. They simply don’t see the need for all the fuss about giving and generosity. Most pastors never think of preaching about giving! That is until July rolls around,...
I wrote the following for OnlineGiving.org. You can read it and all my other writing at, https://www.onlinegiving.org/blog. Since 1968, Americans have given less of their disposable incomes to their church while their incomes have risen. Those are the findings from a recent report from empty tomb, inc., a group that...
“The critical question before the church might well be stated: Do Christians want to accept the death of the institutional church in the U.S., or get to work?” That is a quote from the recently released report from empty tomb, inc.’s thirty-second edition of “The State of Church Giving through...
Here are 10 Key Tips for Improving Your Emails. Have an interesting subject line. If they don’t open it, your message is lost. So, create interest in your subject line that will make them want to open the email and read it. The more effective the subject line, the better the...
If you weren’t the pastor, would you read your emails and letters? If you, a person highly invested in your church's vision, are not moved by your appeals, how do you think that same appeal will appeal to your rank-and-file members? If your appeals are not appealing, you will never...
The following was published at https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/the-importance-of-knowing-your-giving-metrics Here is a question we ask every church leader. “How is giving at your church?” We follow that up by asking, “Is giving growing not only by amount but by the number of people giving?” Then we ask, “Do you have many new givers,...
