$3.1 billion. That is what Americans spent on Halloween candy last year. This year, despite inflation, Americans are projected to spend even more than that. That is a lot of candy and a lot of future cavities! How many of you have already bought your Halloween candy? You still have time...
The following is my end-of-year overview. Not all of what I list might work for you. This basic plan of action, if followed, WILL greatly increase your end-of-year giving. I advise… Social Media Push – Starting in early November, across all platforms of communication, you want to focus on your message,...
When it comes to giving, my advice is don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Why? Blackbaud, a leader in the fund-raising industry, published a study a few years ago stating that successful charities relied on multiple channels to tell their story. Indeed, they stated that multi-channel is the...
Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;” Are you honoring the Lord with your wealth? You might be thinking, “What wealth?” Or “When I get wealthy, then I will honor Him.” When the Bible uses the term wealth, it is not using...
Here are some basic thoughts for you to think through. Deciding what your “ask” will be. You must be careful when you say that line out loud! A key point to remember is, need drives the “ask.” If you are behind budget, then that is where you want to put your...
We are days away from the start of the 4th quarter, and as always, I want to know, are you ahead or behind on meeting your budget needs? Starting with this edition of the Coach, entitled Starting Your End-of-Year Preparations, I will share how to catch up on your giving...
Scrolling through social media this past week, I came across this headline, “Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals.” The link led me to a Christianity Today article about a survey released by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research. It’s not an encouraging read. How can it be when the survey found...
If you have gone to church much at all, you have probably heard the word tithe used. You might not know what that term means or where it came from. Don’t feel bad. A recent study asked Americans, “Are you familiar with the term “tithe,” here are the responses. 39% of...
There are three classical reasons why people give to any organization. First, they must believe in the vision of that organization. Second, they must believe and trust in the leadership of the organization, and finally, they must have trust in how that organization handles money. Violate any of these three,...
“I have found without exception that the lack of pastoral involvement in stewardship is the number one reason churches are failing to realize their potential in giving.” That is a line from the first chapter of my 2012 book entitled The Top Ten Stewardship Mistakes Churches Make. That first chapter...
