Author - Mark Brooks

5 Key Post-Easter Strategies to Keep Your Tank Full

Congratulations. You survived another Easter! Does the picture on the left resemble how you feel right now? I get my pictures through a service, and I typed in “exhausted,” and this picture came up. I immediately thought, “If anyone is reading this on the Monday after Easter, this is probably...


Why Cash Reserves Are Essential for a 21st-Century Church

How much cash does your church have on hand? I remember, as a young pastor right out of seminary, reading about a church that had hundreds of thousands of dollars in reserve. I remember thinking, “in reserve for what?” In my view, if a church had money in the bank,...


It’s Time to Start Thinking About Summer Giving

Easter is less than two weeks away, so it is time to start planning for summer giving. If you are thinking you haven’t even planned for Easter, see my Bonus Section for last-minute advice on your Easter offering. Every year right before Easter, I start turning your attention to your...


Why Not Just Have One Fund?

“I want to try something new.” That was a comment a pastor made to me a few years ago. A competitive firm was pushing a “new” concept called One Fund. Many SBC churches have embraced this concept. Many others, while not fully adopting a one-fund approach, combine all mission gifts....


Segmentation By the Numbers

Segmentation by the Numbers – Here is a reality, the few always give the majority no matter what size of the church. Consider these numbers from client churches. One key and easy way to segment your donors is to first identify what percentage and number of donors give 50% of...


The Value of Donor Segmentation

“Effective fund-raising churches refuse to treat all people as equals – and people truly are not when it comes to giving. Most of these churches develop some kind of segmentation strategy in which they categorize the congregation into types of donors.”1. (George Barna, How to Increase Giving to Your Church.) In...


The Why Vision Worksheet

The Why Vision Worksheet – We are weeks away from Easter and you need to have the “ask” of your offering nailed down ASAP!  Here is my vision worksheet to help you craft your vision.  After deciding what the focus of your Resurrection Offering will be, use the following points...


The 3.0 Church

Are you ready for Church 3.0? James Emery White has a new book out entitled Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church in a Post-Christian Digital Age. Here is a quote from an email his organization sent out. It is time to put forward a simple but provocative thesis: the church must respond...