A False Sense of Security
How can giving be up when it’s actually down? The 33rd edition of The State of Church Giving through 2021 Intentional Miracles, a highly respected source, reveals some startling facts. In 1933, the worst year of the Depression, Americans gave 3.2% of their Disposable Personal Income (DPI) to the church. Fast-forward to 2021, and Americans […]
The Coach’s End-of-Year Planning Edition
It’s September, which means it is time to start thinking, planning, and praying about your end-of-year giving strategy. Every September, I know it is time to focus on end-of-year giving as I am already getting end-of-year appeals from non-profit charities. So, I want to help you start your planning process now with this Coach entitled […]
The Coach’s Playbook for EOY Giving
If you have ever paid attention to football head coaches during a game, you will see they have a sheet of paper with various plays listed for each situation the team might face, including the last few minutes of the game. The following is my list of plays for an end-of-year overview. Not all of […]
A Wake-Up Call to Engage Donors
Americans gave $557 billion to charity in 2023. That’s the good news. The bad news is even though the total dollars given to charity is up, the number of donors giving is down. Even more troubling, Americans now give only 1.7% of their disposable incomes to charities, the lowest level of giving in the last […]
The Stewardship of Debt
I believe that sometimes, it is in the best interest of a church to acquire a short-term debt to facilitate growth. That comment could get you disbarred from some churches in America, including the church I currently attend! I might be exaggerating a bit, but if I suggested we borrow money so we could finish […]
Cards Are Cool, But Cash Builds Buildings
Cards Are Cool, But Cash Builds Buildings is the title of this Coach, and it’s a truth you can’t afford to overlook. Having a stack of pledge cards the day after your campaign commitment is a good start, but what really matters is turning those pledges into tangible donations to fuel your ministry dreams. I’m […]
The Coach’s Quick-Step Follow-Up Plan
One important thing for churches to understand is that when the commitments are in, the campaign is not over. One phase is completed, and now you are in another. I believe the first 30 to 60 days after the Commitment Weekend are crucial. So, let me outline what I recommend for immediate next steps after […]
It’s Not Fund Raising It’s Faith Raising
Last week, I told a story of a pastor I once worked with who explained to his leaders that the upcoming capital campaign wasn’t a fund-raising campaign but a faith-raising campaign. I want to further flesh that out in this Coach, entitled It’s Not Fund Raising It’s Faith Raising. Last week, I defined fundraising versus […]
Pray the Money In!
Several years ago, I wrote the following blog post on praying in money. While the thrust was for the weekly offering, the principles I laid out will also work for praying for a capital campaign. Do you regularly pray for a full offering plate each Sunday? Isn’t it amazing how little we pray for some […]
The Power of the Pulpit
The average church member spends one and a half hours at church, including worship. I remember seeing that statistic a few years before the Chinese virus hit our shores. Post-COVID studies are showing an even greater decline in church engagement and attendance. This is why, when raising capital dollars, one of a pastor’s greatest tools […]